The church in America will ultimately become much more effective when it lays down its heavy gavel of judgment and instead, chooses to be motivated by a heart of compassion and love.
Today, many within the American church have become insistent upon being accommodated. Like a confrontation between the modern day Pharisees and Jesus, there is a debate over the need to clean the outside of the cup — even as the inside of the cup remains dirty.
Some Christians joust for the highest seats of human power to enforce their agenda. They want a seat at the tables of power. What if such ever-increasing faith in the political process and in human institutions compensates for a lack of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit?
Why has the necessary devil of human government been viewed as a means to an end when, in fact, it resides on a dead end street?
Additionally, it is no secret that the modern American church is hypersensitive to public opinion. Thin-skinned American Christians are prone to view every offense — by those they perceive as outsiders — as “persecution.” The most extreme forms of this spiritual touchiness has given birth to an entirely new “Christian legal defense” industry that, for a handsome fee, will shield and insulate the faithful from the “fiery darts” of their human enemies. (One could argue the modern employment of the court system to deal with perceived “heretics” is preferable to the former Christian reaction of gouging out their eyes and burning them at the stake. I would agree, but how about going one step higher and actually “loving our enemy” as Jesus commanded?)
In addition to an army of lawyers who serve to help you sue your enemies, many American evangelical leaders have successfully leveraged social media and AM radio seeking to convince their followers to join their make-believe “culture war.” Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, America’s cultural warriors demand a strict adherence by all citizens to their specific interpretations of scripture.
Today’s thin-skinned Christian culture “warrior” feels uncomfortable when his culture fails to reflect his beliefs and will often seek to publicly chastise any and all perceived “heretics.”
For example, when a secular corporation or institution takes a stance on a political or social issue that fails to meet the culture warrior’s “biblical” standards, trouble is brewing.
Enforcing morality upon professing Christians is difficult enough… Attempting to impose it upon the unfaithful must be immensely arduous.
Their commitment to a homogeneous religious culture leads some modern Christians to declare boycotts and attempt lawsuits against the organization that dares to offend those with religious sensibilities.
Gay-friendly companies and retail outlets, such as Home Depot (who has publicly adopted a gay-friendly employment and shopping environment) are a favorite target of the culture warrior.
So too, retail outlets that choose to greet their diverse customer base with the phrase “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” stir the spirit of the culture warrior.
In essence, the modern American church appears incredulous that “sinners” are permitted to openly “sin” within their presence.
But what else is to be expected of sinners?
Were we not also sinners once, walking in darkness?
Did your awakening to righteousness come through coercion by moralists or instead by God’s gentle grace and goodness?
The church in America will ultimately become much more effective when it lays down its gavel and instead, chooses to operate out of a heart of compassion and love.
All of this Pharisaical bullying of the “unconverted” reminds me of the words of Jesus when He scolded the “moral majority” of his era, by declaring:
“Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt. 23:24-28)
Are you obsessed with keeping “the outside of the cup and dish clean” while leaving “the inside” unwashed and unclean?
Some Christians stubbornly believe that they were put on earth to judge sinners. This belief wears many different disguises, as I have eluded to in this article.
When the Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth nearly 2,000 years ago, He urged his followers to become possessed by mercy, compassion, kindness, and brotherly love. He desired his followers to lay down everything and rely upon Him, and later the Holy Spirit, to accomplish the work of God’s Kingdom.
I pray that the Body of Christ can return to its former zeal of evangelism through preaching, teaching, and writing. God desires to woo those around us into His eternal Kingdom. He is in search of loving vessels who will obey His still small voice.
Can you hear Him speaking to you?
“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. ‘The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared’ (Luther).” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community
