The Width Of Gray, Part Four

Christian freedom is lived out in the ordinary. It is not a concept that is relegated to that nebulous realm of “god-talk” and “Christian-eze” so popular in the church. When some speak or sing of Christian freedom, they often refer to some unspecified region on their insides that somehow feels better because they are now a Christian. That is hopefully true. But, what I think they are really talking about is forgiveness – the “blessed assurance” - which admittedly, is a precursor of freedom, but not entirely what the Scriptures had in view.

When Jesus said these words: “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed,” John 8:36, it was shortly after He had forgiven a woman caught in adultery. This produced a spirited debate with the Pharisees – the keepers of lists.

When Paul wrote these words in Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery,” he was aiming, just as Jesus was aiming, at the law of lists.

Both of these passages place freedom in juxtaposition against a list of rules and regulations which were so burdensome that most people could not even remember them, let alone keep them. So, while Christian freedom is certainly an inward experience, the practical outworking of Christian freedom is expressed by how we live out our lives. The law was expressed by an outward conformity to rules and regulations. Christian freedom is expressed by spontaneity of actions that are Spirit-led, moment by moment. Sometimes this exercise of freedom requires great courage and great faith because the keepers of lists still draw air and they are willing and ready to pounce on one walking in freedom.

Let’s re-group for a moment so that I am not misunderstood. The writers of the New Testament are attempting to stretch our minds and hearts with a new concept that dwarfs the dusty and stifling life of list-keeping. In writing to Titus, just after berating once more the list-givers, Paul says to Titus, “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled,” Titus 1:15. There is a freedom of movement deposited within the Christian that is nothing less than a life lived without lists. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to understand and exercise this freedom.

Christians who desire lists do so for a couple of reasons: 1) To give themselves a checklist against which they can measure themselves against others; and, 2) To press the limits of that list as far they can. That is human nature. The person desiring these lists may or may not be cognizant of these two reasons. If they are not, there is still a preservation of innocence and some hope for their eventual freedom. If they are, then their hearts are truly darkened and they are on the wrong side of Jesus.

Many Christian leaders and many churches are terrified of freedom because they have witnessed so much heartache and abuse when freedom is misused. That is understandable. But, to throw out the tenor of the entire New Testament by creating rules of behavior, in Paul’s words, “nullifies the gospel” and makes one “accursed.” Thus, if we are to err, we should always err on the side of freedom.

Now – is there bad behavior among Christians? Yes. Are there abuses of freedom? Yes. Is this pleasing to God? No. Or, as Paul would say, “God forbid!” How does God enact this freedom that many find so dangerous and, in their minds, irresponsible?

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul gives us a simple, straightforward answer. As we read what he says, we have to pay special attention to the order in which he phrases his words. Listen to this: “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires (lusts) of the flesh,” Galatians 5:16. Again, note the order. The mistake the church has made time and again is to reverse the order so it reads: “Don’t carry out the desires (lusts) of the flesh and you will be walking in the Spirit.” In other words, if you do this, this, and this – you will be a Spirit-filled Christian. It is a game of spiritual addition.

It doesn’t work that way. God’s Spirit is not meant to come upon us after we have fulfilled a list of do’s and don’ts. God’s Spirit is the prelude to a life well-lived – always. Our lists will always fall short of His righteous demands and the excesses of love, forgiveness, generosity, creativity and mercy that He asks us to demonstrate. To use a base analogy – He fills our tank before He asks us to drive. To do the opposite leaves us in the driveway making pretend car noises.

And, don’t forget this – the Spirit’s first name is Holy. The Holy Spirit is incapable of leading us to a place that is ever in violation of God’s desire for our lives. While the church has been busy creating and enforcing lists, it has missed its true calling – to teach people how to live in moment by moment dependency on the Spirit. Such dependency will lead us safely as we navigate the width of gray.

The Width Of Gray, Part Three

What is the width of gray – that area of freedom and responsibility given to the Christian that falls in between the solid lines of demarcation that say: “This is a non-negotiable wrong and this is a non-negotiable right?” It is an important question. Whole denominations and movements and sects are founded on this question.

In some denominations, women wear head-coverings because of, in my view, a misunderstanding of what Paul was communicating in I Corinthians 11. Ronald Sider relates a story in his readable and wonderful book, Genuine Christianity, in regard to the brutal conflict that sometimes arises between denominations when they brush too closely to one another. In Jerusalem, the church of the Holy Sepulcher, is a place where all Christian denominations gather to give honor to the place where Jesus was crucified, prepared for burial, and the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, where Christ was laid. It seems that there is so much infighting between the Christians about who is the rightful steward of this holy site that a Muslim man has been given the responsibility of keeping the key to the door that unlocks the church. Dr. Sider once witnessed, during an Easter Service being held by the Roman Catholics, a priest from the Greek Orthodox Church march through and snuff out all of the Catholic candles. His reason? “Because the Catholics are using the wrong calendar and candles are not be lit until the proper date – which is found on our calendar!”

Such theological oddities bemuse and confuse the non-Christian world around us. Actually, such actions bemuse and confuse those who are Christ-followers as well. The faith “once-given” seems fractured beyond repair. What it takes to meet the requirements of church membership in various denominations necessitates not only an embrace of the orthodoxy (right doctrine) of a particular church, but also those things that have become elevated to the place of doctrine – the orthopraxy (right practice). One might believe all of the right things that one church preaches to get oneself to heaven, but if you happen to be toting the wrong translation of the Bible to church, or if you take a sip of wine with dinner, or if you go to an “R” rated movie – you are out.

Why do churches do this? There are many reasons that I could name – from a spirit of legalism, to theological ignorance, to mindless tradition, etc. Each of these would be simple enough upon which to elaborate. But my suspicion, having been on the inside of such subjective criteria, is that it has more to do with spiritual laziness and control.

Control is the easier one to define so I will begin with it. If a group of people have stacked hands on a code of behavior that to them “looks Christian” it is much easier to bend the teaching towards those goals. And, moreover, it is much easier to spot a slacker. “He is not like us,” is a common theme in many churches. Most often this judgment is dealt with, not in a direct way, but by the devil’s way, i.e. gossip and backbiting.

But what about the spiritual laziness which I believe to be the real culprit? What is that? Spiritual laziness is the practice of trading God’s voice in a given situation for a prescripted code of behavior. As I have walked with Christ now for many years, I have come to believe that there are many practices that are not necessarily right or wrong in and of themselves. I have also come to believe that there are many practices that are right or wrong based solely upon the situation. The only way to know the proper course of action based upon this area of gray is to hear God’s voice in the moment. Since it is easier to teach a prescripted code of behavior than it is to teach a person how to hear the voice of God – churches opt for the lowest common denominator. It is much less of a hassle. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Is it wrong to drink wine? Before you answer that with a positive, remember that Jesus produced, in a moment, gallons and gallons of the stuff and then imbibed: so much so that He was called a glutton and a drunkard. If you don’t agree with having a glass of wine but happen to wear one of those “What Would Jesus Do?” bracelets, then I can rightly question your discipleship... Sinner!

How about the Sabbath? I was once torched up by a deacon who accused me of blaspheming the Sabbath because I announced that the youth group was going to play some football on a Sunday afternoon. He even went King James on me: “Ye shall remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.” I guess it was okay to watch others play professional football on the Sabbath because the whole deacon board talked about that incessantly. We went ahead with our game but I never received more than an icy, judgmental stare from this brother until I graduated from college and left that church. Paul’s take on these subjects was and is reasonable and freeing when he wrote: “Do not let anyone act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath Day.” Colossians 2:16

Why do we opt for codes of behavior over learning to hear the voice of God? Spiritual laziness is one reason. It takes effort to learn the art of walking in and by the Spirit of God. But there is another thing and I believe it has something to do with fear. What if I really begin to hear the voice of God? What inhuman thing might God ask me to do or to give up if I get so cozy with Him that He is actually leading me, moment by moment? C.S Lewis picks up this idea in his little book entitled: Letters To Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer.

"Much of our backwardness in prayer is no doubt due to our sins…And also to the very worst kind of “fear of God.” We shrink from too naked a contact, because we are afraid of the Divine demands upon us which it might make too audible. As some old writer says, “Many a Christian prays faintly lest God really hear him – which he – poor man, never intended.”

To explore the “width of gray” means committing oneself to grow up – to no longer be content and imprisoned with codes set forth by others. I am not preaching an immoral license to go and do anything one pleases. I will clear that up in the next post. What I am saying is that God is God and He will lead you and me in unexpected ways that press into that one great purpose of which the Apostle Paul spoke so eloquently in I Corinthians 9:20-23:

To the Jews, I became a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law, though not myself being under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the Law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”

If you really grasp what it is Paul is saying, you mind find yourself being asked by God to either turn water into wine – or to pick up a bottle on your way to your friend’s house who doesn’t yet know Jesus. See you soon…