Fallen from grace? What about frustrated grace?

I've tried to write this latest post several times recently, only to have the Lord stop me and tell me it wasn't time yet. I've even told friends, "I'm going to have a new post this week," only to scrap it all before I could finish. Maybe this time will be different.

Consider this:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do
not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then
Christ is dead in vain. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that
you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath evidently set
forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, received ye
the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so
foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh? Galatians 2:20-3:3

We talk a really good talk in our circles. We write books and papers, and we preach sermons declaring how we are not legalists as so many accuse. We pay lip service to the notion of grace as we indignantly profess that we don't believe we are saved by works. But the attitudes and behaviors that are inherent to our sectarian sub-culture betray our best efforts of shaking off the legalist labels. The comments by pastors and evangelists that degrade anyone with a "lower" or less-strict standard than their own are arrogant at best, and devisive at worst. To create a line where the Bible does not make a line is beyond the authority of church leadership, and causes confusion in the church, and serves to exclude many precious and dedicated saints from what we determine to be the Body of Christ.

I was engrafted into the Body of Christ on June 23, 1985 when I received the new birth. Over the last 24 years, I have heard those who have "let down the standard" maligned in every imaginable way - and even participated myself at times. Backslid. Gone Charismatic. Fallen from grace. I don't even know what "charismatic" means, other than a derogatory term used to describe a group with fewer outward standards, so I won't really deal with that. But backslid? What about fallen from grace? I'm not sure either can really be applied with a broad brush. While I'm sure those terms would apply to some (though, hopefully with a heart of compassion and God's love), I don't believe that to be the case in general.

Consider the context of the letter to the church at Galatia. At the time of Paul's letter, the church was being influenced by a group of "Judaizers", whose intent was to force the church to submit to the religious and ceremonial laws and customs of the Jews. Much of the conversation revolved around circumcision, but the overall agenda of these Judaizers was to assimilate the church into compliance with the Mosaic law. Paul's remarks in the first chapter give no doubt about how he felt about it.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another,
but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of
Christ. Galatians 1:6-7

The gospel is not a burdensome list of do's and don'ts, can's and can'ts. Rather, it is liberty in Christ! Liberty to sin? God forbid. But liberty to live according to the leading of the Holy Spirit? We are not saved from the curse of the law, only to be thrown back under another law! But when we receive the new birth, His Spirit is inside of us. Jesus is the Word (John 1.1) and He indwells us. Jesus is the Truth and the Life (John 14.6) and He indwells us. His law is written in our hearts now, not on tables of stone (2 Corinthians 3.3). Forcing the saints back into law-keeping is what Paul was talking about when he said "I do not frustrate the grace of God."

I'm amazed when people get so excited about quoting from Isaiah when teaching or studying the plan of salvation. With enthusiasm we read:

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he
speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause
the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: Isaiah
28.11-12

But we stop there and miss a critical lesson! The last part of the 12th verse says, "YET THEY WOULD NOT HEAR." If you go on reading, you will see a picture of the legalistic church today. The only problem is the judgment pronounced upon them.

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon
precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little,
and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and
snared, and taken. Isaiah 28.13

They were given the refreshing, but they refused to hear. They insisted on precept upon precept, line upon line law-keeping. The "here a little, there a little" makes me think of the somewhat random proof texts that are used to prop up some of the wackier rules that men have come up with. Either way, Isaiah said that these were actually the ones who had fallen backward (backslid, fallen from grace). Paul's statements again in Galatians, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh... ring just as true today as they did nearly 2000 years ago. The law was fulfilled and removed because it could not make us right with God. It showed us our frailties and inadequacies, but did nothing to remedy the problem. That's why Jesus went to the cross.

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to
his cross; Colossians 2.14

Jesus Himself became a curse for us in order to redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3.13). Why is it that we can still view our salvation and relationship with Christ as so fragile that the slightest offense against a standard or rule would cause us to lose out and be separated from Christ? Why are we so focused on the external in contradiction to scriptural admonition? We read scriptural passages like 1 Peter 3:3 to say that women shouldn't wear gold or outwardly adorn themselves lavishly. But the context is actually saying something completely opposite! While I believe in scriptural principles of moderation and modesty, the context of 1 Peter 3 says that our focus SHOULD NOT BE ON THE EXTERNAL. But we've perverted this and so many other passages to do just that!

I know, I'm ranting now. I suppose it is so much easier for everyone to just follow a set of rules to "keep everyone safe." But doing so prevents the saints from truly maturing in their own relationship with God and their ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. In overriding personal conviction, and establishing codes of conduct and appearance, we have created a spiritually retarded body who are not only not accustomed to seeking God themselves on issues of personal holiness, but actually discouraged from doing so. And in doing so further, we end up with the understanding that we "do such and such" to be holy, rather than asking God what He wants us to do (and be) because He has already made us holy. It takes much more maturity and discipline to listen to the voice of God and obey than it does to receive a rule book from some organization or pastor.

We need to "candle our eggs!"

My mother-in-law grew up on a chicken farm. I've heard her tell stories from her childhood about getting her hands pecked by angry hens when she would reach in to grab the eggs that were laid. I have also heard stories about how they would have to check each egg to make sure it was fit to be sold. They did this through a process called "candling." Basically, candling is done by holding the egg up to a bright light (a candle) in a dark room until the egg becomes illuminated and the trained eye can see if the egg had been fertilized. For the G-rated crowd, this basically means they were checking to make sure there were no baby chicks inside the eggs. From what I've been able to learn about this process, it requires a trained eye that really only comes through experience. The fertilized eggs were discarded because they were not suitable for sale. Only the eggs that passed the candle test were kept.

I wonder what we would find if we took this principle and applied it to our faith... those religious traditions we hold so dear... those beliefs we always just assumed to be true...the "faith of our fathers"... the "old paths"... those holy eggs that we were never allowed to question. What would we learn about ourselves, about our brothers and sisters, about GOD Himself? And, probably more importantly, what would we do with what we learned?

In some of our circles, we hail Martin Luther as a hero of faith for the stand he took against tradition and extra-biblical teachings when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. My only question, then, is how far in our reformation have we come? Have all the extra-biblical/unbiblical teachings been purged from our faith? Have we arrived at 100% pure truth? Do we have the determination and conviction to do the hard task of examining our own selves and what we hold dear? And if we find something that doesn't pass the candle test, what do we do with it? Do we continue on with the status quo, or do we replace it with something that is more solid?

Paul told Timothy, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." He told the church in Thessolonica, "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good." The KJV says "Prove all things." Some are vehemently opposed to taking a close examination of our core doctrines (and dogmas). Their position is based on the notion that, left to their own devices, people are so weak that they will be led astray by false doctrine. And I would agree to an extent when a Bible student is using any man-made curriculum or published Bible study tool. There is certainly danger of any time only one view is presented that is based on someone's interpretation. But if the student is filled with the Holy Spirit, and dedicates himself to study of only scripture (aided only by concordance and lexicon), God is able to lead them and open the scriptures to them (Luke 24.45).

I will continue to beat the drum... QUESTION EVERYTHING... QUESTION EVERYTHING... QUESTION EVERYTHING!

If we are ever to find ourselves walking in truth, we can no longer sit passively and just absorb what is being taught. We are created by God with intelligence and reasoning ability - a trait that separates us from the rest of all living creation. And I am certain that it offends our creator when we park our brains with our cars and just allow ourselves to absorb all the teaching around us. It's time to start holding our faith up to the Light of God's Word. Can we see through? Are we transparent? Is it good, or should it be discarded? Is it something upon which we can build? Or is the foundation shaky? Unless it can be firmly founded in scripture, we simply cannot keep it as sacred.

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions."
(1 Timothy 1.5-7)

What are we so afraid of?

I'm not part of an "emergent/emerging church!" I'm not an antagonist or an iconoclast! I'm not trying to tear down our institutions or murder any sacred cows! I do, however, question everything, and will do everything I can to challenge the status quo.

I'm the kind of guy that needs to study things out for myself. I have never been the one to accept whatever someone says to be true, regardless of how much I trusted him or her. If you told me it is a beautiful day today, I would at some point (not right away, I don't wish to be rude about it) go to the window or step outside for myself to make the analysis. I would look into the sky and determine how many clouds are drifting above. Is the sun shining? What about ambient temperature? Does the wind make it cold or is it a nice, cooling breeze? Then, I would come to my own conclusion that either yes, it is a beautiful day, or no, it's a crumby day and here's why. I would then state my argument for my opposition. I guess I've always been that way, and I had always thought that it was a good thing.

Lately, though, I've taken some heat for raising what I feel are valid questions. I'm certainly not encouraging or glorifying doubt, but I am encouraging people to use the brains that God gave them. Maybe it's the postmodern influences in my life that have shaped me into a rebel of sorts. Many of the business courses I took at the University of Akron were deliberate in their objective to train me to think critically. But is thinking critically and challenging the status quo really rebellious? Are our established institutions so deeply intrenched and married to their "old paths" that any question or challenge is viewed as rebellion?

And so I ask... What are we so afraid of?

Aside from my transgression of ending a sentence with a preposition, what is it that makes our established institutions so insecure and causes them to see any new approach (or method, or questioning, or idea) as a countercultural uprising or rebellion?

I suspect that much of it stems from power! Those in power wish to keep their power, and any challenge to that power is viewed as treason and must be met with a harsh response. How many stories have I heard of good people asking questions of their pastor or youth pastor - questions that were really nagging them - only to be turned away - beat down and disillusioned? How does a person respond when he acknowledges that he has questions to his youth pastor, only to be shamed when the man points to the degrees framed on the wall of his office and says, "come back when you have one of those and we'll talk."

The problem is that our churches have become dynasties, ruled by royal families, that are more concerned with preserving their own personal kingdoms than they are with building the everlasting kingdom of God. These power brokers will do whatever it takes to hold onto that power, and that usually entails squashing any uprising or challenge that comes their way. It has been my experience that when people recoil at a challenge, it's usually because they either have something to hide or they know their stand is a house of cards - so fragile that any opposition will bring it down.

Again, maybe it's just the postmodern influences in my life, but I believe that what we need today is transparency. Let's be open to questions and challenges. As long as we operate with the perceived notion that we don't have anything else to learn we are stagnant, and eventually we will stink because of it.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5.21.