Get It Together People!
And hurry up, will ya!
I just received this magazine in the mail yesterday. I have no idea how these people got my address. I have been to no Church of God, and have not signed up for any of their literature. I simply checked the mail, and one of the first things I saw was this magazine with the huge wording: “Good News: Bringing up a Moral Child.”
Sometimes I think non-Christians have it more right than Christians do
To be honest, this magazine offended me. Almost everything about it offended me. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in objective morality, and I will affirm the need for moral behavior, but come on folks, let’s not get that confused with the gospel! YOU DIDN’T GET YOUR TICKET OUT OF HELL BECAUSE OF YOUR MORAL GOODNESS!
Or maybe I’m just being a Pharisee to the Pharisees
Don’t get me wrong. I have my fare share of pharisaical moments. Heck, even to this day I am, at times, pharisaical. I know this, that’s why I know I need Jesus. But listen, the Gospel goes WAY further than being a MORAL person. Why not just become a Buddhist? Shoot, I could even create myself a god that more suits my own selfish nature!
Listen. I understand the whole idea of getting the truth out. Believe me. I am the type of person who finds himself in debates about truth. I love truth. Actually, my love for truth sometimes gets in the way of my love for compassion. It doesn’t take much energy for me to call Benny Hinn a heretic. But here’s my point. This happy-go-lucky Christian family—smiles and all—projecting the gospel to be something that if you’ll just learn how to be moral, you’ll have a happy life.
But Jesus didn’t come to make you happy
That’s right. Jesus’ purpose supersedes our desire for perfect happy lives. As a matter of fact, if you want to follow Jesus, you’re going to carry a cross. Try on that happy suite. This doesn’t mean we cannot have joy. It just means that sacrifice is inevitable—an no one is happy about sacrifice. I enjoyed drugs; I enjoyed premarital sex; I enjoyed breaking the law; I enjoyed stealing; I enjoyed damage and destruction; but this is before I knew Christ. I had to give all that up.
Did that make me a “good” person? Did my moral shift gain me repute with God? No! As a matter of fact, it was a little while after I made a moral shift did I turn to Jesus.
But this is not about me
What’s the point of the Gospel message if we sustain it through our moral goodness?
There is none.
—Jonathan
Dang it. I have been trying sooooo hard….
May you'll get a sticker… lol
I agree with ya bro
I bet you have quite a bit to say about this.
Here's a question for you then: What about knowing Jesus made you stop doing all those things you listed? did someone tell you they were wrong? Was it supernatural?
Actually, I started being "good" before I started following Jesus. Why? Because I trusted in my good works to gain right standing before Jesus. I had to learn that not only do my bad deeds distance me from Jesus, but so do the good deeds that I trust in to make me a "good" person. This is called phariseeism.
So, to answer your question, of course the moral law of God is what convicted me to be moral in the first place. There is nothing wrong with this—I actually use the moral law of God for apologetic purposes. What I am saying in this post though, is that raising "moral" children and being "moral" people can have nothing to do with the "good news." The good news is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is a work of grace that was performed in spite of us, in the face of our unrighteousness, AND our own "goodness," as if there were such a thing.
I agree wholeheartedly about the works thing. And I apologize if I came off as too aggressive; I'm just trying to play devil's advocate. I think the point I was trying in a roundabout way to get to (I'll cut to the chase) was that sometimes (and I have been guilty of this more than once) Christians can get so caught up in the grace that is given us that we stop trying to act right. The other side of the spectrum from the phariseeism you described. I can do whatever I want because God will forgive me. Obviously that is a very unhealthy attitude. Paul writes that we are no longer under the law but we still have to obey the law. Is it possible that the magazine was trying to reach people in a different place than you are? People who need reminded that we are not free to do whatever we want and damn the consequences just because of God's grace.
Good thoughts. And yes, it can be certainly the case that the minds behind the machine of this particular magazine is trying to reach a certain type of people. BUT, and I will have to hold firm to this, the "Good News" is not "Bringing up a Moral Child." Bring up a moral child is the RESULT of the Good News. People, and myself, get this confused. I must say that works is quite an appealing thing when it gains you credit with God. But we know this is not the case. So, the whole works thing is misunderstood right off the bat. Works is a result of grace. We do good works, not because of our own ability, but because grace gives us the power to do so. Why does it give us the power? Because it gives us the ability to have a desire to please our heavenly Father, so that men can praise Him. See, works is totally reflective. It reflects the reality of a regenerated heart, and it reflects all acclaim to the Father. I wished I would have had this type of teaching early on. Instead, it was more like: "God doesn't approve of listening to Guns-n-Roses!"
Lame. If that's the gospel, well…. I regress.
Sounds to me like we are of similar mindset. I just couldn't resist playing devil's advocate a little bit. You know how it is.
The Dark Lord has spoken.
=)
The Dark Lord has spoken. The Bean Sorter has heard.
=)
Being a Pharisee – or the other extreme, relying on cheap grace – both come from a misunderstanding of what the gospel is. I'll go as far as to say that both stem from an unchanged heart.
Of course I experience moments of both. I speak in general, though.
When I pick up on legalism, moralism, or cheap grace in my life – it's a warning sign that I have strayed from the gospel of Christ.
Too true.
I have given up on trying to be good. I suck at it.
Jonathan, I loved the post, but a really have to thank Dark Lord for teasing you, what resulted in the summit of your point:
“Actually, I started being "good" before I started following Jesus. Why? Because I trusted in my good works to gain right standing before Jesus. I had to learn that not only do my bad deeds distance me from Jesus, but so do the good deeds that I trust in to make me a "good" person. This is called phariseeism.
So, to answer your question, of course the moral law of God is what convicted me to be moral in the first place. There is nothing wrong with this—I actually use the moral law of God for apologetic purposes. What I am saying in this post though, is that raising "moral" children and being "moral" people can have nothing to do with the "good news." The good news is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is a work of grace that was performed in spite of us, in the face of our unrighteousness, AND our own "goodness," as if there were such a thing.”
Great my brother!
Thanks bro. I have realized that the Dark Lord and I are more alike than what I thought!