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In a recent tome, an author proposed that people live according to one of two mindsets—either encumbered or unencumbered. Encumbered means to be bound to some transcendent authority outside oneself; unencumbered means to be unbound from any transcendent authority. If one is unencumbered, one can self-define truth and reality. But if one is encumbered, truth and reality are defined by an external source. This contrast is explained in the following quote:
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The “self” that Western civilization cultivated, up until just a few hundred years ago, was what Harvard political theorist Michael Sandel described as an “encumbered” self, in contrast to modernity’s “unencumbered” self. The person was a creature of God, who sought to conform himself to the truth, to objective moral standards, in pursuit of eternal life. Modern man, however, seeks to be “true to himself.” Rather than conform thoughts, feelings, and actions to objective reality, man’s inner life itself becomes the source of truth. The modern self finds himself in the midst of what Robert Bellah has described as a culture of “expressive individualism”—where each of us seeks to give expression to our individual inner lives rather than seeing ourselves as embedded in communities and bound by natural and supernatural laws. Authenticity to inner feelings, rather than adherence to transcendent truths, becomes the norm.[1]
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Modern man or modernity refers to the philosophy of humanism. Humanists presume to live unencumbered based on the predicate of evolution. Based on this theory, mankind is morally neutral and unbiased, under no obligation to a Creator.
From a Christian worldview, this is a flawed assumption. All humans, except the God-man Jesus, were (and are) created and born fallen. This intimates that mankind is encumbered— under obligation to the Creator—and morally biased to sin (John 3:19). Even Jesus, though not encumbered by a fallen nature, was encumbered in that he was bound to the will of the Father.
So, what does it mean for humans to live an encumbered life? Recently, I watched The Forge, a movie that provides a deep sense of what living encumbered means. Because of the regression from biblical norms of the past three hundred years (euphemistically called progression), the moral standards of our culture are increasingly disconnected from biblical norms. Literature, theatrical productions, and movies increasingly reflect the erroneous unencumbered worldview of humanism. The Forge is an exception. This production is one of the most impactful movies I have seen in a long time.
The movie focuses on a man who leads a small Christian discipleship group that functions as a covenant community, which is rare today. The community is biblically based, transparent, interdependent, and accountable, which should be standard for all Christian communities, but in reality is rare. Everyone in the community is in a discipleship relationship with another person in the community. They obey the mandate of Hebrews 10:24−25, which directs Christians to gather regularly to encourage each other to love (to sacrificially serve the purpose of God in others) and to good works (to live aligned with God’s will, ways, and timing).
The C4 Principle (calling, character, capability, and commissioning) is on full display among the disciples in the Forge community. Some of the personal qualities they exhibit are devotion to Scripture, the Golden Rule, transparency, interdependence, integrity, shepherding, modeling, prayer, teaching, correction, forgiveness, patience, accountability, encouragement, mercy, servant leadership, calling, and commissioning. The level of life demonstrated exceeds anything I have personally experienced in any venue. When I consider how Jesus must have conducted discipleship, The Forge illustrates the best paradigm I have seen. It is a model that can effectively prepare and sustain disciples to withstand persecution.
Another focus of the movie is evangelism and service projects. These are popular activities in Christian communities today but neither should be the end goal of Christianity. Rather, the objective of true Christianity should be discipleship. When discipleship is the priority and focus, evangelism and service projects will flow out of discipleship.
Today, rather than discipleship, evangelism and service projects commonly are the end goals. The fruit of this is the exaltation of evangelism and service projects and the denigration of discipleship, which is contrary to Scripture as seen in the apostle Paul’s life. He spent three years in Ephesus and recorded his experience, demonstrating how discipleship is the predicate to evangelism. Luke recorded the following:
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And he [Paul] entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:8–10 ESV)
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Paul spent three months seeking to evangelize the biblically literate people of the city of Ephesus. They passionately rejected his message of the kingdom of God. He then focused on discipleship by meeting daily for two years with some of the disciples who were present. The result of this intense daily discipleship training was disciples who were so infected with the truth about Jesus that all of Asia, not just all of Ephesus, heard the word of the Lord. In this case, effective evangelism without discipleship failed until the order was reversed and evangelism flowed out of profound discipleship. And by implication, service projects, as tools of evangelism, should flow out of discipleship. This is the proper order.
If you are convicted that effective evangelism is rooted in profound discipleship then the process begins with you living this paradigm. The challenge is to engage in an intense, focused discipleship initiative within a covenant community of godly men and women who can train you relationally through shepherding, modeling, teaching, and accountability.
This is living an encumbered life as Jesus did, submitted to the transcendent triune God of creation who reveals himself most fully through Scripture. Such an encumbered life would be manifested by
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living as a created being based on knowing the Creator as the predicate for knowing oneself,
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living under transcendent truth based on the Creator’s definition of truth and reality,
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living under transcendent moral truth based on the Creator’s definition of ethics, and
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defining success correctly as a life aligned with the will of God.
My experience in Christianity includes Southern Baptist, Bible Church, and Charismatic streams. Beginning when I was baptized in 1958, I have been connected to Christian communities. And since the early 1970s, I have been in various roles of leadership. But I have never experienced a covenant community as seen in The Forge. I yearn for this level of commitment and community and for the fruit that will emanate from it.
May the Lord grant all who truly call on his name the grace, vision, and tenacity to step up to a more profound level of Christian living as disciples of Jesus. And may they have the grace to follow Jesus’ example of living encumbered.
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[1] Carl R. Trueman, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, https://a.co/7vRZveL.
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Teaching: Living Encumbered: Luke 2:21-40
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Strategic Life Alignment Seminar (in progress)
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Biblical Guidance for Finding Your Life Purpose
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Strategic Life Alignment Alumni Event (this summer)
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More Biblical Guidance for Finding Your Life Purpose
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The Business Roundtable is a monthly gathering of organizational leaders who seek to lead and manage based on a Christian worldview.
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