Balancing Civil and Spiritual Righteousness in Faith
Summary
The sermon explores the complex relationship between civil righteousness and spiritual righteousness, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balance between the two. The speaker begins by acknowledging the intertwined nature of these aspects in our lives, but stresses the need to keep them distinct. They argue that neither our confidence in spiritual righteousness nor our civil righteousness should overshadow the other, as both are integral parts of who we are. However, they also recognize that the overlap between these two areas can become convoluted, and that our spiritual side should ultimately prevail. By fulfilling our spiritual calling and working towards God's justice, we can bring about positive change in the civil system.
The speaker then delves into the concept of righteousness according to Martin Luther, who distinguishes between civil righteousness, achieved through our actions in society, and spiritual righteousness, which pertains to our relationship with God. Our spiritual righteousness, they explain, is not determined by our actions, but rather by God's love in Christ. This righteousness is referred to as "alien righteousness" because it is a gift from God and cannot be earned. The speaker encourages the congregation to reflect on their own motivations and whether they are more concerned with how they appear to others or with honoring God.
The speaker shares a personal anecdote about struggling with obeying speed limits on the way to an event, using it as an example of how our righteousness in the civil realm is earned or not earned based on following the law. They emphasize that our sense of what is right in the world should come from God, and while we owe society what it demands of us, we owe God even more. They use the current immigration debate as an example of how civil disobedience may be seen as civil righteousness in some cases. However, they caution that there are traps in thinking that confuse societal righteousness with spiritual righteousness, and it can be difficult to discern where the line is between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response.
The speaker continues to explore the balance between civil righteousness and spiritual righteousness, highlighting the idea that our sense of what is right in the world should come from God, while also acknowledging our obligations to society. They caution against confusing societal righteousness with spiritual righteousness, especially in the context of churches taking an active role in pursuing justice. The speaker acknowledges the difficulty in determining where the line is and whether one is on, over, or nowhere near it.
Finally, the speaker reflects on the tendency to try and align Jesus with a particular political party. They argue that our desire to place Jesus in a box that aligns with our own beliefs says more about us than about who Jesus truly is. They believe that Jesus evades this trap by discussing righteousness in a way that transcends political affiliations.
Key Takeaways:
- Both civil and spiritual righteousness are integral parts of who we are, and neither should overshadow the other. However, our spiritual side should ultimately prevail, and by fulfilling our spiritual calling and working towards God's justice, we can bring about positive change in the civil system. [37:41]
- Our spiritual righteousness is not determined by our actions, but rather by God's love in Christ. This righteousness is referred to as "alien righteousness" because it is a gift from God and cannot be earned. We are called to reflect on our own motivations and whether we are more concerned with how we appear to others or with honoring God. [38:24]
- Our sense of what is right in the world should come from God, and while we owe society what it demands of us, we owe God even more. It can be difficult to discern where the line is between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response, especially in the context of churches taking an active role in pursuing justice. [49:32]
- We must be cautious of the tendency to try and align Jesus with a particular political party. Our desire to place Jesus in a box that aligns with our own beliefs says more about us than about who Jesus truly is. Jesus discusses righteousness in a way that transcends political affiliations. [27:25]
- The current political climate often leads churches to take an active role in advocating for justice or addressing injustices in the world. However, this can make it difficult to discern where the line is between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response. A proper civil response may not always align with a proper spiritual response. [35:59]
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 22:15-22 (NIV)
> Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar’s," they replied. Then he said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
2. Romans 13:1-2 (NIV)
> Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the trap that the Pharisees and Herodians set for Jesus in Matthew 22:15-22?
2. How does Jesus respond to the question about paying taxes to Caesar, and what does his response imply? [28:17]
3. According to Romans 13:1-2, what is the relationship between Christians and governing authorities?
4. What personal anecdote did the speaker share to illustrate the concept of civil righteousness? [33:16]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus emphasized giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s? How does this distinction help us understand the balance between civil and spiritual righteousness? [31:52]
2. How does the concept of "alien righteousness" as described by Martin Luther challenge our understanding of earning righteousness through actions? [31:13]
3. In what ways can our desire to align Jesus with a particular political party reflect more about our own beliefs than about who Jesus truly is? [27:25]
4. How can the current political climate and the church's role in advocating for justice make it difficult to discern between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response? [35:59]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own motivations: Are you more concerned with how you appear to others or with honoring God? How can you shift your focus more towards honoring God in your daily actions? [32:32]
2. Think about a recent situation where you had to choose between following a civil law and following what you believe to be God's law. How did you handle it, and what would you do differently now? [33:56]
3. How can you ensure that your sense of what is right in the world comes from God rather than societal norms? What practical steps can you take to align your actions more closely with God's justice? [34:37]
4. In what ways can you avoid the trap of trying to make Jesus align with your political beliefs? How can you focus more on aligning yourself with Jesus' teachings? [27:25]
5. How can you discern the line between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response in your own life? Can you think of a specific issue where this distinction has been challenging for you? [35:59]
6. Reflect on the idea that our spiritual side should ultimately prevail. How can you prioritize your spiritual calling in a way that brings about positive change in the civil system? [37:41]
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel the overlap between civil and spiritual righteousness is particularly convoluted. What steps can you take to clarify this overlap and ensure your spiritual righteousness prevails? [38:24]
Devotional
```
Day 1: Balancing Civil and Spiritual Righteousness
We are called to balance our civil and spiritual righteousness, neither overshadowing the other. However, our spiritual side should ultimately prevail. By fulfilling our spiritual calling and working towards God's justice, we can bring about positive change in the civil system. [37:41]
Romans 13:1 - "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."
Reflection: Reflect on your daily life. Are there areas where your civil righteousness is overshadowing your spiritual righteousness? How can you bring about a balance?
Day 2: Embracing Alien Righteousness
Our spiritual righteousness is not determined by our actions, but rather by God's love in Christ. This righteousness is referred to as "alien righteousness" because it is a gift from God and cannot be earned. We are called to reflect on our own motivations and whether we are more concerned with how we appear to others or with honoring God. [38:24]
Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
Reflection: Reflect on your motivations. Are they driven by a desire to appear righteous to others or to honor God? How can you shift your focus to honoring God?
Day 3: Discerning Civil and Spiritual Responses
Our sense of what is right in the world should come from God, and while we owe society what it demands of us, we owe God even more. It can be difficult to discern where the line is between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response, especially in the context of churches taking an active role in pursuing justice. [49:32]
Acts 5:29 - "Peter and the other apostles replied: 'We must obey God rather than human beings!'"
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you had to choose between a civil response and a spiritual response. How did you make your decision and what was the outcome?
Day 4: Avoiding the Jesus Political Trap
We must be cautious of the tendency to try and align Jesus with a particular political party. Our desire to place Jesus in a box that aligns with our own beliefs says more about us than about who Jesus truly is. Jesus discusses righteousness in a way that transcends political affiliations. [27:25]
John 18:36 - "Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.'"
Reflection: Reflect on your political beliefs. Have you ever tried to align Jesus with your political party? How can you ensure your beliefs align with Jesus, rather than trying to make Jesus align with your beliefs?
Day 5: Navigating Church's Role in Justice
The current political climate often leads churches to take an active role in advocating for justice or addressing injustices in the world. However, this can make it difficult to discern where the line is between a proper civil response and a proper spiritual response. A proper civil response may not always align with a proper spiritual response. [35:59]
Micah 6:8 - "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Reflection: Reflect on your church's role in advocating for justice. How can you ensure that your church's response aligns with both civil and spiritual righteousness?
```
Quotes
"Our righteousness in the world, our sense of what is right in the world, is something that comes from God. We owe to society exactly what society demands of us, but we owe to God more, we owe to God everything." [34:37]
"I'm not going to be pin down to any political party...maybe our desire to place Jesus in a box that's either political party says a lot about who we are and what how we try to make Jesus align with us as opposed to us aligning with Jesus." [27:25]
"Does our confidence in our spiritual righteousness allow us to stay quiet in the Civil Realm? I would argue that our civil righteousness can't overtake our spiritual righteousness. The two things are a full part of who we are and we cannot divide ourselves down the middle and say this is my civil side and this is my spiritual side and never the two will meet because it is holy who we are." [37:41]
"Those two things in this middle area where they overlap each other become very convoluted, and I would argue that our spiritual side has to win. We have to do what's right under the laws of God, and in that, we can indeed change the Civil system. I believe it's imperative for us to examine our callings as citizens and decide how we are called to be working toward God's justice and offering good news to our society." [38:24]
"Our spiritual righteousness regards our relationship with God and for Luther this was determined not by our actions but by God's love in Christ... it is a righteousness that is gifted to us because we are children of God." [31:13]
"Jesus is exposing the irony of the religious leaders and the religious activities... we are more concerned about how other people see us or are more concerned about the power that we can Garner for ourselves than we are with honoring God." [32:32]
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?