I close this series looking at what is generally the neglected aspect of evangelical faith, orthopraxy. The word ortho means right, straight, upright or correct. The orthodontist straightens teeth. As can be seen in the verses below, Jesus seeks to do the same; straightening, setting things in right order, making crooked places straight.
4 Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; Isaiah 40:4 (NKJV)
2 ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. Isaiah 45:2 (NKJV)
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:4–6 (NKJV)
The ministry of John the Baptist was one aspect of making things straight. He prepared people for Jesus ministry by calling them to repentance, a change of mind and heart, that led to a change in behaviour, as John put it in the first phrase of Luke 3:8, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.” Jesus continued this. His charter for how to behave under the authority of the kingdom of God is found in Matthew 5-7, what we refer to as The Sermon on the Mount.
Theologically and practically, this enters our lives when we embrace both of the ‘orthos’ that we have in the church – orthodoxy (right doctrine) and orthpraxy (right practice or behaviour). In general, as the church, we are quite good at ensuring at least some level of alignment with orthodoxy, not so much orthopraxy. So here is a way we can each do our own brief self assessment.
I closed my last post with a worldview test we could take, a test about orthodoxy, believing the right things. That is important, but if our right beliefs don’t also produce right behaviour there is something deficient in our beliefs, or in how we view the need to integrate them into our lives. Thus, here is a simple test of orthopraxy, right behaviour followed by some brief worldview options to reflect on. I have removed the rating scale so you can simply use each statement as a reflective question.
- I give regularly to support the ministry of the church.
- I regularly read the Bible and desire to align my behavior with what it says.
- I regularly pray for myself, my family and others.
- I have a sense of what Jesus has called me to do in my daily life and seek to be faithful to His call.
- I regularly speak to others about my faith and the importance of knowing Jesus.
If we engage in all of these things we are engaging in a measure of orthopraxy. Lastly, I offer a reflective piece on different worldview options.
- I believe in what I can see, feel and touch. These things are what are truly real.
- I believe there are influences beyond what we can see, feel and touch that have an effect on my behavior and that of others.
- I believe that truth is truth no matter where I am in the world and that I am objective in what I believe.
- I believe that my life experiences and culture give me my truth and you have your truth.
- I believe that while my experience and perspective is subjective and different than yours that truth is objective and can be known.
As you consider these statements which do you see as scriptural? What leads you to believe that? Here are my answers.
- The first statement reflects materialism.
- The second statement reflects a scriptural worldview at best and a least a belief in an unseen or spiritual realm.
- The third statement reflects a scriptural worldview.
- The fourth statement reflects post modernism.
- The fifth statement reflects a scriptural worldview.
