Chapter Five--Discovering Your Civilization
Chapter Five
Discovering Your Civilization
civ·i·li·za·tion: a type of culture or society developed at a particular time and place
The bottom line: you and I are always being civilized or civilizing others into the culture of some kind of kingdom.
It was one of those great Discovery Channel specials. Archeologists were working to uncover data about a certain battle that had been recorded in the annals of history, but about which physical proof had never been found. As they began their dig, they immediately began to uncover evidence of conflict. At first they were jubilant at how easily and quickly the discovery had come. But the more they dug, the more they became confused. The more they examined the artifacts that they now held in their hands, the more they were convinced that this was not the battle site for which they had been searching. Now, they really began to get excited. They had no idea what they were looking at.
The power of the discovery began to grip them. Perhaps they had done it. Perhaps they were in the midst of uncovering a civilization previously unknown. Little did they know that what they were about to uncover would forever change the world’s view of the history of this region. They hadn’t proven their battle theory, but they had uncovered a whole new civilization!
This is what I want to do with you in this chapter. I want to take you with me on an archeological dig into the civilization of the sinful human heart. I want us to examine the pottery shards that lie there. I want us to hold artifacts of the heart in our hands and examine them with our eyes.
You’re More Civilized Than You Think
In the last chapter we talked about the fact that we are all kingdom builders. Another way of saying this is that we are all civilizers. We all are at work building some kind of society or culture. We either give ourselves to building the culture of self, or we joyfully participate in building the culture of the King. Every day is shaped by the blueprints, laws, policies, structures, plans, politics, relationships, goals, purposes, and actions of some kind of civilization. If you are a human being you cannot escape this work. You and I are always being “civilized” and civilizing others into the culture of some kind of kingdom. When children are stuck in traffic with their irate father as he curses the existence of the auto-bound human beings who are in his way, they are being civilized into a way of thinking and responding to life. When a teenage boy mocks a classmate to gain status with his peers, he is civilizing his target. When a mother lovingly teaches her children how to live at peace with one another, they are being civilized. When a wife, in quest of material ease, spends their family into serious debt, she is civilizing her mate. When a pastor unfolds the transcendent glory of God before the people of his church, he is civilizing his hearers. We are always working to build some kind of civilization, and we are always pressing the rules and values of that civilization onto others. Let me give you an easy example.
Let’s pretend that there is a mother for whom the possession of fine material things is one of the highest values in her little kingdom of one. Her teenage son has been learning the rules of his mother’s material kingdom for years. He has learned to maintain his bedroom as if it were a museum and to never walk on the hardwood floors with his shoes on. He has learned to wash the car, even when to him it simply didn’t look dirty. He has learned to never invite a friend home without giving his mom plenty of notice. He has learned the kitchen is to look like it has never been eaten in, and that he must always dress like he just stepped out of a Gap ad. None of these rules has been written down, but they are the understood values of the culture of his home. You see, this teenager has been civilized by the rules of his mother’s little kingdom. But now he is in real trouble. He has just confessed that he has wrecked her new car, and in his nervousness he has also spilled soda on her new white sofa. In his mother’s kingdom, there is no room for either thing; now he is in the crosshairs of her anger.
It’s not just that we all tend to build our own little claustrophobic kingdoms, but that we want the people who are around us to keep the rules of our kingdoms as well. So, we all have ways of enculturating the people around us. The engaged woman enculturates her fiancé in the rules of her kingdom by inflicting him with silence when he doesn’t give her the compliments that she seeks. After four or five of these moments of silence, he learns the rules and the necessity of keeping them. The father, who wants peace and quiet in the house while he is reading the paper, enculturates his family by his angry outbursts. Before long, they all learn to tiptoe around him when he has the newspaper in his hands. The boss who is obsessed with his own success enculturates his employees in the rules of his kingdom by a system of threats and rewards. Before long each of his employees is “civilized” and toes the line as demanded. The junior high kids enculturate their peer into their civilization of appearance, by their mocking laughter when he wears something that is not approved. He learns the rules quickly, quits letting his mom choose his clothes for him, and determines to only wear what is on the “cool” list.
In each example, people are being civilized—that is, taught the rules of the little kingdom and told what will happen if they don’t stay within those rules. There is a way in which all of us want the people around us to serve the purposes of our kingdoms. We are all building some kind of civilization, and we are all civilizing the people around us.
Blind and Confused
One of the problems in what we have been considering is that all of this profound, life-shaping kingdom building takes place in the context of the utterly mundane. Your kingdom building always takes place in small and little-noticed moments because that’s where you live. No one ever says to another person, “I am building a kingdom to myself, and if you want to have a relationship with me you have to be willing to keep the rules of my kingdom.” No one ever says, “I have decided to forsake the glories of the kingdom of God to pursue the self-oriented glories of my own kingdom.” Instead, because of the blindness of sin and the fact that we exist in little moments, so much of our kingdom building takes place without conscious intentionality. And because we have defined biblical morality as the keeping of a set of rules, rather than the ownership of our hearts by the Lord, much of the conflict of kingdoms goes unnoticed. As a result, our lives end up being shaped by a confusing mix of big kingdom rules (the kingdom of God) and little kingdom rules (the kingdom of self).
In the home, dad doesn’t only get angry when God’s law is broken, but when his law is broken as well. Mom isn’t only dedicated to seeing her children internalize God’s standards; she wants them to internalize the rules of her civilization as well. The child’s experience is that breaking the little kingdom rules get as much attention as breaking the big kingdom rules, and sometimes even more. In the blender of the frenetic schedule of the average modern Christian family, these two systems of law get so mixed up it becomes hard to separate one from the other. We say we are serving God, but there is another civilization that is shaping every intention, decision, and action.
When it comes to which kingdom we are building, it is very easy to be blind and confused. We say we embrace the transcendent, but where the rubber meets the road in our daily lives, our living shrinks to the field of our personal concerns. We don’t forsake the faith, but the real kingdom we are building, where we live and work each day, is a kingdom of one.
The Characteristics of the Civilization of Self
Because of the subtle deceptiveness of our kingdom building attempts to enculturate others, it is important that we recognize what the little kingdom looks like. None of us tends to think that we are living for ourselves. The presence of the civilization of self is just that subtle. We all tend to credit ourselves with living for God. Sadly, the truth for most of us is that our living is shaped by a troublesome mix of the agenda of the two kingdoms. We can do big kingdom things (ministry to others) with little kingdom motives (for respect or acceptance). Or we can do both at the same time (I serve you, while telling you how mad I’ve been at you for something you did to me). We must remember that the inertia of sin is always away from the big kingdom and toward the little kingdom. This conflict between kingdoms is the war of wars. It is what spiritual warfare is all about.
The problem is that the greatest battles take place in the smallest moments, so its moral drama can go almost unnoticed. And it is possible for God’s people to walk around spiritually maimed and not even know it.
It is possible for us to profess allegiance to the big kingdom and yet, in our daily choices, be fighting for the success of the kingdom of one.
So, identifying the characteristics of the little kingdom is very important. Let me list and discuss them with you.
Self-focus. This is what we have been discussing all along. The little kingdom is a kingdom of self. It is driven by personal desire and need. Its eyes are always inward, and its rules are determined by what is best for me. It squeezes all of my relationships and activities into the contours of my felt needs and personal treasures. Even though I may not know I am doing it, I will enter every forum of my life with a “what’s in it for me” posture. I will like you when you are helping me get what I want, but I will struggle with spontaneous anger toward you when you unwittingly get in the way of what I want. Although I may describe myself as a God-fearer, I functionally sit in the center of my universe. The single most influential focus of the little kingdom is its focus on self. What is “good” for me is the law of this universe of one. Whose “good” drives your daily conversations, decisions, and actions?
Self-righteousness. Only when I focus on the holiness and glory of God am I able to see myself with accuracy. Self-righteousness blinds me to the realities of who I am and tends to make me much more aware of the sin of others than my own. I will be angry with others, not because they sin, but because in their sin they get in the way of what I am convinced I need. Since no one is more influential in my life than me, and because no one talks to me more than I do, what I say to myself about myself is very important. The little kingdom, being more dominated by my internal conversation than by God’s revelation, does not encourage a humble and accurate view of self. Instead, my view of myself is colored by two things: arguments for my righteousness (“I did this for them”) and plausible lies that cover my sin (“It wasn’t gossip; I just thought they should know so they could pray”). It is scary, but you can joyfully sing about grace on Sunday and yet during the week you can be involved in patterns of self-atonement that make whatever you are doing acceptable to your conscience. Whose righteousness gives you courage and hope as you deal with daily life?
Self-satisfaction. The big question of the little kingdom is, “Am I satisfied with my life?” My dad used to say, “This just drives me crazy!” He was basically saying, “I’m not satisfied, and you better do something about it!” Let me remind you that all of this takes place in the little moments where we live every day. The big question of the little kingdom is not, “Is God honored by my life?” Nor is it, “By his grace, have I lived up to his purpose and according to his design?” And the little kingdom definitely does not ask, “Have I loved God above all else and my neighbor as myself?” No, the little kingdom only asks one question: “Am I satisfied with myself and my life?” If I am satisfied with me, then all is well in the kingdom of one. Whom are you seeking to satisfy?
Self-reliance. The culture of the little kingdom is not a culture of humble community with God and others. In this kingdom, I don’t move toward others with a sense of spiritual interdependency with them. You see, self-righteousness always leads to self-reliance. To the degree that I have convinced myself that I am righteous, I free myself of the need for God and others. In the kingdom of one, I live for my own purpose and by my own strength. The kingdom of one is about being strong and in control. The kingdom of one is never a kingdom of spiritual weakness, neediness, and grace. Do you live in humble daily community with God and others, admitting your need and seeking help?
Self-rule. The highest law in the little kingdom is the law of self. It makes sense that when I am living for self I become a law unto myself. I make up the standards by which I evaluate me and judge others. The highest will of the kingdom of one is the will of self. In this kingdom, what I have determined I need will always become the highest moral value. I determine what I wish to experience. In this kingdom I love me and have a wonderful plan for my life. Whose rules get the most attention and the quickest response in your life and relationships?
Self-glorification. The daily war between these kingdoms is a battle between competing glories. Will our hearts be ruled by the shadow glories of physical earth or by the one glory that is worthy of the title, the glory of God? As sinners we are magnetized toward pursuing our personal definitions of glory. Often, under the veneer of theological beliefs and participation in the public life of the church, the true glory we are living for is the glory of self. Whose glory motivates you to do what you do and to say what you say?
But Wait, There Is a Warrior!
Yes, there is grace for this battle! In the person and work of Jesus Christ, God has made ample provision for you and me as we live with kingdoms in conflict. His grace blows a hole in your self-contained kingdom, and in his redemptive love he reaches in and pulls you out, again and again.
Paul says it this way: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13—14, ESV). Let’s consider what God has given us for the war we are considering.
On the cross Christ broke the power of the little kingdom. (See Romans 6:1—14.) As God’s children we no longer live under the domination of the little kingdom. We have been freed from our imprisonment to ourselves. Once we were only able to desire, think, speak, and act in a self-focused way, but now grace has broken that slavery and welcomed us to a new and better way of living. Christ endured the awful suffering and death of the cross, not just to ensure your future with him in eternity, but to free you in the here and now to live for something more transcendent than your present definition of personal happiness. The cross smashed the dominant power of the shadow glories of creation over your heart and freed your heart to run after the transcendent glory that you will only find in him. Yes, you can escape the stultifying confines of your little civilization and live in the big sky country of his kingdom where you live and work each day.
On the cross Christ paid the debt for every selfish desire, thought, word, or deed to which you will ever give yourself. You no longer have to be afraid to own up to your selfishness. You do not have to whitewash your thoughts and motives. You do not have to cover your sin by blaming others or by self-atoning logic. You do not have to give yourself to acts of penance (self-atonement) that make you feel better about yourself. You do not have to search for biblical passages that will give ease to your conscience. No, your debt has been fully paid. Your punishment has been borne by Another. There is One who has taken your place and been condemned instead of you. Paul says, “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13b—14). As God’s child, you have been forgiven for every act of self-focused independence and rebellion. You have been freed from the debt of your every failure to love God above all else and your neighbor as yourself. You no longer need to live in hiding. Forgiving grace welcomes you out of the darkness to lift the burden of refusal, guilt, fear, and shame off of your shoulders. You have been invited to confess and receive the forgiveness that is yours.
On the cross Christ purchased power for you to obey. Although the power of the little kingdom over your heart has been broken, the presence of little kingdom thoughts and desires still remains. So, the cross has purchased daily power for you. Paul says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). You can stand and say, “No!” to the self-focused agenda of the little kingdom. In that moment at work, or in the family room, over the fence with the neighbor, at supper with friends, in the situation of parental discipline, or in a discussion with your spouse, you have not been left to your own strength. You have been given power beyond what you can imagine! Listen to what Paul says to the struggling Ephesian Christians: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20, author’s emphasis). One of the results of the cross of Jesus Christ is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Think about it. God in his awesome power and glory has come to live inside of you. Because of this you are able to be who he has called you to be and do what he has called you to do, even in the face of the powerful temptations you encounter in this fallen world. And his power is without limit, so that you not only have the potential to live for his big kingdom once, but over and over again. His presence in your heart guarantees your potential to endure.
The cross of Christ guarantees that some day your kingdom conflict will be over. There is a time of peace coming, and it will last forever! There will be a day when you are no longer tricked and tempted by an evil and deceitful enemy. There will be a day when your life will no longer be a battleground. There will be a day when you will no longer have to confess your failure or plead for help. There will be a day when you will no longer have to examine every thought and evaluate every motive. One day the little kingdom will be finally and forever crushed, never to rise again. In that day, a joyful and satisfied desire for the glory of God will rule the hearts of everyone. The great war of wars—that great conflict of kingdoms that has been played out on the heart of every person who ever lived—will someday be over. The kingdom of God will win! The King of kings will rule! Peace will come!
Until then, the battle of kingdoms goes on. This battle couldn’t be more practical in its focus. God couldn’t love us and leave us to our little civilization of self, because when self is at the center, God no longer occupies center stage. As David Henderson says,
Because God no longer occupies center stage, terms like self-love, self-expression, self-confidence, and self-fulfillment, none of which graces the pages of the Scriptures, begin to dominate the church’s conversation. Meanwhile other “self” words straight from the Bible like self-surrender, self-sacrifice, self-denial, and self-control slip into disuse. Self, great big and smack dab in the middle, squeezes out the notions of a holy God, a fallen self, an undeserved gift of grace in Jesus Christ, and a divine call on one’s whole life. When this happens, we may be preaching, we may be sharing faith, but what we are communicating (or this author would add, what we are living) is not genuine Christianity. In Christianity, the one place the self cannot be is at the center. That is the rightful place of God alone.” 2
So, your Lord battles on your behalf, and he will never rest until the battle is over. Why don’t you commit yourself right now to be one of his soldiers? Start by looking for the civilizing of self in your own life. Ask yourself the questions at the end of each characteristic of the little kingdom above. Affirm your forgiveness by coming out of hiding and confessing your faults. Then affirm your identity as the temple where the Spirit dwells, and step forward in courage to live a new way. You can enjoy the fresh air of grace and the transcendent vistas of glory that are yours to experience in the kingdom of God. If you are his child, his cross has made you a citizen of this civilization of glory and grace. Why would you go back to your own little kingdom?
The final question: in what ways do you try to get the people around you to follow the rules of your kingdom of self?