Isaac's Keep | Reformed Canton Church in Downtown Canton, GA

I was reading Martin Luther’s introduction to the Theologia Germanica, a book whose author is unknown, yet Luther considered it very insightful, so much so that he had it printed in Wittenberg and distributed throughout Germany. In the introduction Luther speaks of the “ordered life.” He very succinctly and I believe correctly identifies the four kinds of people who deal with order, command, and rule in four different ways. We would be well served to take a look ourselves.

#1: Some lead an ordered life neither for God’s sake nor out of a particular personal desire, but simply because they are compelled. They do the least possible and it all turns sour and burdensome for them.

#2: A second group observes laws and rules for the sake of reward. That is, people who believe that it is possible to earn the kingdom of heaven and eternal life. They consider that person holy who observes a great many rules. The person who neglects even some little rule, they believe, is lost to the devil. They show great seriousness and diligence in keeping the rules, yet, after a time, it all turns sour and burdensome from them.

#3: The third kind of people are the wicked, false people who think of themselves as perfect and are quick to tell you just how perfect they are. They think they do not need any rules and laws and, in fact, scoff at any talk about “order.”

#4: Fourth, we have those who have been illumined by God and guided by the true Light. They do not practice the ordered life in expectation of reward. They do not want to acquire anything with the aid of reward, nor do they hope that they will some day reap some reward because of it. No, they do what they do in the ordered life out of love.

They are not so concerned about the outcome, about how a particular behavior will turn out, how soon, and so on. Their concern is rather that things will work out well, in peace and inner ease. And if sometimes some less important rules have to be neglected, they are not lost in despair.

They know, of course, that order and rectitude are better and nobler than the lack of it. So they want to keep the rules, but they also know that their salvation and happiness are not dependent on the observance of rules. Therefore they are not as anxious as others.

What kind of person are you in regards to living an “ordered life?”

#4 Help Christians renew their cultures by the gospel through community.
#5 Help cultivate within churches, organizations, and individual lives those practices that are aligned with the enduring design of the world, who grieve over the agony of evil, pain and failure in the world, and who bring hope and healing through the gospel in their spheres of responsibility.

As I review the call this year I believe it is time to combine #4 and #5, as #5 simply helps define #4.

When I review this calling I tend to focus on one of four clauses in #5: help Christians, renew culture, the gospel, or through community. Probably because picking one is easier and I can usually convince myself that I’m doing all right in one or two, but therein lays the problem with fulfilling this calling. I believe that God has called me to all, holistically, and that in fact each clause is dependent upon the other. “Helping Christians” is relatively easy, teach a Bible study and you can help them. “Renewing culture” isn’t so easy but to focus only on this one can result in an arbitrary renewal, so what are we bringing that’s new or different? “By the gospel” is worthy but can often be a crutch for not honestly engaging people to understand the truth claims of the gospel. “Through community” can be difficult, building community is no small task. However, a community without direction and vision is just a group of likeminded people. So the challenge of this call is to combine all these elements and my personal responsibility in leadership. Perhaps I should rewrite these two as I become more aware of the challenges. To help Christians build up a community driven by the gospel to reach others with this gospel and bring them into community until the culture is changed and renewed for the glory of God. That is probably more correct in the way that God has gifted me personally, even though it is a bit wordier, it does helps me evaluate better.

In terms of evaluation, God continues to bless me with a preaching ministry and the responsibilities of an elder. This gives me weekly opportunity to proclaim His Word and that is what will ultimately help Christians the most and build them into a gospel driven community that desires to reach others with this same gospel until others are brought into fold and cultures begin to be changed for the glory of God. God also continues to bless me with the responsibility of directing a gospel driven ministry that focuses on connecting believers to those in need of the gospel and redemption. This is also a community unto itself that is simply focused on the kingdom of God and building it up and sharing His grace that is so abundant. God has given me leadership responsibility in these two vocational ministries to carry forward this calling and while I am praying and hopeful for greater things yet to come, I am so thankful for the fruit already given. I’m often discouraged at what appears on the surface to be very few people who are really interested in worshiping God and serving others instead of being served themselves, but I realize that this is part of culture that is in desperate need of renewal, and if I never see the fruit of change through this ministry, at least I can farm by cultivating the soil, planting seeds, watering the ground and fertilizing with the Word and then praying that God give the increase in His own perfect time. I have to constantly fight against my own pride, ego, need for validation, and sin, and find satisfaction with being insignificant in the eyes of others but accepted by Him. To measure worthiness not by the temptations of a culture that needs renewing but by the kingdom that is to come.