"Letter of the Law"...What's With That?

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to the phrase, “Letter of the Law.”  Being a pastor, I regularly meet Christ followers who were raised under what I refer to as “law based preaching.”  By definition, I mean preaching that highlights the necessity of religious performance and “doing” over “BEING.”  In other words, preaching that emphasizes man’s role in his salvation and de-emphasizes God’s role.  In my mind, such preaching comes up short, and renders the cross of Christ null and void.    We all seem to struggle with a balanced perspective of genuine Christian living.   

 Individuals who grow up under such preaching tend to be easily identifiable:

1.     Most exhibit anger unaware.  Under legalism, by virtue of its approach, people come up short of God’s righteous demands.  They’re never good enough.  The Old Testament Law, if nothing else, proved than mankind was no match for sin.  Then, add guilt and shame and the end result is frustration, which leads to anger.  Such preaching literally provokes people to anger.  The Scriptures caution fathers not to provoke their children to wrath (anger) by placing unreasonable demands upon them, and by not loving them unconditionally.  The same thing happens when people grow up under a harsh list of “do’s and don’ts,” whereby constantly coming up short of given expectations.  The end result is anger.  I believe it can even turn to misdirected anger toward the Lord Himself; but no one is going to admit that he is mad at Jesus.  Instead, such anger is directed toward the church, its leaders or life in general.  Even those outside the realm of Christian endeavor tend to be law-based in their daily lives – strict and harsh and unrelenting in their approach to people.  It’s a mixed bag, for sure!

2.     Legalistic teaching can produce self-righteous believers.  To escape their real feelings and shortcomings when it comes to effectively serving Christ, some embrace a “super-spiritual” approach to serving Christ.  They assume a type of righteousness that refuses to acknowledge any type of personal spiritual shortcoming.  Instead, they over-compensate and assume a “better than thou” posture and become gatekeepers of the church and usually set themselves up as judges and critics in the House of God.   No one likes a control freak!

3.     Another manifestation of legalism creates a sense of unworthiness in the hearts of people.  This ties in closely to the anger aspect previously discussed.  They never seem to measure up, so they grow weary of falling short, and in frustration give up and depart – some never to return.   I’m convinced, however, that many remain tender toward the Lord, but stay away from spiritual life and local faith communities, believing they cannot be good enough for God to accept.  And they secretly see others as hypocrites who decide to stay the course of law-based living..  It’s a vicious cycle that is repeated; and statistics prove my theory:  Most American churches experience a high dropout rate between the ages of 18-30.  I believe that a sense of unworthiness accommodates their decision. 

       Many have expressed to me their disdain toward church stems primarily from the idea that God is punitive in His approach to humankind, not grace-filled.  One man said, “If I’m going to hell anyway, I might as well have fun doing it.”  HOW SAD!

4.     Legalistic preaching distorts God’s message of grace through Christ (“The law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”)  In so doing, it warps the minds of men to reject grace teachings.  Law-driven people may or may not realize deep within that their belief system holds them captive, but because of deep-seated convictions, although false and unsatisfying, have created a comfort zone and set up an impenetrable defense in their hearts to embrace revealed truth.  Their minds, in this respect, become like steel traps that call bondage, “good,” and liberty “suspect.”  Again, HOW SAD!

Can I be honest?  Legalism not only distorts gospel truth; it captivates both individuals and churches.  It binds them to anger, self-righteousness, and low self-esteem.  It robs them of their gracious and glorious inheritance in Christ.  Sadly, many know nothing but law-based living and literally call its strangling hold THE TRUTH.  May they be willing to open their hearts to the true message of the cross, and then “stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ sets them free.”

Frankly, legalistic people steal the joy away from serving Christ.  They make most everything more difficult than it should be.  Their incessant rules put people on edge and drive them away.  The law of sin and death thrives in an atmosphere where rules are elevated above privilege, honor and affirmation.

At age 62, I find myself coming into a new awareness of God’s grace and I want nothing more than to shed my thinking of anything that steals away the beauty of being “in Christ!”

I hope this blog has challenged you to shed your life of any teaching that holds you captive to partial truth.   When it comes to law versus grace, partial truth is a joy stealer!

Grace is a Teacher

It goes without saying that the entire Bible is wonderful.  Not all 66 letters are easy to understand but it remains on the “best-selling list” and when faith is applied in the heart of the reader, it still transforms lives. Other books inform, but only God’s book, the Bible, transforms!

In recent years, I have been intrigued by one verse that God is using to rearrange my thinking. This pivotal verse has helped me glean a broader understanding of God’s grace.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say, ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope –the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11-13).    

You have to understand, I spent many years of my Christian life trying to weave law-based information into grace teaching; and let me tell you, it doesn’t work.  It’s like mixing oil and water.  Both are important, but they have to be understood in the context of their unique chemistry. 

The Apostle John segregates the two by writing, “The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 2:17).  The Apostle Paul adds to this truth by reminding us, ”Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.  So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.  Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Galatians 3:23-25). 

The King James Version uses the word “schoolmaster” in place of “guardian.” The Law served as the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.   In other words, both law and grace carry significance and both were necessary to our full understanding of the gospel.  But we can’t walk under law in some areas of life and then under grace in others areas and expect to experience the “abundant life!”

We were taught in Bible school:  “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed!”  In other words, to have a complete understanding of the Cross of Jesus, we have to understand unique teachings of the Old Testament, as they reveal types and shadows of what was to come in Christ.

Law-based lifestyles run contrary to healthy relationships.  Let me give you an example from personal experience.  I was taught as a boy to take my hat off in public buildings or when I walked into a room occupied by adults.  This, in essence, was a “law.”  To not take off one’s hat in a public building was considered disrespectful.

Many builders (those born between 1924-44) and baby boomers (those born between 1944-64) had this rule pounded in their heads.  Some years ago, when pastoring another church, I saw this “law” literally cause a newcomer to leave the building in anger.  The understood rule (not mine) was “no hats on men while in church.”  A teenage guy came into the church lobby and did not remove his hat. 

A crotchety older gentleman approached him and asked him to remove it.  When the young man refused, the older gentleman became irate, took the boy by the arm and escorted him out of the building.  I could not believe what I saw and heard.

“You will not disrespect this church,” the man yelled.  Naturally, the boy left, never to return.  I can only hope and pray that this law-based offense did not drive him away from the Lord. 

I angrily said to the old man, “I hope you understand the terrible offense you just caused, and I hope you’re ready to stand before the Lord with a ready answer for your stupid attitude.”  I have no patience for confessing Christians who use their personal preferences and opinions (skewed, law-based mindsets) to hurt others.

Do you understand what happened?  A man-made rule overrode grace.  Who cares if someone does not remove his hat in church (or wherever)?  That boy should have felt love, honor and respect, not retribution.  Instead, he was made to feel guilt and shame.  I’m still bothered by the events of that morning.  And this remains a perfect example of how the “law kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

May we never hurt others and subsequently justify our words and actions by using the Bible or our personal convictions to inflict pain and cause separation from the grace of God.  May we allow His grace to teach us how to live godly.  Legislated righteousness produces anger and offends people.  Grace is a teacher and takes us from where we are to where Jesus wants us to be.  It’s God’s grace that has appeared through Jesus Christ and brought us salvation.  Have you placed your faith in His saving grace!

  

Do You Speak “Christianese?”

It’s a language spoken by those meshed into church culture.  “Churchy” Christians speak it fluently!  Let me illustrate.

“I’m so glad I’m saved, regenerated and born again.  I appreciate His wonderful mercy and grace in my life.  Every day I seek His face, asking Him to meet every need of my life, as I place my hands in His nail-scarred hands.  I ask Him to lead, guide and direct me in His perfect will.   I plead the blood over all the details of my life.  I invite Him to daily convict me of my sin that I might experience His sanctifying grace.  I look forward to each and every Lord’s Day, when I gather with those of like-precious faith to lift up holy hands and to hear messages from God’s Holy Word.  I enjoy listening to the testimonies of God’s saints.  What about you?  Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?”

Did you enjoy the preceding cliché festival?

I’m really not trying to poke fun at what I call “Christianese,” the language of many who hide behind church doors and who seldom, if ever, mingle with those outside the world of church. But I do want you to understand that while we’re not of the world, we’re still in it; and we need to communicate the Gospel in ways that those outside the realm of church life can clearly understand.

I am on a quest to remind Christians everywhere to re-think their manner of communication to those who are far from God and who need to find new life in Christ. I believe I’m accurate when I say the world knows more about what the church is against, than what the church is for!  I still laugh about the little girl who after returning from church was asked by her father, “What did the pastor preach about today?”  She replied, “Sin.”  He then said, “What did he say about it?”  She replied, “I think he’s against it!” 

Law-based preaching seemingly dominates our pulpits, while anti-grace proponents continue to harshly judge and criticize those who are trying to make a difference in a generation that continues to remain suspect of the church’s real message.   

Perhaps like you, I surf Facebook quite regularly.  And I’m constantly amazed at how predictably many Christian streams communicate the gospel message.  I find that a lot of Christian ministries forget their target audience.  They speak “Christianese” to people who either have never darkened the door of a church, or who know little about the Christian Faith.  And sadly, communication breakdowns continue to create barriers.

Then, I regularly note that Christians and churches in general tend to “talk down” to people.  I often say, “You don’t achieve positive results with a negative (condescending) message.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is earth’s greatest, most compelling message.  Why then do we major on what’s wrong with people?  Why do we often emphasize what we’re against? 

I completely understand that God has not gone soft on sin, but I don’t believe we have to beat people up with a hard-sell message.  Many sermons and churches communicate with law-based Bible thumping instead of hope-filled messages.  We often hear, “You should…” “You never…” You always…”  These three phrases, when used by spouses during marital spats incite further anger; so what makes us think our listeners are going to embrace what we say if we constantly tell them “what they’re not doing?” Remember, “the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).   

In addition, we have more than enough angry messengers.  Perhaps some preachers who say, “We love the sinner, but hate their sin,” struggle with personal biases and anger issues that override any good they attempt to achieve.  I recently heard a minister talking about “those sick-o fags,” all the while discerning anger, even hate in his voice.  Angry preaching and angry preachers always discredit our Gospel of love.

I also grow weary of ministers criticizing other churches and other well-meaning, sincere ministers of the Gospel.  This serves only to aid and abet the enemy camp.  Why would any Christian sit under a minister who constantly criticizes and maligns other churches outside their stream of theology and practice?  This anger-driven type of ministry smacks of self-righteousness.  The world needs to see our love for one another in the face of disagreement. I applaud all the Christ-honoring churches in Jefferson!

Yes, Jesus is Holy.  Yes, He is the way to heaven.  Yes, He wants us to serve Him with our whole heart.  But on the flipside, the Apostle Paul reminds us that “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: That while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  And He needs us, His representatives of grace, to speak this language in a clear and effective manner.   

Always remember, while “Christianese” is a major language spoken by many church-goers, it has a lot of dialects, and they too tend to bring conflicting messages to a world that is desperately looking for relevant answers to life’s every day problems. Perhaps we need to quit defending what we believe and engage people out of a broken heart. 

Do we hate what sin does in peoples’ lives, or are we more interested in setting people straight according to the dictates of our personal convictions?  The late evangelist, David Wilkerson used to tell preachers, “Sermons that have not been wept over have no place in the pulpit.” Perhaps he was right.

Let’s determine as God’s people to speak in understandable terms to those who are far from God and never darken the door of our churches.  Let’s communicate on their level of understanding and make this wonderful Gospel relevant and easy to embrace. I’ve heard it said for years, “Preach the Gospel and use words if necessary.”

Just WHAT is Sin?

I don’t think any of us fully realize the devastating toll that sin plays in our lives.  Its  affects are seen in our personal struggles, our relationships, nation, and of course, sin is played out on the world’s stage.  Many years ago a lady said to me, “I don’t believe in sin.”  I was amazed at her comment, as her life had been characterized by broken relationships, and alcohol was taking a destructive toll on her liver. 

I believe in sin mostly because the Bible defines it as the catalyst responsible for all of earth’s ills.  Secondly, the Scriptures make it clear that sin is a universal problem. After David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba, he realized that the deeper issue in his life was sin.  He says, “In sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).

So, what is sin?

A lot of people define sin in terms of a “do” and “do not” list.  For example, cursing, smoking, drinking, going to R-Rated movies, dancing, adultery, lusting, etc. are just a few of the “bigger sins.”  Evangelicals hold firmly to the Romans 3:23 definition:  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  I still remember the cute story about the little boy who came home from Sunday School and told his parents that his teacher talked about “fallen shorts” in class!  But I digress!  

Still, others define sin as going beyond healthy boundaries.  Therefore, they place much emphasis upon breaking the law.   While it is true the Ten Commandments were part of the Moral Code that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, and while it is equally true they are still in vogue today, breaking the commandments still does not completely define what sin is. 

So, let me ask you again, “What IS sin?”

I like the late Dr. Richard Dobbins’ definition of both sin and eternal life.  Dr. Dobbins goes deeper than most.  He minimized the affects of sin and maximized our understanding of the origin of sin as it impacts our lives.  As you might guess, there are two forces at work in the world:  sin and eternal life.  And they both collide in the mind of man.

Dr. Dobbins wrote, “Sin is an ‘invisible force’ that emanates from Satan, which stimulates the mind of man to consider life options which steal, kill and destroy his creative potential.”

“Eternal life, then, is also an ‘invisible force’ emanating from God, which stimulates the mind of man to consider creative life options.”

We then need to properly discern the origin of our thoughts.  In other words, we must ask ourselves, “Is this thought from God or Satan?”  The more we read and understand the Bible, the more readily we will discern the origin of the thoughts that come into our mind.  You see, we can’t control temptation, but we CAN control what we do when it comes our way!

Dobbins’ definitions of sin and eternal life, in my opinion, give us an easier-to-understand, wider and more Scriptural view of sin and its devastating effects in our lives.  Instead of living according to a long list of “do’s” and “do not’s,” the indwelling Holy Spirit renews our thought processes and shows us what really is pleasing to the Lord. 

The Bible says, “Don’t be conformed by what the world thinks, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).  In short, we believe what the Bible says and then line up our lives to its unchangeable truths.  Volumes have been written on the subject of sin and believe me, the subject is inexhaustible!  However, I’m not as likely to preach a sermon on the “The Evils of Alcohol” as I am a sermon entitled, “How to Be Renewed in Your Mind.”

I hate what sin does in my life and the lives of others.  My heart’s desire is that today you place your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses from the sin; and that you learn how to discern the origin of your thoughts, and subsequently experience God’s grace, which shows you a way out of your sin predicament!