How is it that we have become known as the religion of the Law?
As Christians, we expect to be known by our love, but we are far more widely recognized for our "thou shalt nots." People know we are against abortion, but not that we ache for the hurting woman. They know that we think homosexual sex does not please God, but not that we think God loves them enough to die for them.
Perhaps we have become people of the Law. Do we focus more on condemning our neighbor than reaching out and offering them a hand? Have we really come to believe that the best way to fight sin is with judgment, rather than with the blood of Jesus Christ? Certainly there are those who portray themselves as Christians who are stuck in this rut. The sins of the world are quite distracting, whether we indulge in them or not. It's far easier to be appalled by someone else's sin than by our own, all the more so when they are "out of the closet" and our sins are still *in* the closet.
At least twice that I can remember, a gay or lesbian friend has asked me point-blank how I can be a Christian and hang around with them, even consider them a friend. My answer was quite simple then, and it is no more complicated now: "We're all sinners. When I get done cleaning out my own closet, then I might have time to start on yours. Until then, I just want to enjoy your company and as much as possible, love others as Christ loved me." These friends couldn't fathom how I could believe homosexual sex was wrong and still cherish them.
Satan's goal in our world is not to make us all gays and lesbians. It's not to make us all fornicators or thieves or even murderers. He doesn't need spectacular, flamboyant, or grotesque sins to condemn us, because we already do that work for him with a continuous stream of faithlessness toward God, lovelessness toward our neighbor, and hopelessness within ourselves. All Satan needs is to remove the Gospel from among us, to turn our eyes away from Jesus Christ the crucified and on to anything else, even the very right and wrong that God has laid out for us.
How did we end up here?
As the world has grown more immoral, it is quite natural from a human perspective to wage the battle against evil with the righteous Law. We are quick to take the cannon of the 10 commandments or Leviticus or an epistle and shoot anything we see as safely wicked enough that we don't risk hitting our own. It makes sense to a man to pour attention and ammunition into the most egregious of target sins, to focus our efforts, as it were. Yes, indeed, from a human perspective it makes perfect sense.
But from a Gospel perspective that thinking is counterproductive and wrong-headed. Sin is not overcome with the Law, but with the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son of God. We cannot sanctify ourselves no matter how ominous we might find the threat of death and hell. Only God can do that in us and for us.
Satan knows this truth, probably better than we do ourselves. He knows that our only hope is in the Gospel, and •his• only hope is to keep our focus somewhere else. Anywhere else.
Heb. 12:1
