My first blog post back may be a bit of a soapbox rant, but there is something going on in the church today that is making me sick and worn out. I am guilty of it so know my fingers are pointing right back at me, but this thing has to stop. The church (and I'm talking the people, not a specific building or denomination) has to stop being known for what it's against. The world knows we are against the "BIG" sins as we like to categorize them, as if labeling them somehow makes someone else's sins worse than our own. We can stop screaming it, arguing about it, and posting it on Facebook. Honestly, if I hear one more argument about the difference between choosing a lifestyle of sin versus a Christian struggling with sin, I might just scream. Sin is sin and Jesus died for all of it. If He didn't, then I'm certain I didn't make the cut. Last time I checked Romans says we are all sinners and Ephesians tells us we were all once an enemy of God (yes, an enemy - let that sink in for a minute). Yes, we are called to speak truth in love but if we are only known for what we are are against, we will never get that opportunity.
Let's instead be LOUD about what we are for. Let's be for people. Let's be for justice. Let's be for grace. Let's be for freedom. In The Message, Galatians 5 says (emphasis mine),
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.I've witnessed something miraculous happen when people let go of legalism and pointing out the wrongs of this world. We stop seeing the sin and we start seeing the person. Fear goes away, or at least lessens. Walls begin to fall. We are no longer scared to embrace someone different from us or someone who is struggling with something we don't understand. We aren't worried our children might "catch" something (like you can catch sin) by being exposed to certain people. We stop hanging out in our "Christian" huddles and start getting out into this world like Christ called us to do. We stop worrying about being right or safe. We start being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Before you start spouting the word discernment, I'm not telling you to march yourself or your child into a strip club (though God may call you to that very thing and I can tell you about an awesome ministry called Jesus Said Love - just one example of people loving people). But please stop using discernment as an excuse.
Remember if we are only known for what we are against, we are Pharisees. From my studies of the gospel, Jesus' anger is always aimed at those guys. Why? Because they were missing it. They were missing Him. And they were helping others do the same. My biggest fear in this life is to spend all my time doing "good" and completely miss Jesus. And even worse, I teach my children to do the same. God's been messing me up, can you tell?
Let's be about love instead of law. Let's be about Jesus.
