Based on my observations, many people in the church of today have a habit of accusing people of sin in a strangely all-inclusive manner. Whatever their sin du jour is, they often sweep across everyone with a pointing finger. Apparently they think it’s somehow humble or “theologically correct” to assume that everyone is doing what they’re doing.The photo illustrates my point. The sign says, “We commit the golden rule to memory and forget to commit it to life.”
First of all, who are “we”? The people in this church? If so, that’s not a church I want to attend. If they don’t obey the golden rule, they are being disobedient to God and are likely not people with whom I would want to fellowship. It seems odd to me that they would advertise their church that way. Might next week’s sign say, “We know all about ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ but we ignore it”? How about, “Adultery is wrong, but we do it anyway”? That a church would advertise their sin this way is truly troubling and certainly not biblical.
If they mean all people are like this, that’s quite an amazing claim to universal knowledge, and, of course, a faulty one. The Bible says that Christians are saints, and they are obedient in all things (1 John 5:18), so this sign really stands as Satan’s pointing finger, for Satan is the false accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).
Yes, this sign is faulty and troubling, but it is, in many ways, a sign of the times. I have seen this kind of language used in many Christian circles. “We’re all sinners,” and “All young men lust,” and “We all fall into this trap,” and “We all wear masks to hide our true selves.”
The accusations, when considered with their inclusive language, are false. True Christians are not sinners, many Christian young men are chaste in body and mind, and some of us have shed all pretentious masks.
Why do many in our culture turn to this kind of negative, accusatory language? Are they hoping to feel better about their particular sins by assuming everyone else must be wallowing in sin with them? Is the false doctrine of the sinning Christian so deeply ingrained that their tongues follow the course set by Satan and his accusing minions? Can’t they see that such statements are not only false, they don’t even make sense?
If all people everywhere are caught in sin and are not obedient, the only practical conclusion is that it is impossible to obey. If that’s true, it doesn’t make sense even to provide the command, and it is certainly unjust to punish sinners eternally for committing sins they can’t help but commit.
Yet, the Bible says that it is not only possible to obey God in all things; it is the only true Christian life. No one who is born of God sins (1 John 3:9 and 5:18), and anyone who claims to be a Christian while still sinning is not telling the truth.
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3-4)
It’s crucial that we tell the truth about sin, obedience, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can be obedient in all things, and to make universal claims that we are not obedient is an insult to Jesus Christ, who has provided us with the power to obey, as well as the cleansed heart, brimming with love for God, that causes us to want to obey.
As always, I welcome civil comments. It won't be helpful to say that this post makes me the same kind of accuser that I am complaining about. I am pointing out a specific error that is displayed in public, a similar reproof to the ones Jesus made in Matthew 23. I am not making a false, general accusation.
I despise generalizations:/
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're just refering to the fact that, unfortunatly, a good many people don't practice what they preach (or claim to believe). Like saying, "We're not an honest society anymore."
Not necessarily meaning the one making the statement is dishonest, just that society at large isn't in the habit of being honest...
Gwendolyn, that might be true, but that's not what they wrote. My concern is that the words of people's mouths need to be accurate. If they didn't mean that "we" do this, then they should say so. Otherwise, the habit of all-inclusive accusations become systemic, and then people live out the generalizations that are applied to them.
ReplyDeleteQuoting from your last statement-
ReplyDelete"Otherwise, the habit of all-inclusive accusations become systemic, and then people live out the generalizations that are applied to them."
-did you mean to imply that if you keep telling someone that they're 'bad', or 'good', they will start acting that way?
In that case, persistent generalizations could be pretty dangerous!
Gwendolyn, that result could be the case. Also, if people are already bad, and they are told they are bad, they will see no reason and find no inspiration to improve.
ReplyDeleteI find that compliments inspire people to step higher. They are inspiring and uplifting. Yet, they need to be true.
With someone who is in sin, rather than issue a compliment, we can tell them that there is truly a way out, that Jesus can cleanse him from all sin so that he can live a holy life.
If we were to tell someone that he is a sinner and will sin for the rest of his life, we do a great disservice. First, such a statement would be a lie. Second, he will never be able to climb out of the mire if he doesn't believe he can.
Maybe you're not taking requests on topics to post about, but if you are, could you write something explaining how to act in a Godly and respectful way towards unreasonable authorities?
ReplyDeleteIf not, sorry for asking.
Gwendolyn, I will consider that request. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read that sign all I saw was a quippy way to exhort those who see it to live the golden rule. Sad you were so offended by it. The purpose of those kinds of church signs is simply to give passers-by some food for thought. It seems it was plenty of food for your thought, though not bearing the fruit of conviction of the Holy Spirit. You may not believe that you need to experience such conviction, but judging by the state of the world and our culture, certainly there are those who might benefit from asking themselves if that exhortation might be speaking to them!
ReplyDeleteWendy, the sign doesn't exhort anyone to live by the golden rule. It merely accuses people of not living by the rule.
ReplyDeleteWhat's sad is that such accusations foster the idea that no one actually does obey the rule. It tells a lie.
The sign didn't say that unbelievers don't keep the Golden Rule; it says that "we" don't keep it, and "We" most certainly accuses those who wrote the message as well as those who read it. And accusing the brethren is what Satan does. A sign in front of a church isn't supposed to do Satan's bidding.
And the Holy Spirit doesn't convict believers of sin, only unbelievers:
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me. (John 16:8-9)
So, the excuses you give for this lying sign are inadequate. It says, "We," not "you" or "maybe you." It tells a lie fit for the lips of Satan.