Dancing in the Kingdom- Table of Contents
Dancing In the Kingdom – Part 3 – Dancing in the Kingdom– Chapter 17 – Finding our place
Beyond winsomeness
[Bible references: Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Proverbs 21:22; Acts 3:22; 4:1-22; 12:1-19; 16:16-40; Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 6:11-13]
Oftentimes, our first impulse when confronting evil in the world is to resort to the world’s tactics. It can seem more expedient to respond to evil with physical force or displays of anger – and there are occasions when such responses are justified – but wisdom is called for. We need to remember that our real enemy is not our “flesh and blood” fellow image-bearer but the forces of darkness. We also need to discern between when it is time for God to act and for us to act.
After David was anointed to be the future king, he had to wait several years during which period King Saul pursued David intending to kill him. Even though there were a couple of occasions when David could have killed Saul, he did not think it was his to take – he waited for the kingship to be given to him. Ever since Moses, Israel had been waiting for “one like Moses”. But David’s refusal to “take” the kingship is likely part of the reason that David was called a “man after God’s own heart,” because unlike those who came before him, he did not (at least in this case) succumb to the impulse to “see, desire, take.”
God has established government to keep the peace. What is our role if the government carries out its duty, what action should we take in support of it? What is our role if the government abuses its duty, what action should we take in opposition to it? The apostles defied the authority of the Sanhedrin and the Roman government, with God even releasing Peter from prison on one occasion and Paul in another. But on another occasion, Paul submitted to the Roman government as a means to get to Rome to continue his work there. Is there ever cause for a Christian to participate in violence? There is a debate in the Christian community about these questions that calls us to seek wisdom in our different situations.
Observe
Read Ephesians 6:11-13. How might “putting on the armor of God” help us determine when to take action or to wait for God?
Dancing In The Kingdom 