Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Altruism
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Job 32:8
Job's young friend utters a truth that is self-evident to those whose minds God has opened but is hidden from carnal perception. God has endowed man with a human spirit that places him higher than the animals, giving him intelligence, emotion, speech, skills, and abilities similar to but lower than God's own abilities. This spirit allows humans to function with free moral agency, to choose what behaviors they will follow. This human spirit, however, has no moral compass in itself; it is essentially neutral, though it tends to be dragged down by the needs and desires of our flesh. A young child can become a saint or a sinner, depending on the training he receives, but if he is left to his own devices, as Proverbs 29:15 warns, he will ultimately bring shame on his family. This principle results from the fact that Adam and Eve, who, as mankind's representatives before God in the Garden of Eden, set the pattern of choosing the knowledge of good and evil rather than God's offer of knowledge that leads to eternal life (Genesis 3:1-6; 22). Human beings, then, come in an array of moral hues, from black as sin to white as the driven snow and every shade in between. Humanity has produced Adolf Hitler, who attracted millions to his cause, as well as Mother Theresa, who repulsed millions with her Catholic beliefs. At base, we are all mixed bags, capable of the heights of altruism and the depths of egoism. It all depends on what we choose to do, yet our record tends toward the dark rather than the light. In I Corinthians 2:11-13, Paul explains that man's essentially neutral spirit is distinct from God's Spirit. The human spirit understands only what the human mind can discover. If a man wishes to understand and do truly godly things, he must have God's Spirit, which He freely gives upon repentance and conversion. This Spirit from God is "not the spirit of the world" (verse 12), which is "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). Paul goes on to say that God's Spirit teaches us things beyond any wisdom discovered by the human spirit (I Corinthians 2:13). Within this passage, Paul hints at the fact that the human spirit, when it is under the inspiration of the spirit of this world, can counterfeit the wisdom that comes from God's Spirit alone (see II Corinthians 11:13-15). A carnal person's works may seem "right," but they are still acting under the guidance of the "natural spirituality" that is part of the spirit in man. Consider the Ten Commandments. Most of us probably know people who agree that they are fine laws and strive to keep them. Does this mean they are converted? No! At best, men naturally follow at least the last six because they can see by the human spirit that they produce an ordered and peaceful society. The first four commandments, however, require God's Spirit to understand fully. Paul confronts this issue head-on in Romans 2:14-15, admitting that the unconverted often follow God's law even if they have no knowledge of it. He calls them "a law to themselves," meaning that the rules they follow are their own, not God's, though they may agree with God's law at points. How? Because the spirit God breathed into Adam in the Garden of Eden allows them to reason out a correct moral sense—at least partially. Generally, though, man's moral sense is partly right and partly wrong, yet fundamentally hostile to God (Romans 8:7). Nevertheless, the human spirit is so incredible that, in varying degrees depending on the individual, it can reason out parts of God's truth on its own and put them into action. But by no means does this mean such people are converted! Jesus and the apostles are unambiguous about conversion being a special calling by God (John 6:44; II Timothy 1:9), marked by the indwelling of another Spirit (I Corinthians 3:16; II Timothy 1:14), God's Spirit, that is holy and begets us as His children (Romans 8:9-14). In Acts 5:29, 32, Peter provides the key to the difference between the converted and the "good" yet unconverted of this world: God's people obey Him rather than men, and God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. In other words, a converted person will have and use God's Spirit and obey His law diligently and increasingly, while natural man will be guided only by his "natural spirituality" and be a law to himself. Because He will do what feels right "in his heart," he will occasionally perform good works with which God would be pleased. As Jesus so bluntly puts it, even evil men give good gifts to their children (Matthew 7:11). Even a blind squirrel finds an occasional nut.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Man's Natural Spirituality
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Romans 14:7-8
This apostolic pronouncement, confirmed in numerous passages throughout the Bible, runs counter to the prevailing philosophy of this age. Our American society is built on the concept of individualism. Just a few centuries ago, people believed that "no man is an island," but over the intervening decades a spirit of personal independence has grown to become a central tenet that influences every facet of life. Perhaps the last two remaining vestiges of the older way of thinking exist in family ties and teamwork, and both of these are slipping away at a frightening rate. Progressives have sought and succeeded in redefining family to include just about anyone living under a single roof, no matter how they might be related by blood or marriage—or not. As for teamwork, all one has to do is watch just about any team sport and the trend becomes readily apparent. Business has kept team spirit alive, but the fundamental reason for it comes down to individual profit. It would be interesting to ask a significant sample of the population, "What do you live for?" The answers, of course, would be many and varied, but it is probable that they would boil down to a few major categories: - Self
- Family
- Wealth
- Power
- Fame/Prestige
- Excitement/Risk/Adventure
- Knowledge
- Altruism/Philanthropy
- Nothing/Uncertain
- Spiritual/Religious Reasons
Obviously, some of these overlap or go hand-in-hand, but most of them are fundamentally self-centered and self-aggrandizing. Even "family," "altruism/philanthropy," and "spiritual/religious reasons" have selfish angles. Because we are human, we have a terribly hard time—perhaps an impossible one—extricating our baser selves from even our highest aspirations. In even the most altruistic among us is a desire to satisfy one's own desires. Yet, through the apostle Paul, God lays down a guiding principle that human nature makes almost impossible to live up to: "We live to the Lord." Perhaps had God called us out of a culture of slavery, as those in the first century were, we would be better suited to do this. But He did not. He called us out of the most individualistic, materialistic culture that has ever existed on the planet, perhaps rivaled only by the days before the Flood (Genesis 6:5) and the chaotic period of Israel's judges when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). God must think that it is possible, even for us. This is not to say that it is easy. It takes faith, courage, perseverance, and a great deal of vision to wrench one's thoughts, words, and actions out of the raging current of this world (Ephesians 2:2) and to paddle in the opposite direction. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting, and progress is often slow—and sometimes nonexistent and even retrograde! However, the effort is beneficial in itself, teaching us valuable lessons and building essential traits of character. So, how are we doing? Do we "do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31)? We should not consider this in just the major matters of life but in the minor details, for if we set our minds to honor God in the little matters, we will already be in the habit of doing so when the big ones arise (see Luke 16:10). As His representatives on earth, it is vital that whoever observes us sees a reflection of Him in us. Do we give "thanks always for all things to God" (Ephesians 5:20)? In this day of rudeness and incivility, gratitude is a misunderstood and often undervalued virtue. However, gratitude teaches obligation and acknowledgement of providence. Being thankful keeps our minds trained on the fact that, without God, we would have nothing, and thus we owe Him our obedience as our kind Benefactor. Do we "live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself for [us]" (Galatians 2:20)? Living by faith means that we follow Jesus' teaching no matter where it leads us because He owns us wholly and completely by His redemptive work. So, if God's Word says, "Come out from among them and be separate" (II Corinthians 6:17), we should be doing our very best to reject the anti-God practices of this world, no matter what they are and what may result. We do this because we implicitly trust our Savior. Paul writes in Philippians 1:21: "For to me, to live is Christ." Do we think this way? Do Jesus Christ, His teaching, and His desires for us fill our lives to the extent that they are our lives? That is what Paul means: His every waking moment was lived with Christ foremost in mind: obeying Him, glorifying Him, thanking Him, pleasing Him. If we do this—if we try to do this—we will make great strides toward being prepared for (Revelation 19:7) and hastening (II Peter 3:12) the establishment of God's Kingdom.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
'We Live to the Lord'
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