Pigs are not Men
A very familiar Bible story begins:
"A man had two sons…"
It is, of course, the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-32. A young man asks to receive his inheritance early. He takes it and squanders it on wild living. He eventually goes broke and ends up feeding pigs to eek out a living. He is so poor and hungry that he eats the slop that he is feeding to the pigs. About midway through the story he made a dramatic turnaround in Luke 15:17…
"…when he came to his senses…."
You probably know the rest of the story, but I want to stop here to illustrate a fundamental point about salvation. Salvation can come only when men "come to their senses" and look at their condition realistically. We know that the younger son returned home and was received by his father and rejected by his brother. We usually focus on the father's forgiveness and, less frequently, the older brother's rejection of the younger son. What we rarely focus on is the younger brother's "salvation." We know that the father is a picture of God, the older brother is a picture of the established church, and the younger brother is a picture of the repentant sinner.
Notice that the younger brother was living with the pigs and eating the same food he fed them. Living with pigs is a picture of the lowest level of sin and depravation that a Jewish man could reach this side of perdition. He was wallowing in the destructive sin of his own making. When he came to his senses, he realized he didn't have to live like that. He could do something about it and decided being the lowest of men living in his father's household was better than being "king of the pigs." He rejected his position of "king of the pigs" and decided to throw himself at the mercy of his father, hoping to be accepted as a slave in the "household of men." He was ready for action toward receiving the gift he hoped his father would give.
The call of the Gospel is for men to "come to their senses" and realize they don't have to live in the filth and emptiness of life without God – without meaning or hope. There is a better way that Christ Jesus has prepared for them. They have but to "come to their senses," get up off of their butts, and head toward Him. But it is NOT easy. They must swallow their pride, reject their "piggish ways," and become a slave in the household of the Father. They must commit to serving God and being real men, not pigs.
You have heard it said, "All men are pigs." But the real truth is, "Pigs are not men!"
Jesus was a man. He emphasized this again and again when He called Himself the "Son of Man." He was fully man and fully God. He is the man we were intended to be in Adam. He is no pig! He is the second Adam and has made it possible for us to pursue His perfection. He made that possible by paving the way in Blood. He demands, however, that we take action as believing men:
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. Matthew 5:20 NIV
Jesus was perfect, and He calls us toward His perfection:
You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 NIV
The Apostle Paul (who struggled mightily with sin) made clear that we are to take the path of holiness:
Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, sleeper,rise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you."
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:1-20 NIV
As usual, Paul does not mince words:
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV
If we do not take the path toward righteousness, we are not One of His. We are among the goats at the End of Time (Matthew 25:31-46). And yet, do we teach holiness? Do we excuse ourselves by pointing to others? Do we ignore the clear teaching of Jesus and the Apostles and "sell a cheap grace?" Do we unwittingly encourage and excuse rampant sin – even inside conservative denominations? Do we make light of the gravity of the Gospel call, reducing the Church to a social club where we share our sentimental thoughts about religious doctrine? If so, we are a new Laodicea, worthy only of God's wrath.
A short time ago I heard a Conservative Christian Professor preach a sermon that minimized Christ's requirement for holy living. At one point, he called "moralism" the "greatest danger to the church." He went on to sing the praises of the blood sacrifice of Christ and how it was all that was needed for our salvation, emphasizing that it was "free… doesn't cost you a thing." Nonsense! Salvation costs you everything you have. You must give to receive. You can't afford to buy the Blood. It is priceless. But you still must pay by committing all you have.
It is no wonder that the many Christian – even Conservative Christian – organizations are so eaten up with sexual and financial sin and abuse. It is natural for the world to look at us and shake their heads in pitying disgust. Even the heathen has a sense of right and wrong. We must repent of our "cheap Grace" message and come to grips with our sin. We must WORK in concert with the Holy Spirit to overcome all sin – including what we find in our lives. We must not glibly excuse it. We should not let others shame us into not dealing with it. We must not let it continue to eat at us in a secret corner of our lives. We must get our sin out in the open, confess it, receive Christ's forgiveness, and dedicate our lives to defeating it – time and time again. We must be ready to help our Brothers defeat their sin. Let us never give in or give up. This battle against sin is what we are called to do. We are called to personal and collective holiness – let's get busy while there is yet time:
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
"All people are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;the grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of the Lord endures forever."
And this is the word that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:13-25 NIV