Or I could have entitled this blog, “Castration, going all the way with Jesus” or some similarly uncomfortable picture, but I finally decided on incompatible selfishness, because maybe I won’t get too much flak for the the following content. Incompatible Selfishness is a condition of the soul that happens each time someone makes a rule designed to restrict your freedom in Christ.
I was at an impromptu meeting Sunday night after our interrupted church service click to see previous post and one person there was describing how “really serious about God” people act and behave. It was disheartening once again to hear the Gospel reduced to a list of does and don’ts. No wonder the process of evangelism and many churches struggle for success around the world; we evangelicals have become the modern day pharisees, making rules that add to scripture and make serving the Lord an impossible burden. This is especially an affront to our Savior who clearly states that His freedom is real freedom. It is the most anti-rule statement anyone could possibly make!
For whatever cultural reasons North Americans seem to be the least comfortable with Freedom of any culture that I have ever been a part of in my life. I have heard about 50 sermons on not causing a brother to stumble, for every sermon I have heard on Freedom. But causing or not causing our brother or sister to stumble is an element of the Gospel, whereas Freedom seems to be a central part of the foundation!
Paul talks about this in Galations 5 . . . and he sums up the Gospel as “ . . . we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.” (The Message)
What matters is something far more interior . . . Paul wrote Galations because of the tendency of the church to constantly fall into legislating holiness, which of course is never holy because holiness is something far more interior. Paul continues on calling this legalism a “detour” that is not from God (vs 8) and that these people calling for external rules for holiness are dangerous . . . they are like yeast, just a few affect the whole loaf.
But God has called us to Freedom. Rule-makers and enforcers are the essence of incompatible selfishness, because they are first of all incompatible with the freedom Christ died to bring and second they are selfish mandating all to live at their level of weakness. I hate to say this, but people are not lining up to be given rules of do’s and don’ts, but offer them the freedom that God is about, then lets see what happens! I had 25 college kids in my house for five hours tonight and they each will tell you that they gladly and firmly face ostracism from society and family, because of Freedom, not rules. Christ has come to set the captive free, and that includes those caught in the bondage of man-made rules of holiness. As God said to the prophet Samuel, “I am not like men, I look at the heart.” (Dr D’s paraphrase).
I was at an impromptu meeting Sunday night after our interrupted church service click to see previous post and one person there was describing how “really serious about God” people act and behave. It was disheartening once again to hear the Gospel reduced to a list of does and don’ts. No wonder the process of evangelism and many churches struggle for success around the world; we evangelicals have become the modern day pharisees, making rules that add to scripture and make serving the Lord an impossible burden. This is especially an affront to our Savior who clearly states that His freedom is real freedom. It is the most anti-rule statement anyone could possibly make!
For whatever cultural reasons North Americans seem to be the least comfortable with Freedom of any culture that I have ever been a part of in my life. I have heard about 50 sermons on not causing a brother to stumble, for every sermon I have heard on Freedom. But causing or not causing our brother or sister to stumble is an element of the Gospel, whereas Freedom seems to be a central part of the foundation!
Paul talks about this in Galations 5 . . . and he sums up the Gospel as “ . . . we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.” (The Message)
What matters is something far more interior . . . Paul wrote Galations because of the tendency of the church to constantly fall into legislating holiness, which of course is never holy because holiness is something far more interior. Paul continues on calling this legalism a “detour” that is not from God (vs 8) and that these people calling for external rules for holiness are dangerous . . . they are like yeast, just a few affect the whole loaf.
But God has called us to Freedom. Rule-makers and enforcers are the essence of incompatible selfishness, because they are first of all incompatible with the freedom Christ died to bring and second they are selfish mandating all to live at their level of weakness. I hate to say this, but people are not lining up to be given rules of do’s and don’ts, but offer them the freedom that God is about, then lets see what happens! I had 25 college kids in my house for five hours tonight and they each will tell you that they gladly and firmly face ostracism from society and family, because of Freedom, not rules. Christ has come to set the captive free, and that includes those caught in the bondage of man-made rules of holiness. As God said to the prophet Samuel, “I am not like men, I look at the heart.” (Dr D’s paraphrase).
9 comments:
So here is my comment/question. I understand that we have freedom in Christ, but doesn't that freedom allow us to live a life that is holy? Doesn't the holiness that is interior end up showing through on the outside? I know that the reason we don't watch pornography is not because we want to be right with God and earn his love. But we are not supposed to watch pornography as a result of our loving God. I often wrestle with myself and my preaching and teaching walking the line of legalism and liberalism. If God truly changes us we actually will start to live more holy. Not as a means to get right with God, but as a result of Jesus making us right with God. And is not our being right with God the true "freedom" of the Gospel. We are "free from the bondages of sin" and therefore a "slave to sin no more, but a slave to righteousness." 1 Corinthians 7:22 Of course this is my opinion/question and I think this might be what you are saying, but I would like to hear your thoughst more either way. If you reply back send me an email at jdbreedlovejr@bellsouth.net and let me know so I will make sure to read it.
The law of love is probably going to set a much tougher standard than any external rule, (like the OT said not to commit adulterous actions, but Jesus toughened the standard and said not to think adulterous thoughts) but it is going to be found in relationship and in the heart, not in a list. Legalism actually encourages unholy behavior by drawing a line in the dust - if you live with one toe touching the line, you can still be considered OK. Holiness doesn't even acknowedge the existence of the line because it's too busy doing God's work in another part of town.
Legalism is not holiness. Holiness grows out of a deep relationship with God and a built-in desire to please Him. Legalism is forcing believers to follow a list of manmade rules that have nothing to do with true holiness. It usually entails banning activities that God never prohibited in the first place. It's saying that God's standard was not good enough, so we need to come up with more rules to regulate behavior instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to work in people's hearts.
You preach it Jules and I will turn the pages. D
Oh my JELLP121852 you should have wrote this blog, you nailed what I was trying to say far better than I did! You should meet my friends Julie and Beth :-)
Hey, Dr. D, you still didn't answer Pastor Jerry's question - I know you've been busy, but I'd like to see your answer :-)
I already answered Jerry in an email, but I am willing to do almost anything to please Beth, so here goes the short answer! Jerry and I are in complete and total agreement that, "If God truly changes us we actually will start to live more holy." But this holy is not a white, republican, North American, anti-homosexual holiness. It is a Freedom that is both to and from. But what it is Freedom to and Freedom from is dependent on two factors: the CLEAR teaching of scripture, and also the individual. If you are an alcoholic, Christ represents (and is) Freedom from that bondage. If you are not an alcoholic, perhaps it will be Freedom to enjoy a glass of wine with your meal. But murder is ALWAYS wrong because it is a clear command from God's word. While porn is not directly addressed in God's Word, only a fool plays with such fire, and lusting after someone other than your own spouse is directly forbidden in scripture. So the content is address in scripture but not the medium.
As I told Jerry in my email to him, I agree with him, and that my point in this particular blog was that I want the CMA to become an organization that lets the Spirit lead each of us toward holiness, instead of trivializing holiness by making rules. In fact the blog that I wrote the next day after this one, is really part two to this one.
The bottom line is that holiness is one of those "far more interior moments" not a list of does and don'ts. Thanks Jerry for stretching and clarifying us all.
Very nicely put.
Yeah, good answer.
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