Are you in a dangerous occupation?

Editor’s note: This is a reprinted column from Jack Purcell’s “On the Journey” archives. It originally appeared in The Star in 2013.

There are many dangerous occupations that put people in peril. At the moment we are all aware of those who serve us in harms way in the military. I have a close friend that has been in more dangerous situations than most of us could dream of. Many of my former military friends have survived incredible danger.

We are going to explore an occupation that you probably don’t think of as dangerous, but indeed comes with some real risks. Preachers and Bible teachers carry an extremely heavy burden of responsibility toward those that they influence. So what is so dangerous about that? Maybe I can illustrate it with a little humor. A well-known Bible teacher died and went to heaven. He wasn’t there long before folks asked him to teach one of his seminars. As he approached the podium he looked down and there was Jesus on the front row. Taken aback, he went to Jesus and asked, “Lord why are you here?” Jesus responded, “Oh, because I’ve never heard any of this before.”

Those who purport to teach the Gospel have an awesome responsibility to impart truth. It must be truth that is not tainted with religious assumptions or traditions carved from man’s judgment.

Luke 12:48 informs us, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Some who think that because we live under the new covenant, somehow the Old Testament doesn’t have much to say to us often perplexes me. They can carry a New Testament and think they have the Bible. There are a multitude of lessons from the Old Testament that have application today while we live under grace rather than law.

Matthew 5:19-20 is a classic example. Here Jesus is teaching and because his ministry was to the Jews he spoke regarding the law. Grace had not yet been ushered in so this is really Old Testament teaching with New Testament truth.

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

How could their righteousness be greater than the Pharisees? There is only one way then and now. When a person receives Christ he receives the righteousness of Christ. Romans 5:1618 makes this clear.

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Now lets take this teaching and apply it to the Matthew passage. If God didn’t want people messing around with the law how do you suppose he feels about preachers or teachers messing around with grace?

One can only scratch his head and wonder why the concept of grace causes so much discomfort for some professional Christians. What is it about us that makes us think we have to work for a gift? If you get stopped by a policeman, and he gives you a warning and not a ticket do you feel less than satisfied? Do you run down to the police station to give them some money anyway?

The danger in preaching and teaching is how incredibly easy it is to lead people away from the truth. Grace was given for our freedom. Pride and ego stand in its way.