Walk Humbly

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Much can be learned about a person by observing his or her way of walking. Lawyers know that bearing is more than a matter of mechanics and posture. Each person's walk is expressive of the kind of person he or she is. Cheerfulness, decisiveness, even honesty, may be revealed by how the person walks.

Scripture often uses walking as a metaphor for one's way of life before God. At the dawn of human history, we read of godly Enoch, whose entire life was summarized in only a few words: "And Enoch walked with God, and was not; for God took him." (Gen. 5.22).

What specifically are we to understand concerning this matter of walking humbly with God? We do not have far to look. The Lord Jesus Christ taught and lived humility. In His humility we see a holy boldness, a sure-footedness that eludes those whose vision is dulled by self-absorption. Andrew Murray describes our Lord's walk this way:

It is in this, above and before everything, in which the conformity to Jesus consists: being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all. Here we have the root and nature of humility. It is because this is not understood or sought after, that our humility is so superficial and so feeble. We must learn of Jesus, how He is meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us where true humility takes its rise and finds its strength - in the knowledge that it is God who worketh all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and to do nothing in ourselves. This is the life Christ came to reveal and to impart - a life to God that came through death to sin and self. If we feel that this life is too high for us and beyond our reach, it must but the more urge us seek it in Him; it is the indwelling Christ who will live in us this life. (see, Murray, Humility, Chapt. 3)

Where will we walk today? Let us consider the consciousness-raising thought that we, the body of Christ, are the means by which Jesus walks our streets, our courtrooms and schools. He wants to be more than an example to us - He is to be our very life (Col. 3:4). The One who said of Himself "I am meek and lowly of heart" indwells and empowers us to live His life as we look to Him in faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, it is from considering Your life that I begin to grasp my own need of humility. Humility is altogether foreign to my human nature. Yet, I sense that the very last thing I need is to be absorbed with myself, even with my own lack in this area. Today, I will look away from my need to Your sufficiency. Live in me this day, that I may be a medium through which You express Yourself in my sphere of influence. Teach me to live the "not-I-but-Christ life."

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Learning from Job

Read Job 1 and 2 (in other words, the first two chapters of Job).

The Book of Job gives us a fascinating glimpse “behind the scenes,” into the very courts of God in heavenly places. The Bible treats this, by the way, as an event that really happened, not as allegory or fiction, so we should, too. We are told that God and Satan were having a conversation; the subject of their discussion was a man named Job, who was “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Job was also very wealthy, and had a wonderful large family. Satan challenges God by claiming that if God allows Satan to destroy Job’s wealth, health, and family, Job will “curse You [God] to Your face.” God gives Satan permission, and Job’s great suffering begins.

In the midst of his tremendous sorrow and pain, Job nevertheless worships God, affirming that “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away – Blessed be the name of the Lord.” We are further told, “Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.” Even when Job was mocked by his wife (“Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”), he stood firm: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?”

Here is the thing that has always struck me about Job: He never finds out why all that bad stuff happened to him. Oh, he would like to have known – he cries out to God for some sort of answer, although his main concern was about whether there was anything sinful he did that caused it all to happen (he didn’t think there was, and he was apparently right). But, rather than give Job an explanation (“You see, Job, there was a sort of a bet between the devil and Me”), God famously responded to Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (38:4).

God ultimately restored wealth and health and family (“replacement children”?) to Job, but (so far as we are told) Job never found out why all this had happened to him. It is natural to want to know why things (good and bad) happen to us. I think it is even appropriate to ask God for insight along those lines. I think sometimes God may tell us why he has let us go through certain things; sometimes we can look back and see how the things we have gone through have helped shape us in positive ways, by God’s grace. But I think we need to be careful not to demand explanations from God, or to think that he owes us an explanation. He is sovereign, and we may not ever know, this side of heaven at least, why God did what He did, or why He let any certain thing happen to us. Just like Job.

~ Dean Doug Cook, Regent University School of Law

A Quiet Heart

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest ye shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15)

We lawyers are a talkative bunch. In our interactions with others, the urge to lend a thought to the conversation, to share an analogy or observation, or to propose a suggestion for a fix, is almost irresistible. And there is nothing wrong with speaking up for the good of others around us, whether in church or in our practices. Our training and experience often equip us to provide needed insights, leadership and know-how.

But on a more personal level, let us ask ourselves whether we have also learned to be quiet inwardly before God. Let the peace of God rule [be referee] in your heart (Col.3:15). In the midst of an active, competitive practice, let us learn to allow the divine referee to rule in our hearts. The role of a referee is often to throw a flag. Inwardly, the Holy Spirit throws a flag when we have lost our peace, when we have ceased to rest in the Lord.

Does a situation or a person cause you to lose your peace? Perhaps your peace is lost just thinking about a pending event. Waste no time in self-recrimination ("I know I shouldn't let this cause me anxiety"). The Lord understands: He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust (Ps. 103:14). Only consider that the Lord stands ready to provide the poise and the confidence we need. The trial or event that you are thinking of is an opportunity to trust Him more and better, even in the midst of the fray. His promise holds sure: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee. (Isaiah 26:3). Staying our mind on Him is not a quick fix, but an area of learning and growth. Read the biography of any prominent Christian whose life you admire - you will find that he or she learned through deep trials and costly struggles to trust in the Lord and to rest in His provision. This did not lead to passivity and ineffectiveness, but to a life of power and usefulness.

It is good to keep in mind that the victory is not ours but His. He will provide the wherewithal to trust Him, if only we ask, and He is sufficient for any infirmity we have. F. B. Meyer answered the question "How do I overcome?" this way:

There is only one way by which the Tempter can be met. He laughs at our good resolutions and ridicules the pledges with which we fortify ourselves. There is only One whom he fears; One who in the hour of greatest weakness conquered him; and who has been raised far above all principality and power, that He may succor and deliver all frail and tempted souls. He conquered the prince of this world in the days of His flesh; and He is prepared to do as much again, in each one of us, if only we will truly surrender ourselves to His gracious and mighty indwelling.

Lord, teach me to live in Your presence with a quiet heart. It is not so much the power and poise of a quiet heart that I seek, but Yourself. Give me eyes to see Your hand in the events of today, and the grace to leave outcomes with You. I ask this not only for myself, but for the encouragement of the believers around me. In quietness and confidence will be our strength.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:12-14)

If any of you have felt discouraged, unfocused, or weary in your journey, this verse is for you. We are encouraged and inspired to stay in the race and keep our eyes on Jesus as we strive forward, not letting our past drag us down, while at the same time, realizing soberly that we have not yet arrived . . .

We have not yet arrived. The first thing Paul points out is something most of us are painfully aware of every day: that we have not yet arrived. Does anyone feel like they have arrived? Most likely, none of you feel that way. And you are in good company. Because remember in this verse, who is talking? This is the apostle Paul talking about becoming like Christ. And as devoted as Paul was to spreading the gospel- sometimes at almost any cost, here he is admitting that even he hasn't arrived. And if Paul in all of his devotion and dedication to spreading the gospel hasn't arrived, what does that say about the rest of us? It is important that we not get discouraged about not having arrived. Especially when the going gets tough.

Our Goal. And regarding our goal, what does it say in verse 12: "but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." This is important to remember. Why are we doing all that we are doing in our lives? To fulfill the purpose for which Christ has taken hold of us. We aren't here by accident, and we aren't here to accomplish random acts. God isn't surprised that we are right where we are in life, because His plan is perfect. We are encouraged in this passage to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of us. Even when things don't seem to be going our way, we have the promise that everything will work out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Forgetting what is behind. Verses 13-14 tell us to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, "pressing on toward our goal to win the prize." This doesn't mean forget the past, and it doesn't mean don't learn from the past, it just means don't live in the past. Don't let the past be an anchor that weighs you down. The enemy would like to remind you of every bad thing you ever did. Don't fall for that! Your sins are forgiven and forgotten now that you have accepted Christ. Conversely don't rest on past accomplishments, but strive to look forward to continue to grow, and as this verse says, strain towards what is ahead.

Be patient and don't get discouraged. None of us have arrived but what we all have in common, is that Christ has taken a hold of us and inspired us to have faith and look forward to what is ahead. Let us all work toward this common goal, together.

Lord, help me to focus on you, and not get bogged down by my past or by the challenges of my current circumstances. Instill in me the faith to trust that you have great plans for me. When I put my trust in you I allow myself to persevere in the great race of life, motivated by your promise of eternal life in you at the finish line.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Privacy as a Biblical Concept

Can the Bible teach us anything about the notion of privacy? The law has been concerned with privacy quite dramatically over the past century, wrestling with questions such as: What is privacy? When does private conduct receive public protection? How does the law regulate these?

American jurisprudence has indeed based many rulings on this notion of privacy, and has expanded it dramatically over that process. The Supreme Court of the United States has relied on privacy interests to rule in Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923), and Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925) in favor of parental rights; in Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965) regarding martial privacy; in Eisenstadt v. Baird, 405 U.S. 438 (1972) regarding contraceptives for unmarried individuals; in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992), regarding abortion, and Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) regarding privacy for consensual sexual conduct in one’s own home.

Consider Genesis 3:8. Adam and Eve thought they could seek privacy. But is there any privacy from God? No, He is omniscient. There is nothing hidden from Him. He knows all, then and now. So is privacy a biblical concept? Consider Romans 1: 20- 2:1. God has kept nothing about Himself private, not even His wrath (v.20) but freely reveals all He is if we seek Him. Indeed, Paul notes in v.21 that God has made it all plain to us. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” And precisely because we are without excuse, true believers do act as set forth in Romans 1, and we simultaneously have no excuse to pass judgment (2:1). So why is privacy such a mystery to lawmakers? The Bible offers great insight into this mystery of privacy. Consider Psalm 25:4-14:

Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths, guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.

Remember, Lord, Your great mercy from and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways, according to Your love remember me, for You are good, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord, therefore He instructs sinners in His way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant. For the sake of Your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity though it is great. Who then is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity and his descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear Him. He makes His covenant known to them.

God knows all, even if we think we can keep something private from Him; furthermore, He desires for us to know Him, and wants to afford his protection, and blessings in our lives. Privacy is something to be guarded for good. And God wishes there to be no privacy between us and Him, for “the Lord confides in those who fear Him, He makes His covenant known to them.” (v.14). There is no privacy between God and those He loves – which is every one of us. The biblical concept of privacy reveals that He knows all, and desires for us to know all through Him. And through Him, we are free from any notion of privacy that might expand into a trap. “My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:15. Yes, privacy is a biblical concept – one that can be easily twisted by human nature, but freely reveals all knowledge of Him.

~ Prof. Lynne Marie Kohm, Regent University School of Law

The Bible and the Constitution

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-16

As a Christian who is also a professor of constitutional law, I am struck by the parallels between the way Christians struggle over the authority of Scripture, and the way American lawyers, scholars, and judges struggle over the meaning of the United States Constitution.

In each case, you have a written text that, in theory, we accept as authoritative and definitive. Christians accept the Bible as God’s written word, totally true and trustworthy because it came from the mind of God Himself, who used human authors to put pen to paper (parchment, or whatever they used). 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

The Constitution is authoritative NOT because it is God-breathed and infallible, but because it is the supreme law of the land. It is supposed to bind the hands of all branches of government, setting a firm parameter around legislative, executive and judicial power that can only be altered by its authors, “We the People of the United States.”

In each case, however, we see large numbers of people who want to ignore the written text and substitute their own judgment of the good. In constitutional law, this is called the “living Constitution” approach. If we can’t find our desired political outcome in the actual text of the document, we just say that the words must morph to comply with some vague, self-determined set of “constitutional principles.”

The same happens in churches that ignore God’s clear written word, replacing it with the “wisdom” of their leaders. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.) For example, the Bible’s teaching on sexual morality is clear, but those whose who want to promote extra-marital sex or homosexuality ignore the text and say that they are following “biblical principles” like love and non-judgment.

Words require interpretation and application. Understanding the full meaning of a written text, whether it is the Bible, the Constitution, or something else, can be difficult and divisive. But we need to commit ourselves to that difficult task. If we claim to be followers of that text, we can’t just ignore the words and fall back on vague platitudes.

~ Prof. Brad Jacob, Regent University School of Law

The Spirit of the Gospel

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:29-30)

How should we look at people? As they are or as they may become? How does God see the men and women around us? Do we tend to divide our acquaintances into "likely prospects" and "hard cases"? Consider the following story of the conversion of a rough man in a brutal environment.

The scene is the jail at Philippi. Paul and Silas had been ministering in the region, but wherever they went they were followed by a certain slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination. We are told that her masters made a good living from her fortune-telling. But now she fastened her attention upon Paul and Silas. She would cry out as they attempted to speak "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!" After several of these outbursts Paul became "greatly annoyed." He stopped speaking, turned around and commanded the spirit to leave the girl, and it is recorded that the spirit of divination "came out that very hour." Incensed at this interference with their livelihood, the masters of the slave girl incited the people and the magistrates to take Paul and Silas, beat them with rods and dump them into the local prison.

At midnight, Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God when a great earthquake shook the prison. It opened doors and loosed the prisoners' chains. The keeper of the prison assessed the situation, realized that he could not prevent the escape of the prisoners. He knew what his superiors did to men such as him who failed in their job performance, and decided that taking his own life would be preferable to the painful death he would suffer at their hands. But as he drew his sword, Paul called to him with a loud voice: "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." We know how the story ends. The jailer beseeched Paul and Silas to show him the way of salvation and, after they did, he prayed to receive Christ. Paul and Silas were taken to the jailer's home and their wounds were dressed. The jailer and his family were baptized and afterward they shared a meal with Paul and Silas.

So, how did Paul and Silas see the jailer? They could no doubt see that he was a coarse, hard man, a man accustomed to brutality and torture, a man who gave no mercy and expected none. But Paul and Silas saw something else. The Holy Spirit had gifted them with what Watchman Nee called the spirit of the Gospel - the compassion that comes from sensing the perishing condition of sinners. They saw what Richard Wurmbrand saw in a communist concentration camp in Romania in the late 1940s.

Wurmbrand's story reads like the book of Acts. It is recounted in his book Tortured for Christ,and in abbreviated form in Jesus Freaks - Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus. As the communists came to power in Romania in 1945, they sought to co-opt the churches by holding a great congress for the religious leaders - some 4,000 Christian leaders attended. The agenda of the communists was to force the church into submission to the new regime. The assembly began by electing Josef Stalin as honorary president. Then, at the main convocation, bishops and pastors rose one after another and declared loyalty to the state, assuring those present that Christianity and communism were fundamentally the same and could co-exist. Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina became more and more upset.

Finally, Sabina looked at her pastor husband and said: "Richard, stand up and wash this shame from the face of Christ." He knew what was at stake: "If I speak, you will lose your husband." Sabina's reply: "I do not wish to have a coward for a husband." Wurmbrand took the stage and to everyone's surprise, began to preach. "Delegates," he began, "it is not our duty to praise earthly powers that come and go, but to glorify God the creator and Christ the Savior who died for us on the cross." Many of the delegates who had been afraid to oppose the communists until then, began to praise God loudly and pandemonium broke out in the assembly. Wurmbrand's microphone was cut off and the assembly was shut down for the day. Richard Wurmbrand was a marked man thereafter. Eventually he spent fourteen years in prison, where he was subjected to the most cruel sorts of torture. His wife, Sabina, likewise went to a prison camp for three years.

But like Paul and Silas, Wurmbrand was not a typical prisoner. He and his fellow Christian brothers, in the midst of unimaginable cruelties, began to experience a miracle:

And then the miracle happened. When it was at the worst, when we were tortured as never before, we began to love those who tortured us. Just as a flower, when you bruise it under your foot, rewards you with its perfume, the more we were mocked and tortured, the more we pitied and loved our torturers.

After his release from the prison camp in 1956, Wurmbrand told his story to the world. Often he was asked with some incredulousness: "How can you love someone who is torturing you?" His reply:

By looking at men...not as they are, but as they will be... I could also see in our persecutors a Saul of Tarsus - a future Apostle Paul. Many officers of the secret police to whom we witnessed became Christians, and were happy to later suffer in prison for having found our Christ. Although we were whipped, as Paul was, in our jailers we saw the potential of the jailer in Philippi, who became a convert. We dreamed that soon they would ask, "What must I do to be saved?"

How do we look at the people who we deal with day to day? Are we surrounded by unlikely candidates for the Gospel? Perhaps we need new eyes. Let the story of Richard Wurmbrand inspire us to see that "something else" in people - to see our clients and colleagues, even our adversaries, as they may become in Christ.

Heavenly Father, today I ask you to give me the spirit of the Gospel -- eyes to see individuals as You see them. May I experience the miracle of love for the unlovely and undeserving. Be with your men and women around the world who have chosen to risk all for Your sake and for the Gospel. May it be that I would have a part with them in what You are doing.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society