Zeal and Promotion
When I was a younger man I believed in working very hard with zeal and in order to gain the favor of certain people in church leadership. I believed that I would be promoted to higher status and responsibility within my church. This promotion would give me access to the pastor, to his pulpit once in a while and friendships with others in the inner circle. All it required was hard work, an attitude of service and my tithes; which I was giving anyhow. I was in what can be compared to a caste system.
And the lukewarm people who wouldn’t work like us would just remain in their lukewarm lower class state.
It is like a caste system yet one can move to the higher caste with trying very hard and ‘obedience’.
I remember one time during this time in my life a friend of ours mocked our class system. At the time I had thought that she was lukewarm. I was politely offended, and I blew her off. I thought to myself that she had an attitude problem. I’d say to myself ‘what is she doing at church anyhow? nothing!’ So I had a right, so I felt, to disregard her and not listen to her critique.
Looking back I think Jesus himself was displeased with my line of thinking. He was expressing himself through her in her displeasure at our little upper class church-club mentality. I think he was with her and not with me in that exchange. It was I who had the wrong attitude toward what she was saying.
Godless Caste System of Classes
During my time at this church I had jumped into a Godless caste-like system with both feet. I think it appealed to my legalistic tendencies. I use the strong term ‘Godless’ only because Jesus Christ has not authored that system. Jesus Christ does not approve of that system, especially within groups which call themselves church. His absence alone makes a system or an institution Godless.
Any system or institution that Jesus Christ is not absolute Lord over and has not himself instituted is Godless.
Jesus’ people have no upper and lower classes. There is no promotion within the body of Christ based on performance and/or behavior with money.
The ecclesia that Jesus Christ is building is like a human body. It is not like a caste system of hard work and promotions. All members equally take commands from the head. There are no upper and lower class members within a human body. All have a specific function and all take orders equally from the head. There is not hierarchy and delegation and separation from the head. All members care for one another equally with differing roles and abilities.
I’ve come to believe that it is the duty of every member of Christ to lovingly reject Godless systems. Systems which attempt to replace the rule and will of Jesus Christ…will not succeed long term.
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