Twitter addict receives phone call from his doctor.

The doctor says, “I have some good news and some bad news.”

Twitter addict, “OK, give me the good news first.”

The doctor says, “The good news is, you’ve got only 24 more hours to live.”

Twitter addict, “Oh no! If that’s the good news, then what’s the bad news?”

The doctor says, “The bad news is, Twitter is down!“

At the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out; then the whole church was baptized with a sacred influence, and ever since then the Holy Spirit has never been withdrawn from the Christian church. “ I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” We often unbelievingly pray for the Holy Spirit as if he were not still with us, as if he were not perpetually resident among the sons of men; but he is here, always here - always dwelling in the Christian church.

Now consider who the Holy Spirit is: he is the blessed God himself - one person of the glorious Trinity in unity, and he is therefore the possessor of infinite power. In the world of mind he can work according to his own will, and can convince men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He can soften the most obdurate, he can turn to kindness the most cruel, and lead into light the most darkened….

This is the church’s power; let her seek more of it, and, possessing it, let her rest assured that the purpose for which she has been raised up will be accomplished…

From C.H. Spurgeon’s sermon entitled “Good News For Loyal Subjects,” delivered April 19, 1868.

Over the past few months, I’ve been hearing about some self-confessing Christians doing, promoting and priding themselves for “random acts of kindness.” Have you heard about these things? It is when you “randomly” meet somebody on the street who is in dire need of physical provision — food, clothing, shelter, or God forbid, they think they need drugs and/or alcohol. And in a random “act of kindness” you decide to help out the homeless beggar.  Because after all, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ (I mean, “What would Jesus do?”!); you are simply trying to work out Matthew 25:40 in your life!–”as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Ok, maybe you don’t have that eschatological passage in mind when you get into a situation like this.  Maybe you simply (mis)use the passage for the sake of proof-texting for your “random” act of “kindness,” leaving out the point about judgment that Jesus was making. Whatever the case, out of kindness you don’t give him spare change, but instead go inside the coffee shop / burger joint / gas station to buy him some food and a drink.  However, because you’re in a tight schedule to get back to your pointless, eschatologically meaningless activities, you care for the homeless beggar and do what you think Jesus would have done — you feed him.

Give him change vs. give him food. And since in all likelihood the guy might buy drugs or booze if you gave him some money, you think the wisest thing, the kindest thing you could do is give him some food.

You refrain from having a genuine conversation with the (wo)man in need, seeking to get to know them on a more personal level so that you could better pray for him/her.   You neglect to tell them that in spite their dire physical need, they also have a greater spiritual need — one that if not provided for would lead them into an eternity in punishment for their sins. You don’t share with them the hope of the gospel — the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crushed for their iniquities — and it is only through trusting in his atoning sacrifice that we can be forgiven of our sins, made right with God and be reconciled to our Heavenly Father.   You do not call the beggar to come to faith in the One who truly sustains.

At the end of the day, if we only do these things I just mentioned, I am convinced that we have not performed a random “act of kindness.”  In and of itself, giving a neighbor a free burger or cup of coffee may be a kind act. But anybody could do that — even many unbelieving people I know. But there is nothing “kind” about only giving our neighbors a free burger or coffee if we also neglect this opportunity to give them everlasting hope (Matthew 28:18-20; cf.Acts 3:17ff).   It would be the complete opposite of “Your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”   The choice for those who have been born-again by the Spirit is not remedy physical need OR remedy spiritual need. No; the gospel compels us to do both.  For if we fail to proclaim the gospel at such Divinely-appointed opportunities, we may have helped our unregenerate neighbors survive for a few hours but we will have damned them for an eternity.

And that, brothers and sisters, would be the most unkind thing we could ever do to our neighbors.  This is not a random “act of kindness” at all.

*Edit: This Thanksgiving, let us not only do so-called random acts of kindness; let us purposefully share the gospel of grace.

I posted last month a quote on biblical womanhood from John Piper’s recent book, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence. To balance things off, I thought it’d be appropriate to post a quote on biblical manhood.  I couldn’t find a shorter, more succinct quote, so this will do.

Piper spends two whole chapters addressing men (ch.6 and 7).  He explains the biblical foundations in ch.6,  practical implications in ch.7, and contends that biblical manhood first entails leadership in spiritual provision.  However, I’d like to highlight a couple things that we might overlook:

2. Leadership in Physical Provision

The husband bears the primary responsibility to put bread on the table.  Again the word primary is important.  Both husbands and wives work.  In all of history this has been the case — both the man and the woman work.  But their normal spheres of work are man: breadwinner; wife: domestic manager, designer, nurturer.

That never has meant there are not seasons in life when a wife cannot work outside the home or that the husband cannot share the domestic burdens.  But it does mean that a man compromises his own soul and sends the wrong message to his wife and children when he does not position himself as the one who lays down his life to put bread on the table.  He may be disabled and unable to do what his heart longs to do.  He may be temporarily in school while she supports the family.  But in any case his heart — and, if possible, his body — is moving toward the use of his mind and his hands to provide physically for his wife and children. (89-90)

Piper goes on to assert leadership in spiritual protection in his third point.  But in the fourth point, he continues:

4. Leadership in Physical Protection

This is too obvious to need illustration — I wish.  If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don’t say to her, “This is an egalitarian marriage, so it’s your turn to go check it out.  I went last time.”  And I mean that — even if your wife has a black belt in karate.  After you’ve tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus.  But you’d better be unconscious on the floor, or you’re no man.  That’s written on your soul, brother, by God Almighty.  Big or little, strong or weak, night or day, you go up against the enemy first.  Woe to the husbands — and woe to the nation — that send their women to fight their battles. (91-92)

This Momentary Marriage is probably the best book on courtship/marriage/singleness I have ever read.  I highly recommend it: for men and women, married and those not.

Another reminder to myself, as well as to fellow IBC brothers and sisters:

As we trust we have been brought by divine grace to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the influence of His Spirit to give ourselves up to Him, so we do most solemnly covenant with each other, that God enabling us, We will walk together in brotherly love:

That we will exercise a Christian care and watchfulness over each other, and faithfully warn, rebuke and admonish one another as the case shall require; and in all things we will seek and guard the honor and the true function of the church;

That we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, nor omit the great duty of prayer, both for ourselves together, and for others; and for the enterprises of the Kingdom of God;

That we will share in each other’s joys, and endeavor with tenderness and sympathy, to bear each other’s burdens and sorrows;

That we will seek divine aid to enable us to walk circumspectly and watchfully in the world, denying ungodliness and every worldly lust;

That we will endeavor by example and effort to win souls to Christ, and through life, amidst evil report and good report seek to live to the glory of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

–The Immanuel Baptist Church Covenant