I recently heard a story of a debate that occurred in the time of the early Church. A non-Christian attacked a Christian, Minucius Felix, based on several points. One of the accusations: you Christians think you’re better than everyone else.
The modern response would be automatic: “Of course not. We are just like everyone else. We just believe in Jesus and we are saved by that belief. Other than that, we’re no different. We fail, we make mistakes, we sin every day, needing God’s forgiveness.”
But that was Minucius’ response. Here is his response: “And although ignorance of God is sufficient for punishment, even as knowledge of Him is of avail for pardon, yet if we Christians be compared with you, although in some things our discipline is inferior, yet we shall be found much better than you. For you forbid, and yet commit, adulteries; we are born
men only for our own wives: you punish crimes when committed; with us, even to think of crimes is to sin: you are afraid of those who are aware of what you do; we are even afraid of our own conscience alone, without which we cannot exist: finally, from your numbers the prison boils over; but there is no Christian there, unless he is accused on account of his religion, or a deserter.”
Today, that would be heresy.
What the early Church believed, knew, and lived was really very simple. Christ died to save us from the penalty of sin. He rose to save us from our slavery to its nature and control. The first apostles were given a very specific commission by Christ: make disciples, teaching them to follow all of my commands.
If we read the writings from the early Church, that’s exactly what they did. The apostles made no excuse for sin, only unlimited forgiveness to those who would repent through the blood of Christ.
The first apostles continually made righteousness the standard. To argue otherwise, you’d have to rip out half of the New Testament and most of those little red words by Jesus. Paul, Peter, John, James, Jude; they all might say it differently but agree in principle. “Be holy as the Lord is holy” – Peter. “Faith without works is dead” – James. “This is how we know we love God, if we keep His commands” – John. John must’ve remembered the words of Jesus: “If you love me, keep my commands.” How about Paul, whose extreme reliance upon grace is central to his explanation of the New Covenant, says, “should we sin so that grace may abound? Absolutely not! How can a dead man sin?”
How can he, indeed. We have perverted the idea of grace. When someone sins, we say, “Thank God we’re not under the law but under grace.” However, the Bible teaches a different story. Grace teaches us to say no to sin. His grace is sufficient. God will never tempt beyond what we can handle. There is always a way of escape.
Grace does not mean it is okay to sin. Just the opposite. Grace enables us not to sin. Righteousness, not sin, is evidence of our salvation by grace.
What has the perversion of grace led to? The divorce rate is just as high among those who attend steeplehouses as those in the world. When Christian conventions come to town, hotels see a definite spike in porno rentals. There area plethora of books in Christian bookstores on how to get rich, how to suceed and climb the corporate ladder. We watch the same movies and TV shows, listen to the same music, and suffer the same lustful advertising. We’re just as divisive (if not more) than the world in our gossip, criticism, and betrayal.
No one sees a difference … and many are actually proud of it … justify it.
How can we call ourselves “little Christ’s” when we don’t do what He did or say what He said? That is taking the Lord’s name in vain.
The world should have to make stuff up about us to accuse us of any wrong. They had to with Stephen before they stoned him.
There should be a noticeable difference between Christians and the world. We are to be a peculiar people, yes, but also a righteous one. How can we be His Body and be known to sin? How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit and not be holy?
This is not an arrogant, pretentious holiness. This is a humble boldness about what we have and who we are in Christ. How is the world to be convicted before a holy God when His people are anything but?
We should be better fathers, mothers, children, coworkers, extreme givers, masters of hospitality, faithful husbands and respectful wives. We should be known for our purity and sanctification, our unity and mercy, our justice and fear.
Instead we sing passionate love songs to Jesus (packaging, protecting and selling them). Then we throw up our hands and teach one another that we can’t keep His commands.
Tragic.
Peace.