ADBC: 03 – Standards and the Spirit

I am having a blog conversation with my brother, David. Here’s the premise. Previously in the conversation, David responded to my question about the basis for societal law. Once he did that, you’ll note, he asked two questions:

Q: Where would the basis of so-called ‘secular law’ come from in a Christian system amongst non-Jewish nations? Is the Christian worldview suited for that?

That’s not a straightforward question. So to help let’s consider what you’re asking.

Christian system – what does that mean? Is there such a concept? Secular Law? What does that mean?

Why this question is interesting, though, is that what I see underneath it is something that influences a lot of my thinking, teaching and writing. Namely about the Kingdom of God. What is it, what does it mean and how does it affect how we live. At present my take on that is that the rule of God is something that should affect how those who follow Jesus should operate. Clearly, however, Kingdom rule is not something that can be imposed on those who don’t acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus. What can be done, however, is what we know about the rule of God – what righteousness looks like in daily interactions and the larger issues of life.

I will define ‘secular law’ as whatever is developed in countries that are not religiously affiliated or looks to apply to people from a non-religious perspective. A Christian worldview would look to apply as many Christian principles as is feasible in establishing a righteous rule. That kind of righteousness would include the basis on which there is justice in relationships.

There is much that the Bible says about how life is organised at various levels. There is wisdom that can be taken from the law given to Moses that looks at socio-economic values. There is wisdom that can be taken from how Jesus gives outlines for the standards of relationships. How much these can be adopted into secular law is dependent on the level of influence in the society that Christians have.

Q – What does the statement God is a Spirit mean to you?

A little bit of an explanation before answering the question. This question is asking about what it means to me. It’s not asking for a dictionary definition. It’s not looking for a variety of references outlining something like a thesis. I take this question as an invitation to consider for myself how I engage with the question.

When I hear the term ‘God is a Spirit’ I am reminded of the statement that Jesus makes to the woman at the well in the gospel of John. He states that God is a Spirit and those that worship must do so in Spirit and in truth. When I hear that, when I think about that, I hear a statement about the nature of God. I am a physical being and I often consider spiritual to be non-physical. Intangible and unseen, yet clearly existent and somehow present. That statement refers to a type of being that is clearly non-physical in nature.

So brother that’s my response to what you asked. I suspect that you will have a response to what I’ve said and I look forward to that. Whilst you do that, answer me this, David:

Q – Justice – is this a value worth pursuing in a world so prone to corruption? (Give your thinking behind your answer as well.)

In the meantime, thanks for this opportunity, dear brother.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden