April 3, 2020
Is this maxim true? Is it true in all cases and all situations? Is it Biblical?
Is it not true that Christians are meant to be set apart and a peculiar people, different from the culture around them? Are Christians sanctified and instructed to “come out from among them and be ye separate …”? 2 Corinthians 6:17.
It seems to me that the Christian church is filled with unsaved people. The sin practiced in our culture closely resembles what goes on in the typical evangelical church. Many professing Christians are sexually immoral, have been married multiple times, are dishonest, gossip, and are sensual just like the people around them. Yet, these same individuals attend church and “worship God” with enthusiasm. Instead of the Church winning the world for Jesus Christ, it seems the world has taken over the Church! Christians are called to be in the world but not of the world. Do you agree that something is wrong? Applying this principle to our lives will set us apart. It will create a clear contrast between what the world values and what the child of God treasures.
Until recently, I only thought about this maxim in relation to the law but have come to see a much broader and deeper application. After you read this, let me know if you agree or disagree.
To get started, let us consider Hitler. He is credited with killing over 6 million Jews. We all understand that he did not personally kill 6 million people. He had others do the killing for him. We all agree that Hitler is a mass murderer, as if he did kill all these people with his own hands, because we all believe the maxim: that what you do through others, you do yourself.
Is this maxim true in religion and faith?
The religious leaders of Jesus’ time didn’t have the authority to kill Him themselves, so they used the Roman government to carry out the execution. They were murderers, weren’t they, as if they killed Jesus with their own hands? Isn’t that true? What you do through others, you do yourself.
King David ordered a military officer to place Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite, on the front lines so he would be killed in battle. David committed murder as if he had killed Uriah himself. What you do through others, you do yourself.
In the book of Matthew, when Jesus said woe to anyone who causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to be drowned in the sea with a millstone around their neck. Causing someone to sin is even worse than the sin they commit. What you do through others, you do yourself.
In the book of Mark 6:16, it is written that Herod said the following: “But when Herod heard thereof, he said, it is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.” Herod knew that “what you do through others, you do yourself” was true. Herod said that he beheaded John, even though we know he did not actually kill John himself. Instead, he had someone else do the killing for him. What you do through others, you do yourself.
How about Islam? Jihadists say that they are doing what the spiritual leaders of Islam and ultimately Allah and Muhammad require of them. Religious leaders who promote the killing, rape, torture, and sexual abuse of others are guilty of those crimes along with the ones who do the actual crime. If this maxim is true, is that not an inescapable conclusion? What you do through others, you do yourself.
Is this maxim true in business, investing, and making money?
If we knowingly and deliberately invest in harmful services and products, do we share in the shame and guilt? For instance, can a genuine follower of Christ support or own a pornography outlet? What you do through others, you do yourself.
What about legal drugs that are purely recreational but are often abused? What position should a Christian take? Remember, what you do through others, you do yourself.
Does this maxim extend to those we hire or otherwise partner with? What about the case where known pedophiles are hired, kept employed, and continue to abuse children? Two high-profile examples come immediately to mind: the Boy Scouts and the Roman Catholic Church. If “what you do through others, you do yourself” is true, then those leaders who knowingly let these criminals continue their wickedness are themselves guilty of those sins. If this maxim is true, then they are guilty as if they did it themselves. Is that not true? What you do through others, you do yourself.
Is this maxim true in education?
If our kids are in private school and we participate in the hiring of staff who we know will compromise the truth of God, we do it ourselves. We harm our kids and others as if we were doing it personally. Is that not accurate? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
What about public education for elementary, middle, high school, and college students? If “what we do through others, we do ourselves” is true, then how should we apply that to the education of our children? How many Christian parents are willfully unaware of the harmful things their kids are being taught? How many Christian parents send their kids to government-run schools because they refuse to make the financial sacrifices needed to send them to private school or homeschool them? If this maxim is true, are parents guilty of being complicit in the harm done to their kids? Is that a fair question if “what you do through others, you do yourself” is true? Ouch!
Single-parent households, many of which are low-income, may have no choice but to send their children to public schools. Other difficult situations that different family units face can also make public education the only feasible option. We are not referring to those households. We are talking about those who could actually make the financial sacrifice. Admittedly, they might need to cut back, but what truly matters? Our priorities are reflected in how we allocate our resources. What you do for others, you essentially do for yourself.
Is this maxim true in entertainment? TV, books, games, events, amusements, and so on.
How should this truth influence our actions? Or should it at all? Do we have a duty in this area, especially concerning our children? Certainly, we do. There is much to discuss on this topic that exceeds the scope of this brief article. If the maxim is true, how should it shape how Christians consider these issues? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
Is this maxim true in politics, civic, and criminal matters?
If I hire someone to kill, steal, or lie for me, I am just as guilty as if I did it myself. Is that not true? Of course, it is. What I do through others, I do myself.
If I strongly encourage my wife, or my girlfriend, or my daughter to have an abortion, am I not just as blameworthy and culpable? Do I not have blood on my hands? What I do through others, I do myself.
How does this truth relate to voting? If Christians vote for politicians or a party that supports and endorses things contrary to the will of God, does that mean these Christians share in the guilt? What do you think? Politicians work for those who elect them—namely, the voters, you and me. Many complicated issues indeed make this subject difficult. It’s not that we have the option to vote for a perfect person; we are always choosing between flawed candidates. However, some candidates boast about their flaws and openly promote unrighteous intentions. Shouldn’t Christians vote for the most righteous and godly candidate based on Biblical principles? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
What about those who call themselves Christian who do not vote at all? By not voting for the most righteous candidate, do they not help ensure that an unrighteous or less righteous candidate wins? If the unrighteous person is elected because Christians do not vote for righteousness, then are those people partly responsible for the wickedness that follows? If this maxim is true, then the responsibility must be shared. What we do through others, we do ourselves.
I just read that about 40% of evangelicals do not vote at all. That equals roughly 37 million votes, if I did the math correctly. The evangelical community could influence the direction of our country by 1) running for political office and/or 2) voting for the most righteous candidate. Yet, there are websites that tell evangelicals that voting is wrong and others that advise Christians not to vote at all. I can’t think of a more unloving, unrighteous, and unbiblical stance.
Many Evangelicals sit on the sidelines and don’t vote. While babies are being killed by abortion and other evils are being celebrated and advanced in our country, these folks don’t vote. I think this must be a violation of the two greatest commandments: to love God supremely and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Is there any other way to look at this? Oh shame, where is your face? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
Does this maxim mean that if I vote for a party or a politician that supports the killing of babies, I am a baby killer? If “what I do through others, I do myself” is true, then am I guilty of killing babies even though I do not do the killing personally? Does that make me a murderer along with those who do the actual killing? What does the God of the Bible think? What I do through others, I do myself.
I believe 7 of the 9 Supreme Court justices voted in Roe v. Wade. Are we supposed to see them as baby killers and mass murderers? Since abortion was made legal, over 60 million children have been killed in the USA. Imagine the number worldwide. It’s an unbelievably large figure, almost beyond understanding. During Hitler’s regime, did not the courts support their leader’s wicked agenda and share responsibility? Both in the US and in Germany, the courts decided that preborn babies and Jews were not fully human. That set the stage for “legal” mass murder. What you do to others, you do yourself.
What about Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood? Is she not also a mass murderer like Hitler? And how many others in government keep this evil practice legal? Do not all who keep it legal have the blood of millions of babies on their hands? Is this not one of the sins that Israel committed by adopting the idolatry of its surrounding cultures, which led to its eviction from the land and to its judgment by God?
There are pro-life Democrats and pro-choice Republicans, which is very strange indeed, considering each party’s platform. The Democratic Party’s official platform is pro-choice up to and including the moment of birth. In other words, as a political party, they want to keep baby killing legal for any reason at all. Does it get more wicked than the legalized killing of an innocent baby? Are American Christians so desensitized and hard-hearted that this evil no longer moves them even to vote? Couldn’t they at least vote for a pro-life candidate? Pro-choice politicians, just like in the case of Adolph Hitler, have others do the actual killing for them. They make it legal to do so and provide “moral support” as well as funding. What you do through others, you do yourself.
Have you ever heard someone say that they are personally against abortion, but they don’t want to force their view on others? It is a prevalent position, at least it was in the recent past. Putting people into office who support baby killing, by voting for pro-choice candidates, makes the voter a partaker in their sins, doesn’t it even if they are personally against it? Are they not guilty, if this maxim is true? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
And can you imagine that a “Christian Church” could be supportive of baby killing? Impossible but true. And can you imagine that many evangelical churches give only passing notice to the evil of abortion? Seems impossible, but it is true. What do you think God thinks about this situation? It must grieve His Holy heart.
Couple the truth “that what we do through others, we do ourselves” with the Word of God that says no murderer has eternal life abiding in them, and what does that tell us about any party or person who is pro-choice?
“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15.
Jesus said Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for another. That is what love looks like. Hate looks like the exact opposite. The killing of innocent babies is the apotheosis (ideal example) of hate toward God and your neighbor. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in them”. If the Word of God is faithful and if the maxim is true, then this conclusion is undeniable. Do you agree or disagree?
Most nominal Christians do not believe the Word of God, but what about you? It has been said that “Men prefer to believe what men prefer to be true”. That is a perfect picture of the thinking of most evangelical Christians in the US, if I am not greatly mistaken. Christians believe what they want to be true, not what is Biblically accurate.
Is it possible that all such “Christians” are deceived, believing they can have “eternal life abiding in them” while they support a political party or a candidate that keeps baby killing legal? Who are we going to believe? Are we going to believe what the Word of God clearly says or are we going to believe what we want to be true?
I have been told by a few “Christian” folks that even though the Democratic Party supports the killing of babies, which they don’t personally support, they still vote Democrat because the party stands against other unjust issues. Whether they agree or not, it is people just like them who keep this evil practice legal. And the killing goes on and on. I wonder what issue is more important than the taking of an innocent human life? What is more important than protecting innocent human life, anything? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
Apply this principle to every divisive issue in the US. What about gay marriage? As a follower of Christ, can I support a party or candidate that promotes what God despises? It seems we’re often left choosing the lesser of two evils, doesn’t it? What does God expect us to do in this situation? For me, the priority is to vote for the candidate who will actually take action to stop the killing of babies. That is my top priority. After that, I will support the person or party that is more righteous than the other. And my final priority considers the economic aspect of the decision.
And what about social justice issues that the left is constantly complaining about? Can a faithful follower of Christ support a party or a candidate that promotes injustice? Of course not. God is a just God. The Bible clearly defines justice. How much of “social justice” is compatible with scripture? What exactly is considered an injustice by the left, and does the Word of God agree? We could spend a lot of time on this one.
Good news! This truth applies in a positive sense as well.
When we pray, we ask the Holy Spirit of God to bless and save others. He works on our behalf, and it is as if we did it ourselves. Moreover, when God undertakes based on our prayers and on our behalf, we know without a doubt that He will do what we could never get done. God is all wisdom, justice, grace, love, and power. We do not even come close. Do you see how vital and valuable prayer is? What you do through others (Holy Spirit), you do yourself.
We must understand that most evangelical Christians in the US have hardened hearts after many years of teaching and preaching. They have become hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word and have deceived themselves. And the only way to get through to them is to enlist the Spirit of God to break down the many barriers that Christians have erected. The truth has fallen in the streets, and few are those who tell the truth. However, great truth-telling alone will not do it. Prayer is the only answer. And what we do through the Spirit of God, we do ourselves! Praise God, what a beautiful truth.
When we support charities and churches that send missionaries locally, nationally, or internationally, we do it ourselves. It’s as if we are the missionaries winning people to Christ. He who wins souls is wise. What we do through others, we do ourselves.
Some Christians are careless about the charities they donate to. Can a genuine follower of Christ send money to a charity such as Planned Parenthood? We must be careful about which charities and churches we support, for we share in the good and the bad, don’t we? What we do through others, we do ourselves.
Come out from among them and be ye separate. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Some Christians think that we must look and act more like the world to win the world. I suggest to you that it has never worked. We are to be separate and different from the rest of the world. Our ethics must be heavenly, not worldly. Followers of Christ must be the epitome of righteousness and godliness if we ever expect the world to be attracted to the gospel message.
Let God’s will be done.
