One New Man II

The modern educated citizen is faced with a  baffling number of choices when considering moral values and political causes.  What ideology is right, what organizations should one join,  what are the greatest needs of our time?  The combined effect of education and technology on the individual is to multiply options and decrease cohesion.   How does the individual fit himself or herself into the larger picture so as to give meaning and significance to one's existence?  How does one make a positive difference in the world?

And yet this problem of meaning is not as difficult as it seems at first.  Underlying the apparent disorder of modern society is a simple truth: history is dualistic in nature.  For the Christian there are only two opposing paths for a person to take. One is participation in "the one new man," being an active member of some branch of the Body of Christ.  The other current is...anything else: any other ideology, loyalty or "ism" that can be found at the UN or on the college campus.  These various belief systems disagree about everything except one thing, which is that they are united in denying the existence and resisting the appearance of the "one new man."   Most of them, the secular ones, reject the Judeo-Christian idea that God owns history.  Rather, mankind constructs his own narrative and controls his own destiny.  The religious opposition to Christianity affirms the divine purpose in history, but denies the supremacy of Christ and his message of redemption.

Thus there is, or should be, a rigid line of demarcation between these two alternatives: in the first, the Holy Spirit works in partnership with human agents. He is present with them and blesses their actions in the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth.  In the second current, that of the multitude of opponents of the one new man, the Holy Spirit works against them, overrules them, and judges them with ultimate failure.  He may and does use them to accomplish His will in a nation's destiny, but He is not present in them or its members.  King Cyrus of Persia is an example of this in the Old Testament, and Pilate in the New -- men who served their own political purposes and unwittingly furthered God's plan.

It is only in partnership with the Holy Spirit that anything good is done in the world.  In fact, that is the definition of "good" -- that the Holy Spirit is in partnership with men and women in a given undertaking.  It is certainly not a faultless organization or action, indeed it may be full of mistakes and failures -- we humans being what we are.  But if in some way, no matter how small, it is supportive of the "one new man", then it has the Blessing of God upon it, and its fruit will last into eternity.  On the other hand, any secular or religious agency that opposes or ignores the new humanity, though it spends billions of dollars to reach millions of people, will not positively affect history and will finally perish from the earth.

This seems brutal and small-minded, but it is very simple, logical and Biblical.  God has revealed His purpose for mankind in the Bible.  That purpose is to create a new order of mankind and spread this reborn species throughout the earth.  This task is the mission, it is the passion, of the Holy Spirit.  If you align yourselves with some aspect of that global calling, God graces you with His name. As He said to Israel, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Is 43:1).   The scope of your life and your works will last beyond their earthly limits and will touch eternity.