Interacting with people who for various reasons haven't understood or believed the gospel of the finished work of Christ is not always necessarily a black and white process. I think the Apostle Paul showed that in his various dealing with others. Not that we always look to Paul and his ways of handling confrontation and debate as "the" ways for us to handle it, as he had his own personality and his own calling from God, but I for sure can say that I've gleaned a lot from him.
When speaking with others who are not walking in the freedom of the gospel, do you nip it in the bud quickly or do you take time to reason things out? Do you flush it out or do you flesh it out? I think it all depends upon getting a feel for where the other person is coming from.
At times Paul spoke harshly to and about those who rejected the gospel by putting any sort of confidence in the flesh - in their own fleshly attempts to become justified or remain justified. He would trample underfoot those who "trampled the Son of God underfoot." He flushed them down the toilet. He didn't really hold back at all. "Beware of dogs!" he said in Philippians 3. "Beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!" Those definitely aren't "tame" words. He had serious words for those who put any confidence in their own actions.
Read on in Philippians 3 and see how Paul said that he would have every reason to put confidence in his own actions, but yet he chucked it all aside and he counted it all as loss and traded it in "for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord... and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ..." He, of all people, would be the world's number one contender for putting confidence in his own deeds, but he knew that in order to have Christ he had to renounce it all. Therefore he had very harsh words for those dogs, those evil workers, those mutilators of the flesh!
On the other hand, there are those who he took time with. Instead of flushing them down the toilet, he fleshed it out with them. I see a form of the phrase, "he reasoned with them," at least seven times in the book of Acts. For example, "...and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.'" (Acts 17:2-3). "And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God." (Acts 19:8).
In these seven instances (and of course not only in these seven instances), there were people who heard Paul out and were persuaded and joined with Paul and the other believers, or at least wanted to hear more, and there were people who flatly rejected what he had to say. But at times, "some were hardened and did not believe," and Paul and his disciples withdrew from them. At times, people started mobs in reaction to Paul's "reasoning," and Paul and his friends ended up getting brought before rulers and thrown out of cities. Other times Paul stayed with the people for weeks, months or even a couple of years.
I said at the beginning that we don't necessarily follow Paul and all of his ways of dealing with those who hear and receive or reject the gospel. I think that to try to be a copycat of Paul is a huge mistake. The point here is that we can gauge where other people are at, and our response to them is not black and white. It often depends upon each given situation, and it's often a good thing to take time to get to know where someone is coming from rather than using a preconceived "speech" or way of handling things. Our own unique personalities play a big part as well. And most of all, obviously, we rely on the fact that we only go where God brings us and as we rest in Him we let His life in us do the confronting, persuading, reasoning, etc.
Grace Roots Blog
Showing posts with label legalists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label legalists. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Lives transformed by God's grace
In my last post I talked about the numerous "Objections to the gospel of grace" that I've come across in my several years of sharing the gospel of grace over the years. My original intent wasn't to just talk about all those objections but to share how those objections are overcome, not just through words and discussions (which can be very beneficial) but through the "proof in the pudding" of lives that are transformed by God's love and grace.
When you preach a gospel that is not based upon our performance but it solely based upon God's grace and the finished work of Jesus, it may very well seem as if you're preaching a gospel of licentiousness and lawlessness, since you're not adding a bunch of "musts," "shoulds," "ifs," "buts" and conditions to the pure words of God's grace and agape love. You're not relying on a bunch of external rules and commandments to get people to serve and to stop sinning. Without all these added extras, people think you're leading others into self-serving, sinful, destructive lifestyles. But is that really what happens when God's love and grace is spread around liberally???
I'll pick up where I left off in my last post when I said, "Let me tell you something about those who have been gripped by God's love and grace, and who don't have a focus on performance, but on a loving relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As God's pure unadulterated love and grace grips them, and as they become established in it and grow in it, they are the most humble, reverential, God loving people you could ever know! Are they perfect in all they do? Of course not! But their lives are transformed day by day through love and grace, and instead of relying on a bunch of external conditions, they grow in God's love and grace and their outward actions become more of a natural expression of God's life in them, rather than a plastic imitation.
As they learn more about God's unconditional love, grace and acceptance of them, that's not based upon their performance, they begin to look at themselves more and more in the way that God looks at them - not as unworthy worms, but as new creations, created in His likeness, with a holy and righteous nature. They boast about God. They stand in awe of Him and of the work that He does in them individually and in the body of Christ as a whole. They realize that apart from Him they can do nothing and with Him all things are possible... and He is in them at all times!
They find that they are FREE - not to sin, but free from sin! That makes all the difference as they relate to a God who isn't angry with them but who has set them free to truly know Him in a genuine loving, grace-filled relationship. They learn that they need not be afraid of God - EVER. They learn that they need not respond to Him out of fear of harsh discipline or hell, but rather out of joy from being loved and accepted as bonafide sons of the living God. They realize that they are not only forgiven, but that God Himself has come to dwell in them and has joined Himself to them, and they begin trusting HIS Life in them!
To be quite frank, they have a lot of crap to deal with, in regards to the legalists in their lives with their lists of commands, principles and conditions, putting pressure on them to perform and get out and serve. But as they become more and more established in God's pure grace and in their true identity in Him, they find themselves with a kind of growth in which they are much more naturally walking out the lives that God has truly given them. Many find that they just don't fit in where the church has told them they need to fit in and they find that they are much more naturally walking in the actual gifts and desires that God Himself has given them. They don't need someone telling them what to do or how to live because they become more deeply connected with their true Life source - Father, Son and Spirit.
Serving others, loving others, accepting others, forgiving others, etc, all become expressions of Christ's life in them, and not duties or rules to follow in order to maintain a right standing with God or to live a "good Christian life." Most of this doesn't happen instantly, either. Growing in God's love, grace and acceptance takes time (especially with the heavy weight of mixed-in legalism to deal with). There's no need to rush any of it. Legalists have a hard time with people not conforming on the spot. Grace filled people understand that we're not conforming to a standard but that we've already been been perfected and made complete, and that our daily lives are a matter of having our minds renewed daily to who we truly already are by the gospel of grace, and that the transformation comes across in many ways over the years, with no need to hurry any of it! It's God's work in them, not their own attempts to change.
I could keep going! You who are growing in grace understand all of this. God's unconditional love and grace are Life to you and you are resting in that. People can try to put you into a box but you know you can't be contained because the God who lives in you and is at work in you can't be contained! Life is a thrill. It's an adventure. It's a joy. It's amazing. You're not stagnant, because there is nothing stagnant about God's love and grace! Like I said, I could keep going! Suffice it to say, the problem in the church is not that unconditional love and grace are taught too much, but rather that they're not taught nearly enough!
When you preach a gospel that is not based upon our performance but it solely based upon God's grace and the finished work of Jesus, it may very well seem as if you're preaching a gospel of licentiousness and lawlessness, since you're not adding a bunch of "musts," "shoulds," "ifs," "buts" and conditions to the pure words of God's grace and agape love. You're not relying on a bunch of external rules and commandments to get people to serve and to stop sinning. Without all these added extras, people think you're leading others into self-serving, sinful, destructive lifestyles. But is that really what happens when God's love and grace is spread around liberally???
I'll pick up where I left off in my last post when I said, "Let me tell you something about those who have been gripped by God's love and grace, and who don't have a focus on performance, but on a loving relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As God's pure unadulterated love and grace grips them, and as they become established in it and grow in it, they are the most humble, reverential, God loving people you could ever know! Are they perfect in all they do? Of course not! But their lives are transformed day by day through love and grace, and instead of relying on a bunch of external conditions, they grow in God's love and grace and their outward actions become more of a natural expression of God's life in them, rather than a plastic imitation.
As they learn more about God's unconditional love, grace and acceptance of them, that's not based upon their performance, they begin to look at themselves more and more in the way that God looks at them - not as unworthy worms, but as new creations, created in His likeness, with a holy and righteous nature. They boast about God. They stand in awe of Him and of the work that He does in them individually and in the body of Christ as a whole. They realize that apart from Him they can do nothing and with Him all things are possible... and He is in them at all times!
They find that they are FREE - not to sin, but free from sin! That makes all the difference as they relate to a God who isn't angry with them but who has set them free to truly know Him in a genuine loving, grace-filled relationship. They learn that they need not be afraid of God - EVER. They learn that they need not respond to Him out of fear of harsh discipline or hell, but rather out of joy from being loved and accepted as bonafide sons of the living God. They realize that they are not only forgiven, but that God Himself has come to dwell in them and has joined Himself to them, and they begin trusting HIS Life in them!
To be quite frank, they have a lot of crap to deal with, in regards to the legalists in their lives with their lists of commands, principles and conditions, putting pressure on them to perform and get out and serve. But as they become more and more established in God's pure grace and in their true identity in Him, they find themselves with a kind of growth in which they are much more naturally walking out the lives that God has truly given them. Many find that they just don't fit in where the church has told them they need to fit in and they find that they are much more naturally walking in the actual gifts and desires that God Himself has given them. They don't need someone telling them what to do or how to live because they become more deeply connected with their true Life source - Father, Son and Spirit.
Serving others, loving others, accepting others, forgiving others, etc, all become expressions of Christ's life in them, and not duties or rules to follow in order to maintain a right standing with God or to live a "good Christian life." Most of this doesn't happen instantly, either. Growing in God's love, grace and acceptance takes time (especially with the heavy weight of mixed-in legalism to deal with). There's no need to rush any of it. Legalists have a hard time with people not conforming on the spot. Grace filled people understand that we're not conforming to a standard but that we've already been been perfected and made complete, and that our daily lives are a matter of having our minds renewed daily to who we truly already are by the gospel of grace, and that the transformation comes across in many ways over the years, with no need to hurry any of it! It's God's work in them, not their own attempts to change.
I could keep going! You who are growing in grace understand all of this. God's unconditional love and grace are Life to you and you are resting in that. People can try to put you into a box but you know you can't be contained because the God who lives in you and is at work in you can't be contained! Life is a thrill. It's an adventure. It's a joy. It's amazing. You're not stagnant, because there is nothing stagnant about God's love and grace! Like I said, I could keep going! Suffice it to say, the problem in the church is not that unconditional love and grace are taught too much, but rather that they're not taught nearly enough!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Church Pharisees
In the comments of Monday's "Am I here to judge or condemn your behavior?" post, Richard joked, "Christ did not come into the world to condemn it. He sent the church out to condemn the world for Him!"
That's funny. :) And isn't it also sad at the same time, since it points to the reality that so many people in the church today seem to think that it's their job to go around pointing out sin, and condemning people for their behavior and lifestyles? "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jesus came to save the world, so who's now going to carry the condemnation torch??? Might as well be us!!!"
Feh!
Seems like they'll wear their WWJD bracelets (figuratively speaking)... but forget about Jesus' grace-full encounters with the woman caught in adultery, the tax-collectors and sinners, the woman at the well, and so many other encounters with people in which their behavior was not His focus but rather the love, grace and mercy of God, and His kindness toward them and acceptance of them!
Forgetting that condemnation was done away with and that "the handwriting of requirements that was against us, that was contrary to us" (the law) was "taken out of the way" and "nailed to the cross" (Col 2:14-15), they bring the law back in to point out and protest how others are living such terrible lives - and they even make up their own rules, laws, traditions, principles, etc, heaping heavy burdens and condemnation upon people.
I don't like to be so negative, and really I am far more about simply sharing the love and grace of God with people than getting down and negative about what legalism does, but sometimes it helps to point out the contrasts and differences to show the absurdity of what the church is up to these days.
That's funny. :) And isn't it also sad at the same time, since it points to the reality that so many people in the church today seem to think that it's their job to go around pointing out sin, and condemning people for their behavior and lifestyles? "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jesus came to save the world, so who's now going to carry the condemnation torch??? Might as well be us!!!"
Feh!
Seems like they'll wear their WWJD bracelets (figuratively speaking)... but forget about Jesus' grace-full encounters with the woman caught in adultery, the tax-collectors and sinners, the woman at the well, and so many other encounters with people in which their behavior was not His focus but rather the love, grace and mercy of God, and His kindness toward them and acceptance of them!
Forgetting that condemnation was done away with and that "the handwriting of requirements that was against us, that was contrary to us" (the law) was "taken out of the way" and "nailed to the cross" (Col 2:14-15), they bring the law back in to point out and protest how others are living such terrible lives - and they even make up their own rules, laws, traditions, principles, etc, heaping heavy burdens and condemnation upon people.
I don't like to be so negative, and really I am far more about simply sharing the love and grace of God with people than getting down and negative about what legalism does, but sometimes it helps to point out the contrasts and differences to show the absurdity of what the church is up to these days.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Persecuted for being a Goody Two Shoes?
I'm writing about something that I've written about before, but it never hurts to repeat certain things! Persecution. I'll first say that I know that persecution takes many forms, and people around the world are persecuted for various reasons, from political to religious to intolerance to... all sorts of reasons.
But I'm writing here about a specific type of persecution. It's the persecution that the Apostle Paul and the other apostles and people in the early church dealt with. In fact, before becoming a Christian, Paul himself dealt out this type of persecution towards the church.
Now, the church today has become a place in which we think we're being persecuted in Christ's name if someone makes fun of us for being a goody two shoes - for "standing up for 'moral behavior.'" But here's the thing. When Paul was going around persecuting the church, HE was the one who was standing up for moral, lawful behavior! But when Jesus took hold of him, lovingly and gracefully, Paul found out that all his moral law-keeping was DUNG (see Philippians 3:1-11), and he turned from that to trusting in a righteousness that has nothing to do with his own morals or law-keeping, but rather is a righteousness that is imputed as a gift!
Paul himself then became part of those who were persecuted by the religious do-gooders. His life became a matter of "standing up" for this gift of righteousness that came by the grace of God. When he wrote these words to the Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ," he was saying this not in the face of anyone who was putting him down for being a goody two shoes, but rather in the face of those who were persecuting him for rejecting the law and embracing the good news of God's righteousness being received by faith, not works.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ" was a very bold statement for Paul to make, and the message of grace that he went on to share in the rest of the epistle was as bold as bold could be! There were those who vehemently opposed the gospel message of salvation by grace alone through faith, and Paul was bravely and unashamedly giving himself over in reckless abandonment to this good news message! He was essentially saying, "Who cares what the legalists think! This is God's message of love and grace, and I'm not gonna be shy about proclaiming it!"
---------------
All that said, I'm partially ashamed to say that I'm going to use this post as an excuse to post a video by my all time favorite artist. ;) I've been an "Ant Person" since the late 70's, when I was a boy in England and this band, Adam and the Ants, broke into the punk/pop scene with their own "brand" of music (Antmusic). Adam Ant went solo a few years later, and while he didn't make it big in the United States, I continued to follow and enjoy his music. This is the only Top 40 hit he had here in the States, as far as I know. It hit Number 10 on Billboard's charts.
Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke - what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke - what do you do?
Subtle innuendos follow
Must be something inside he's hiding
But I'm writing here about a specific type of persecution. It's the persecution that the Apostle Paul and the other apostles and people in the early church dealt with. In fact, before becoming a Christian, Paul himself dealt out this type of persecution towards the church.
Now, the church today has become a place in which we think we're being persecuted in Christ's name if someone makes fun of us for being a goody two shoes - for "standing up for 'moral behavior.'" But here's the thing. When Paul was going around persecuting the church, HE was the one who was standing up for moral, lawful behavior! But when Jesus took hold of him, lovingly and gracefully, Paul found out that all his moral law-keeping was DUNG (see Philippians 3:1-11), and he turned from that to trusting in a righteousness that has nothing to do with his own morals or law-keeping, but rather is a righteousness that is imputed as a gift!
Paul himself then became part of those who were persecuted by the religious do-gooders. His life became a matter of "standing up" for this gift of righteousness that came by the grace of God. When he wrote these words to the Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ," he was saying this not in the face of anyone who was putting him down for being a goody two shoes, but rather in the face of those who were persecuting him for rejecting the law and embracing the good news of God's righteousness being received by faith, not works.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ" was a very bold statement for Paul to make, and the message of grace that he went on to share in the rest of the epistle was as bold as bold could be! There were those who vehemently opposed the gospel message of salvation by grace alone through faith, and Paul was bravely and unashamedly giving himself over in reckless abandonment to this good news message! He was essentially saying, "Who cares what the legalists think! This is God's message of love and grace, and I'm not gonna be shy about proclaiming it!"
---------------
All that said, I'm partially ashamed to say that I'm going to use this post as an excuse to post a video by my all time favorite artist. ;) I've been an "Ant Person" since the late 70's, when I was a boy in England and this band, Adam and the Ants, broke into the punk/pop scene with their own "brand" of music (Antmusic). Adam Ant went solo a few years later, and while he didn't make it big in the United States, I continued to follow and enjoy his music. This is the only Top 40 hit he had here in the States, as far as I know. It hit Number 10 on Billboard's charts.
Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke - what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke - what do you do?
Subtle innuendos follow
Must be something inside he's hiding
Sunday, July 06, 2008
I don't 'really care' about my bad reputation...
I'm taking somewhat of a risk posting the song below. I think most of you "get" me and you understand why I would share something like this, but I know that for some I'm crossing an unnecessary line. And that's all right - I'll take my chances! (I'll say right off the bat, if you're one who doesn't care for certain 'bad' words (one of the tamer 'bad' words is repeated throughout the song - the "D" word), or certain 'bad' attitudes represented in film/video, then you're one of the people I'm taking my chances with and you might not care to read further or watch the video!
As I first give a little background, I'll start off by saying that I've met so many people - in person and online - who have dealt with, in one way or another, the nasty effects of legalism and who are wanting to break free in their hearts from those who have oppressed them and who have been the cause of spiritual abuse in their lives. For me personally, ever since I began to become free in the wonderful grace of God, one thing that has tended to hamper my own growth in freedom is the fear of losing my "reputation" among my super-religious peers.
You know who I'm talking about. Those who follow all the rules. Those who are in church every time the doors are open. Those who dress right. Those who listen to the right music. Those who follow through on their duty to tithe to their local church. Those who don't drink, smoke or chew, or go with girls who do. Those who have all their spiritual i's dotted and t's crossed. Those who do all they can do to protect their godly reputations and who frown on anything that appears even a tiny bit out of line.
Now here's the thing. I love Jesus. I love Him more and more as a result of growing in His love for me. I'm FREE in Him, and my freedom allows me to just be myself and watch Him work His works in me as we have a relationship together, instead of following some divine "do" and "do not do" list. But can you believe this - some people actually frown on all of this, and consider it a flagrant disregard for the things of Christ! Hmmm!
And so at times I've (unnecessarily) carried with me a bit of concern about what they think of me. Sometimes I've (unnecessarily) worried about my reputation among my more-religious brothers and sisters. And it's been too much of an unnecessary burden for me. Now if you know me, you know I'm not bitter or angry about any of this. I've just seen how it's hurt me in the past and I've seen how it's hurt others. But I've become increasingly free of it all and I've also seen many other people breaking free! And so when I see or hear something that seems to represent an example of all of this, I tend to like to share it!
"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is a song from the 80's that I heard recently (a few weeks ago) after having not heard it for many years. Then this morning on the radio I heard a rerun of one of Casey Kasem's old Top 40 countdowns in which he played Joan Jett's "I Love Rock N' Roll." Casey mentioned that before hitting it big with that song, Joan and her band had been turned down by twenty three record labels while trying get a record deal.
I then remembered that the "Bad Reputation" video had kind of an "In your face / So there!" theme to it, with somewhat comical scenes showing the various record label executives rejecting the band and their music. But then it goes on to show the Billboard chart with "I Love Rock N' Roll" in the Number 1 position, and gee golly, the record execs suddenly liking the band!
The video and the lyrics (some of the lyrics, not all of them) got me to thinking about the whole "reputation" thing in the church. How often are people looked down upon and rejected when their act doesn't seem good enough for everyone else. It's only when (if) they start to put on a good performance that they get showered with all kinds of attention and accolades. And then they have to keep working hard to maintain their good reputation. If they should slip, even to a degree... Ooooh I shudder to think about it.
Of course the reputation thing is nothing new. The Apostle Paul certainly dealt with it. He came up against those who would "desire to make a good showing in the flesh" (keep up the 'good reputation' of the church) by making Christians keep the Law, just so that they wouldn't be persecuted by the Jews (see Galatians 6:11-15). Paul also had to deal with a similar problem with Peter. When the law-keeping Jewish Christians would come by, Peter would withdraw and separate himself from the Gentile believers (with whom he would normally have no problem having fellowship with), fearing his own reputation among the religious people. Paul "withstood him to his face" about this hypocrisy.
And so, on to my main purpose in bringing all this up: We who are free in Christ, and who have gotten off of the performance treadmill and who have embraced Jesus the Person and chucked aside Christianity the Religion, have no real reason to be concerned about our reputation among our legalistic brothers and sisters in Christ! We are free and we can't let fear of religious people stop us from enjoying our freedom!
The attitude represented in the song "Bad Reputation" doesn't necessarily represent my own personal attitude, and perhaps my way of expressing the thoughts would be a little more toned down than the lyrics of the song. But yet as I've continued to toss around the idea of sharing this video, I just can't deny that once again I've come across a song that was never, ever intended as anything close a 'spiritual freedom' song but yet has spoken volumes to me in that regard!
Second warning on the "D" word... here are some of the lyrics, followed by the video:
I don't give a damn about my reputation
Never said I wanted to improve my station
And I'm only doin' good
When I'm havin' fun
And I don't have to please no one
And I don't give a damn
About my bad reputation
Oh no, not me
Oh no, not me
I don't give a damn
About my reputation
I've never been afraid of any deviation
And I don't really care
If ya think I'm strange
I ain't gonna change
And I'm never gonna care
About my bad reputation
Oh no, not me
Oh no, not me
As I first give a little background, I'll start off by saying that I've met so many people - in person and online - who have dealt with, in one way or another, the nasty effects of legalism and who are wanting to break free in their hearts from those who have oppressed them and who have been the cause of spiritual abuse in their lives. For me personally, ever since I began to become free in the wonderful grace of God, one thing that has tended to hamper my own growth in freedom is the fear of losing my "reputation" among my super-religious peers.
You know who I'm talking about. Those who follow all the rules. Those who are in church every time the doors are open. Those who dress right. Those who listen to the right music. Those who follow through on their duty to tithe to their local church. Those who don't drink, smoke or chew, or go with girls who do. Those who have all their spiritual i's dotted and t's crossed. Those who do all they can do to protect their godly reputations and who frown on anything that appears even a tiny bit out of line.
Now here's the thing. I love Jesus. I love Him more and more as a result of growing in His love for me. I'm FREE in Him, and my freedom allows me to just be myself and watch Him work His works in me as we have a relationship together, instead of following some divine "do" and "do not do" list. But can you believe this - some people actually frown on all of this, and consider it a flagrant disregard for the things of Christ! Hmmm!
And so at times I've (unnecessarily) carried with me a bit of concern about what they think of me. Sometimes I've (unnecessarily) worried about my reputation among my more-religious brothers and sisters. And it's been too much of an unnecessary burden for me. Now if you know me, you know I'm not bitter or angry about any of this. I've just seen how it's hurt me in the past and I've seen how it's hurt others. But I've become increasingly free of it all and I've also seen many other people breaking free! And so when I see or hear something that seems to represent an example of all of this, I tend to like to share it!
"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is a song from the 80's that I heard recently (a few weeks ago) after having not heard it for many years. Then this morning on the radio I heard a rerun of one of Casey Kasem's old Top 40 countdowns in which he played Joan Jett's "I Love Rock N' Roll." Casey mentioned that before hitting it big with that song, Joan and her band had been turned down by twenty three record labels while trying get a record deal.
I then remembered that the "Bad Reputation" video had kind of an "In your face / So there!" theme to it, with somewhat comical scenes showing the various record label executives rejecting the band and their music. But then it goes on to show the Billboard chart with "I Love Rock N' Roll" in the Number 1 position, and gee golly, the record execs suddenly liking the band!
The video and the lyrics (some of the lyrics, not all of them) got me to thinking about the whole "reputation" thing in the church. How often are people looked down upon and rejected when their act doesn't seem good enough for everyone else. It's only when (if) they start to put on a good performance that they get showered with all kinds of attention and accolades. And then they have to keep working hard to maintain their good reputation. If they should slip, even to a degree... Ooooh I shudder to think about it.
Of course the reputation thing is nothing new. The Apostle Paul certainly dealt with it. He came up against those who would "desire to make a good showing in the flesh" (keep up the 'good reputation' of the church) by making Christians keep the Law, just so that they wouldn't be persecuted by the Jews (see Galatians 6:11-15). Paul also had to deal with a similar problem with Peter. When the law-keeping Jewish Christians would come by, Peter would withdraw and separate himself from the Gentile believers (with whom he would normally have no problem having fellowship with), fearing his own reputation among the religious people. Paul "withstood him to his face" about this hypocrisy.
And so, on to my main purpose in bringing all this up: We who are free in Christ, and who have gotten off of the performance treadmill and who have embraced Jesus the Person and chucked aside Christianity the Religion, have no real reason to be concerned about our reputation among our legalistic brothers and sisters in Christ! We are free and we can't let fear of religious people stop us from enjoying our freedom!
The attitude represented in the song "Bad Reputation" doesn't necessarily represent my own personal attitude, and perhaps my way of expressing the thoughts would be a little more toned down than the lyrics of the song. But yet as I've continued to toss around the idea of sharing this video, I just can't deny that once again I've come across a song that was never, ever intended as anything close a 'spiritual freedom' song but yet has spoken volumes to me in that regard!
Second warning on the "D" word... here are some of the lyrics, followed by the video:
I don't give a damn about my reputation
Never said I wanted to improve my station
And I'm only doin' good
When I'm havin' fun
And I don't have to please no one
And I don't give a damn
About my bad reputation
Oh no, not me
Oh no, not me
I don't give a damn
About my reputation
I've never been afraid of any deviation
And I don't really care
If ya think I'm strange
I ain't gonna change
And I'm never gonna care
About my bad reputation
Oh no, not me
Oh no, not me
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Legalist
Mmm mmmmm! I've had this little book for about ten years now, and I pick it up from time to time to read bits and pieces from it, but it's been a while. So when I picked it up this morning and started from the beginning, it was quite the tasty snack!The author's name is Jack Stewart, and I don't know anything about him except this book. The book, published in 1989, is called The Legalist - Righteous Before Others But Not Before God. It's an easy read, divided into 26 short chapters.
Some excerpts:
From Chapter 1 - "A Day in the Life of a Legalist"
A day in the life of a legalist is filled with trying to become and never arriving! He seems not to know that Christ means the end of the struggle for righteousness-by-the-law for everyone who believes in Him so he fights bravely and hopelessly on!
Dwelling in a perpetual winterland of barrenness, where the cold blasts of condemnation and despair chill his soul, he rarely sees the sunlight of God's love and acceptance! Clouds of doubts and fear overcast the Father's face, Whom he imagines to be more critical than compassionate, frowning than forgiving.
A legalist's day is usually joyless, lifeless, drab, and bound. He is slave to rules: what to eat,drink, wear, and where or where not to go...
Bible reading, praying, giving, and witnessing are usually looked upon as obligations rather than joyous opportunities for the building and exercising of his faith. The pharisaical strait jacket he wears fails to make him holy, makes him look like he is, and deprives him of the joy of true holiness!
Doing is the fruit of a right relationship with God; it is not the root! And the source of all right doing, is right being. In Psalm 1:3, the words He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water precedes and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
From Chapter 2 - "The Roots of Legalism"
Of one thing we can be sure: if our righteousness is the fruit of our struggle, it is not the righteousness of God for His righteousness is a gift. Self-justification is not holiness even if it looks like it!
If I understand correctly, the book is out of print but I see there are a few copies on Amazon and you could probably find it on Ebay too.
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