paul – Houghton STAR

Can a Christian hold convictions strongly, yet at the same time be willing to compromise?

Browsing over the lunches of my second grade classmates, I searched for food items that I thought my taste buds would find more satisfying than the bag of pretzels in front of me. Hmm … we had a small pack of Skittles (an option), a bag of baby carrots (too healthy), some Goldfish (those looked good, but their owner was a girl and girls still had cooties), and an array of other snacks, none of which measured up to my pretzels. So, I decided to eat my pretzels. Into my body they went, part of my body they became. Such is the way with convictions.

Your convictions define you. They are a part of you. This is always the case. But there is a hierarchy of convictions. What is it that differentiates the Christian from the non-Christian? It is her fundamental convictions, held by grace. The Christian could not and should not compromise or barter on issues challenging fundamental convictions. However, there is a time to compromise and barter on certain issues; history reminds us of the dangers of thinking otherwise.

The word conviction is derived from the Latin noun convictio, or verb convincere, which translates to “with conquer,” implying that holding convictions involves both a conqueror and a conquered. Holding convictions can do violence. But be not fooled: there is also danger for the disciple of Christ who is unwilling to hold convictions uncompromisingly.

In Romans 8:38-39, Paul says that he is convinced that nothing can separate “us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He is convinced of this, he holds onto it with certainty. The Christian must have distinguishing fundamental convictions, rooted in the certainty of the love of Jesus, on which she is not willing to compromise or barter. There are also issues that the Christian should be willing to compromise and barter on in order that she does not compromise on a more fundamental conviction within the hierarchy.

Economic theory tells us that a free market economy with pure competition maintains allocative efficiency; that is, goods and services go where they are most desirable. In the same way, if we compromise and barter on all issues, we will end up holding whatever convictions we find most advantageous to us. The Christian should be uncomfortable with bartering on issues that conflict with fundamental convictions. To barter on these issues makes one’s convictions meaningless and turns one into a disciple of self. Instead, Jesus calls us to follow him and be his disciples. If we have no discipline in holding fundamental convictions uncompromisingly, then how are we to be disciples of Christ?

Look at the conquest and evangelization of the Americas that marginalized native peoples. Many people would see this as Christians who were unwilling to compromise and barter on issues with the native people. While I think this is true, I would argue that, at the heart of the matter, it was Christians who were willing to compromise on the fundamental convictions in order to use “evangelization” as a means to power and domination. Because it was advantageous, fundamental convictions were abused. This is the danger of a “free market economy of ideology.”

Because convictions make us who we are, we must never compromise on the fundamental convictions that are inseparable from our Christian identity. We have a table at which we are formed. No, it is not the second grade lunch table. At the Eucharist table we partake of the embodiment of our fundamental convictions. May we always hold to these uncompromisingly.

In the world of Christian thought on marriage, two main viewpoints seem to be perpetuated: the first, that marriage is the end-all be-all of Christian life and is a perfect holy union sanctified by God. Many of my friends and people I have encountered at Houghton hold this opinion. They did not come to Houghton for the sole purpose of finding a spouse, but they do fervently believe that marriage and procreation is the best possible way to live out God’s purpose in their lives, and that not fulfilling this duty somehow falls ever-so-slightly short of Christian perfection. The second viewpoint runs along the lines of, “Really, folks, it is okay to be single.” Not better, not even great, just “okay.” As in, don’t worry if you have completely failed at finding “the one” God has for you, He can still use you even if you are lonely and alone. I mean, hey, Paul was single!

Yes, Paul was single, and he had an awful lot to say on the subject as well. In 1 Corinthians 7:38, he writes, “So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.” Keyword here: better. In Paul’s mind, avoiding marriage is the ultimate goal, and only by staying single can God’s plans best play themselves out in your life. Jesus seemed to share the same opinion. When the disciples asked him if it was indeed better not to marry, He replied in Matthew 19:12, “The one who can accept this should accept it.” And, in Luke 20:35, He explains, “But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.” Marriage is an earthly tradition, a vice. It is not “like the angels.”

So where does this leave those of us who would still view marriage as beautiful and special representation of Christ’s relationship with the Church? Certainly there is scriptural evidence for this way of thought as well. Often the body of believers is described as a bride being received by Christ at the resurrection, and in Song of Solomon the bedchamber is described as being blessed by God and His presence is with the bride and groom. What it means to have a committed marriage that is spiritually healthy and focused on God is also outlined clearly in the Bible. Paul himself describes what a Christian marriage should look like, instructing in 1 Corinthians 7:3-4, “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.” Likewise Jesus speaks to the permanence of marriage in Matthew 19:6, saying, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” There is nothing wrong with marriage, and those who do marry have specific guidelines to follow when it comes to forming their relationship in accordance with God’s will.

However, Paul’s instructions are followed by a stipulation. In 1 Corinthians 7:6-7 & 9, he adds, “I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. … But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” In other words, marriage is the lesser of two evils. It is the exception, not the rule. There is no “one” that God has chosen for you to marry, because God does not even really want you to get married. If you absolutely cannot help yourself and you must get married in order to keep from sinning though, it is okay. God will make an allowance for you.

If I am coming off a bit harsh, do not worry. I do not think, as it may appear in the last couple paragraphs, that marriage is the devil. As Jesus concedes in Luke 20:34, “The people of this age marry and are given marriage.” It is simply a fact of life, and within that fact, I believe that Christian relationships have the power to do good work for the Lord. I myself am engaged to be married. In my life I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by shining examples of strong Christian marriages. However, I do think that we need to seriously reconsider the ways in which we typically treat marriage within the Church.

To begin with, there is no evidence in scripture that marriage should in any way be one of the main goals of a person’s life. Pressure on young people to find the one God has intended for them is common in Christian circles. The result is a fevered rat race of young adults trying to figure out who to marry, taking dating relationships far too seriously, rushing into marriage, and feeling inadequate if unable to find a mate. Divorce rates are high, due in part to an increasingly relaxed stance on commitment and divorce, but also due to many people feeling that they should get married as soon as possible. Marriage is not intended to be in the forefront of every single person’s mind. Rather, it should be seen as an unnecessary and very serious step, one that only need be taken if one finds a true partner, someone that they cannot possibly live without, and, most importantly, someone who will not distract them from doing the work of the Lord, but instead be compatible and work with them.

In addition, God is willing to work with our differences and the personalities with which He has blessed us. From the beginning, He has acknowledged our tendency to loneliness, admitting in Genesis 2:18 that “It is not good for the man to be alone.” He is honest about the strengths and weaknesses of His people. As is stated in Matthew 19:8-9, He allowed Moses to permit the people to divorce, “because your hearts were hard,” even though “it was not this way from the beginning,” and in then Jesus’ time, He once again did not permit divorce “except for sexual immorality.” What does this openness to the conditions of the time indicate about how we should approach the current discussions that the Church is engaged in, such as the rights of homosexual and transgendered people?

There are numerous issues that could stand being revisited when it comes to what the Bible says about marriage, and we are not always going to agree on all of them. But if we are honest about the faults in our worldviews, we can read scripture with an open mind, communicate with one another, and perhaps make some improvements in the way we treat those we have previously marginalized.