I found this article on the New York Times today and thought it gives a telling account of what happens when we try to change others by demanding that they do this or that. While our intentions may well be very good and noble (in this case, saving the planet), our demanding that they change their ways can at best prove Law to our friends, loved-ones, and spouses.
I think it interesting that this article calls bickering about environmental issues a ‘new’ kind of relational trouble, but the end result is the same as ever: saving the planet becomes Law that one person inflicts upon another and inevitably drives a wedge between the two!
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9 responses to “Going green isn’t the problem…”
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I think I've seen it all now–couples no longer know HOW to discuss, argue or resolve "Moral" issues, so we go to therapists!!!
🙂
Here is the root of the problem:
True outward, earthly righteousness that is pleasing to God looks like MY selfdisciplining so I can LOVE my neighbor (ie act in ways that makes his life tangibly and perceptibly better).
False righteousness usually has one or the other rather than the cause effect of the two that is God pleasing.
Examples: we self flagelate, do a roll-your-own spirituality that looks like work but is useless to our neighbor. It doesn´t change our neighbor´s life for the better. There is no Love that says.
We become vegan, avoid alcohol, or immerse in church work or become theology wonks, reading up on bonhoeffer, etc. It is about self-improvement. Not about Love. Which is ALL about our neighbor´s well-being.
We tend to turn this disciplining as a vertical, "spiritual" work. Which God does not need or want.
Or we act out in ways we think look like Love, but without discipline, these tend to muddle up and meddle in the life of our neighbor rather than actually better his life. We think focussing on our neighbor´s being self disciplined is Love and so is righteousness. It is not that.
So in summary it is easy to recognize whether we are doing an earthly righteousness that truly pleases God. Or not:
SELF discipline directed at LOVE (as action) towards NEIGHBOR.
Whenever we see this, we can rest our conscience knowing we are pleasing God. When this is not the formula, we know then that we are dealing with something other than God pleasing outward righteousness.
Of course our consciences should only look for their ultimate rest in Christ as Savior (Gospel) and not Christ as Example (earthly righteousness). For all earthly righteousness will die with the earth along with all who seek their life there. (Romans 8)
Yesterday I spent time with a good friend who is a fashion designer.
He loves to immerse himself in the discipline of understanding newtonian theory on color, and learn about textiles, human anatomy, and the semingly universal rules behind the creation of art and design.
The result of this discipline of my friend is to create clothes that make the wearer look faaaabulous.
Fashion design IS my friend´s true and God pleasing righteousness. To hear him talk about his passion is to see God´s hand at work in so many details of chemistry, physiology, rules of art, physics…. awesome stuff.
It pleases God that my friend does this is what "true righteousness" is saying.
All the Good gifts in life we get from our loving Heavenly Father who uses the pursuit of earthly righteousness in pagan and christian alike, to give us and even all the wicked all good things for our lives even before we know to ask for them.
Being ecologically minded can be this too. Who can argue that more self restraint in the use of resources in favor of our neighbor and future generations of neighbors would not be good. There are so many loving things that could come from that, without being just conservation-as-self-discipline-that-makes-us-feel-reighteous.
Frank,
Thanks for the comments.
Actually I think the attitude you are attempting to define is the whole issue–the more we try to please God the more we fail–why would any of our actions please him? Once we try to define the right ways to please God we're knee deep in the transactional mire. I think truly good works are unknown and unintentional. Peace.
"why would any of our actions please him? "
answer:
God IS pleased when you love your neighbor. You PROPERLY thank God for love received from neighbor Whom God uses to provide everything included in the words "daily bread". ALL you need for your earthly wellbeing comes from your neighbor´s (pagan/christian) righteousness. We see this righteousness, and most is intentional.
That said, there is only One Righteousness that saves and will not perish with the earth. True. Jesus. Only Christians have this. Further ONLY this makes one a christian and NONE of that outward stuff. The Righteousness Who is Christ ALONE.
But christians from this fact make the error in then thinking that there is only ONE kind of righteousness that pleases God. There are TWO. So those who quote James are met with "faith vs works" "law vs gospel". and we then are as wrong as they are.
It is both faith and good works. Two kinds of TRUE righteousness. BOTH please God we must be certain!
The question is how these two kinds of righteousness differ. Here we go to Paul and not James:
Earthly righteousness (called flesh/body in romans 8) and The Righteousness or Jesus (called Spirit in romans 8). Earthly righteousness will perish with the earth along with those who look for life there. Those who have their life in Jesus will live and not perish with the earth.
We will lose "christ alone" ie the Gospel by not fully acknowledging TWO kinds of righteousness, Luther says. This is because by not giving to earthy righteousness ALL except FAITH alone, we will inevitably turn what it means to be a christian into inward Righteousness+outward righteousness. We will call it "transformation" or such.
Again:
Definition True Outward Righteousness is self discipline + loving acts towards neighbor. Love, making our neighbor´s life a bit better, is the fulfullment of the Law. It pleases God. He wills it.God providences it. In Him only can it have it´s being.
In this outward righteousness, you must always try harder! This righteous only demands righteousness and never bestows it.
Your righteousness here will ALL perish with the earth, along with those who seek to find life here in this true earthly righteousness.
And so we need to be bestowed with an inner Righteousness. This Righteousness ALONE saves and will not perish.
NOTHING in that outer earthly righteousness that will all perish with the earth is included in this inner Christ-Righteousness that is delivered to us by faith planted in us by God.
Why?
because we already included EVERYTHING BUT the Christ-Righteousness in that other righteousness that is OUTWARD and VISIBLE and earthly and that will ALL perish with the earth.
"I think truly good works are unknown and unintentional."
Dear brother Mitch, be sure that we are in full agreement on all you wrote. Especially here!
Here you talk about the new man, who alone can do TRULY good works of faith because his will alone IS the very will of Christ.
What you describe is the way the Christ within us acts! That new man! And that new man looks exactly like the Christ in the incarnation.
Whatever you can say about Jesus in the incarnation you can say about yourself according to your new man! Try it:
Jesus did God´s will "unknown and unintentionally" because there was no other option possible. He did not stand out in a crowd with his outward righteousness. Jesus need no self-discipline (called mortification of the flesh in the bible) or instruction of the law or even gospel to "motivate" him. Insofar as you are a new man, a little-Christ, this is what your inner righteousness looks like.
Insofar as you are still burdened with the Old Adam, your outward righteousness looks like sweat. like try harder. The Old Adam and that righteousness of sweat will perish with the earth.
But while this earth still exists,it is God who wills the Old Adam in both you and your pagan neighbor to be outwardly righteous and makes that happen in order to deliver you every good gift you need now for this body and life. Here no faith is necessary. just alot of self discipline and love.
Frank,
You don't worry about "taking over" the thread–you merely posted according to your faith.
Thanks!
please understand mich that i do fully agree with every word you said. take what i wrote in that context please. and still please delete the last 3 comments. I need to learn brevity and to bridle my passion. thanks for your charity dear brother!