Is Legalism the Christian Race Card?
In some ways, I see parallels between the Billy Hunter situation and the modern church. (In case you didn't know, Billy Hunter is the head of the NBA Players Union. He is in labor negotiations with the league about a collective bargaining argreement. The league made a proposal that looked acceptable. Hunter presented the proposal to the players, whose agents became upset that the negotiating role of an agent becomes diminished with this agreement. Coincidentally (?), the Union then rejected the league's offer saying it was miles from acceptable. When the League suggested this was due to pressure from agents, Hunter fired back that the league was being racist, assuming a black man couldn't lead and have an opinion on his own without the influence of white men).
What a long parenthetical explanation, eh? My point exactly. The head of a labor union (comprised by a majority of blacks) declares it's employer to be a racist and we've moved on as a society. Why?
Because we're sick of hearing race brought into a discussion where it doesn't belong. Racism is a horrible, ugly, antibibical, depraved action. It ignores the issue of God creating all man in His image, thus possessing a Divine Sanctity. It is deplorable, not just to Christians, but the the world as well. As believers, however, we should be the most offended by it.
Nothing destroys the fight against racism like the improper abuse of its claim. Every time a person makes a false claim of discrimination, it only weakens the case for those who are truly being oppressed. We, by our nature, become numb to things when we are constantly bombarded with them. Billy Hunter claims racism in a case and the world was not outraged to investigate if he's right. Scarier yet, no one seems to care if he's right or wrong. In fact, the only argument I have heard is, "Who am I to say if he thinks it's a racially motivated action? Only he can determine what he feels?" Really? Is that where the truth of this issue lies? In his emotions?
I feel our society has influenced the church in a similar way. Racist actions aren't a huge issue in the American church (Sadly because races rarely unite, making it hard to descriminate in a local body. You don't see a lot of racially motivated actions WITHIN a local body in the way they relate to one another.) However, I think the church has members who play another card that is even more deadly...Legalism.
Legalism is deplorable. Jesus was never as bold as when He spoke to the Pharisees/Saducees/Teachers of the Law about their legalism. Legalism does not exist without self-righteousness. Legalism can not take place without pride. Legalism causes one to depend on self, rather than a Savior, for their redemption. Legalism keeps people on a path to Hell. No wonder it made Jesus upset.
However, Jesus did call people to righteousness. ("Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." as one example.) Legalism is calling things wrong that God has not called wrong. It is declaring a set of rules to define a person's devotion to God. Clearly articulating what God's Word declares as sin is not legalism. That's just called shepherding.
When people are quick to play the legalism card (just as some play the racist card) it does nothing for the cause of defeating legalism. Instead, it over saturates our system to the accusation. I must admit that when I am blasted for supposed legalism, I am almost numb. I used to be greatly disturbed at the accusation (and was driven back to the Scriptures to see if I was making leaps Scripture did not permit...and like many, there were times I have made those illadvised leaps). However, now it seems that agreeing with a biblical definition of sin makes you a legalist to the person who wishes to continue in the sin. (Mind you, I am not speaking to preference issues, but clearly articulated truths in Scripture that run against the vein of our society.)
I don't know which bothers me more; being called a legalist, or no longer caring when someone calls me one. All of us run that risk. Yes we need to let grace abound!!! (Does a believer have any other choice?) We need to preach a gospel of faith in the gracious gift of Jesus Christ alone for our salvation (for any other message is not a gospel). We must fight valiently against those who would declare they can reach God through their own working or activities. Legalism leads to death. We must fight it.
Yet, when we declare legalism where it does not exist...we suffer a defeat in the battle and not a victory.
What a long parenthetical explanation, eh? My point exactly. The head of a labor union (comprised by a majority of blacks) declares it's employer to be a racist and we've moved on as a society. Why?
Because we're sick of hearing race brought into a discussion where it doesn't belong. Racism is a horrible, ugly, antibibical, depraved action. It ignores the issue of God creating all man in His image, thus possessing a Divine Sanctity. It is deplorable, not just to Christians, but the the world as well. As believers, however, we should be the most offended by it.
Nothing destroys the fight against racism like the improper abuse of its claim. Every time a person makes a false claim of discrimination, it only weakens the case for those who are truly being oppressed. We, by our nature, become numb to things when we are constantly bombarded with them. Billy Hunter claims racism in a case and the world was not outraged to investigate if he's right. Scarier yet, no one seems to care if he's right or wrong. In fact, the only argument I have heard is, "Who am I to say if he thinks it's a racially motivated action? Only he can determine what he feels?" Really? Is that where the truth of this issue lies? In his emotions?
I feel our society has influenced the church in a similar way. Racist actions aren't a huge issue in the American church (Sadly because races rarely unite, making it hard to descriminate in a local body. You don't see a lot of racially motivated actions WITHIN a local body in the way they relate to one another.) However, I think the church has members who play another card that is even more deadly...Legalism.
Legalism is deplorable. Jesus was never as bold as when He spoke to the Pharisees/Saducees/Teachers of the Law about their legalism. Legalism does not exist without self-righteousness. Legalism can not take place without pride. Legalism causes one to depend on self, rather than a Savior, for their redemption. Legalism keeps people on a path to Hell. No wonder it made Jesus upset.
However, Jesus did call people to righteousness. ("Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." as one example.) Legalism is calling things wrong that God has not called wrong. It is declaring a set of rules to define a person's devotion to God. Clearly articulating what God's Word declares as sin is not legalism. That's just called shepherding.
When people are quick to play the legalism card (just as some play the racist card) it does nothing for the cause of defeating legalism. Instead, it over saturates our system to the accusation. I must admit that when I am blasted for supposed legalism, I am almost numb. I used to be greatly disturbed at the accusation (and was driven back to the Scriptures to see if I was making leaps Scripture did not permit...and like many, there were times I have made those illadvised leaps). However, now it seems that agreeing with a biblical definition of sin makes you a legalist to the person who wishes to continue in the sin. (Mind you, I am not speaking to preference issues, but clearly articulated truths in Scripture that run against the vein of our society.)
I don't know which bothers me more; being called a legalist, or no longer caring when someone calls me one. All of us run that risk. Yes we need to let grace abound!!! (Does a believer have any other choice?) We need to preach a gospel of faith in the gracious gift of Jesus Christ alone for our salvation (for any other message is not a gospel). We must fight valiently against those who would declare they can reach God through their own working or activities. Legalism leads to death. We must fight it.
Yet, when we declare legalism where it does not exist...we suffer a defeat in the battle and not a victory.
posted by danny2 @ 11:33 AM
2 Comments:
At 1:04 PM,
Anonymous said…
Just reading your stuff and I liked your post. Interesting parallel between NBA labor negotiations and the church. I guess it reveals your devotion to two things very near to your heart.
I'm sure you know the passage, but check out Colossians 2 and 3 as Paul talks about the effect of believing that you get closer to God through following the rules versus following Christ.
It used to be that you saw a lot of people reacting to legalism and being accused of legalism, now it seems like people proact before they can even be accused of it whether they really are or not. Sort of like "spiritual correctness".
Anyway, jsut some thoughts
At 11:38 AM,
Anonymous said…
The "curse" of The Law was not the law itself, but the fact that people believed they could be justified to God if they "obeyed" The Law.
So the idea of me thinking that "God will love me if I obey the 10 commandments" is the result of "eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (the first sin), and is a CURSE.
God loves us ALL. Period. His Son died for ALL (not just Christians - actually, there were none when He died! see John 3:16).
You can accept that fact or not - the choice is yours.
But God gave us His Word to help us understand and to live our life to the fullest. To ignore it, or even worse, to belittle it (e.g. false claims of "legalism"), misses the role of our heavenly Father.
Parents who let their children do what they want and run the asylum are bad parents. So if we are to ignore God's Word by shouts of claim of "legalism", aren't we doing the same?
Yet there is the grace side of the issue...
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