I was watching TV with my mom this afternoon. A show called "According to Jim".
I think about how much Christians say there is too much grace in the church these days. The idea that there is need for stronger laws and cracking down on sin. Excuse me, but I see this Old Covenant stuff on TV everyday! I see it on every book shelf. Preachers preaching against everything under the sun. No Harry Potter, no video games, quit cussing, quit gossiping, don't covet, don't commit adultery, stay away from bars.
Anyway, in this episode, the guy Jim calls the Bible the "rule book". And all throughout the show, they make jokes at how the Bible and God is all about keeping laws. I see it all the time. Everyone thinks Christianity is just another religion to add to the pile of the others. It's just another set of rules to live by. So, if we're preaching so much grace, then why doesn't the world see it? Why am I not seeing it? Why do they still see Christians as hypocrites? Because the majority of them are acting like hypocrites by preaching law, but breaking the law. If you've broken one law, you've broken them all James says. So if you can't keep them all, then why try and keep them at all? Why not just trust in Jesus and receive the abundance of grace? You can't love God unless you first let Him love you.
I see how to books everywhere. It's all crap. Pray more, do more, study more, abstain from this, don't touch that, and for heaven sake, stay way from sinners!
I love the church...or rather I want to love them, but I can't stand being around them sometimes with all this religious nonsense.
All the while forgetting that the bible says that the power of sin is the law. So then what do they to solve that problem? "You gotta put the fear of God in 'em!" So then you muzzle the sin problem with fear, rather than going to the Physician. Fear of letting go and trusting God to sanctify you. Fearing that if you sin, God will be angry with you and you will be in danger of the flames of hell.
You know what that sounds like to me? Religion. Old Covenant. Cleaning the outside and forgetting the inside.
You're not preaching grace at all if it isn't all grace. You're not preaching faith at all if you're preaching the slightest hint of law.
4 comments:
Amen! You're so perceptive, or maybe I should say discerning. I'm amazed at how pervasive legalism is in our culture and church subculture.
This is so good!! Heather and I have been talking all throughout today on this. Someone she knows sent her an e-mail forward about how full of sin America is and how it's time that we, as Christians stand up and turn this nation around...Heather replied to her mail, sharing about the grace of God and it started from there. The girl wrote back, talking about God's judgment coming if we don't "straighten up" and on and on it went.... It's refreshing to read Good News!! :o)
Thanks guys. This has just been on my mind so much.
Sheryl, I know exactly what you guys mean. Why don't you ask those people if we are to straighten up, how much we are to straighten up? By what standard must we achieve if not perfection? God only requires perfection, so if you're not perfect then forget it, lol.
Thats why it's either grace or law.
You're so welcome!
This is fantastic!! I'm saving it so I can refer to this if it comes up again. :o) Simply put and greatly powerful because it's true.
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