Legalism
Several months ago, I was sitting in a bible study discussing God’s favor and whether it was ever “okay” to “sin” in order to prevent a “greater evil.” This can be a confusing topic. Several times in the Old Testament, God removed his favor from people because they didn’t have faith and therefore took matters into their own hands. Clearly faith is one of God's primary desires for us. (Part of the issue is defining what is "sin" -- from man's perspective or God's -- but I'll leave that alone).
However, as in most theoretical debates on good and evil, we got on the topic of Nazi Germany. The question was asked, “Would you hide Jews who were being rounded up – if you knew they were being killed?” If so, “What if a government official asked if you had anyone in the house – would you lie?”
“Absolutely!” I said to both questions, without thinking.
“But lying is a sin” someone said. “God removes his favor from those who don’t trust Him and take things into their own hands. Shouldn’t we have faith that God could save anyone he wanted – so instead of telling lies and sinning, we should be truthful and trust God to work?”
“No,” I said. I couldn’t back it up with any scripture at the time, but I just knew I couldn’t look Jesus in the face if I let his children be slaughtered. I went with my gut. “I don’t care if it’s a sin – I’d lie all day long.” That got a couple of raised eyebrows and uneasy laughs.
To this day that conversation has stuck with me – I was one of two in a group of eight that felt like it would be okay to lie in that situation. I can't help but wonder if I was wrong. I don't want to willfully sin -- and in the case above, I don't feel it WOULD be a sin. I just wonder at what point is faith more real: when we say "just sit back and trust God" or "step out and take risks, do everything out of love for God and his people, and if you're wrong, throw yourself at God's grace and mercy."
The former line of reasoning goes like this: “shouldn’t we just trust God to work – if He wants bibles in Saudia Arabia, even though it's illegal, he’ll get them there. Right?" The latter says, "Yea, that’s right – and he’ll use his people to do it." I think its strange how the "hands off" Christian position is often credited as being "faithful" while the person who grabs a rifle and heads to the front lines is "faithless." Faith without works, James says, is dead.
Recently, I read an article about “bible smuggling.” It took head-on the idea that it was “immoral or unchristian to break any law, no matter what.” This is confusing stuff, no doubt – but my uncle once told me a story about a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer (I later read his “The Cost of Discipleship” and “Letters and Papers from Prison”) whose life may illustrate this point. He was a German theologian in (again) Nazi Germany who left before the war really got going to study in the United States. Once the war started, he felt like God was calling him back to Germany to start an “underground” church and seminary that was not monitored by the state. So far, so good. Underground churches, though illegal, are a “Christian” thing to be a part of.
During the war, he became increasingly unsettled by the position the church was taking in the war. He struggled with whether, in the midst of a mad man like Hitler driving the world to destruction, the church should simply stand to the side and take care of the wounded, dying and grieving or they should take an active role in removing the wheel from the mad mans hands. Dietrich chose the latter. He became a part of the underground resistance, participated in an assassination attempt against Hitler, was caught, sentenced to death and hung for his crime.
While in prison, he converted nearly everyone he came in contact with – his guards snuck his writings out to the public and his life is still studied today. In his book “Letters and Papers…” he stated that he (paraphrase) does 'not insist what I did was the right thing – but I followed my conviction – and if I was wrong, I throw myself upon the grace of God.’ I think Dietrich understood the Greatest Commandment and the depth of God’s grace. The truth is, many Christians use the law as an excuse for inaction, out of fear for their own reputation or personal safety, rather than take action against injustice and destruction of life.
Finally, I certainly don’t want to do anything apart from God. I want to do everything in conjunction, under the authority and out of love for God and my fellow man. And if loving God and fellow man means breaking a law – I will do it and fall at God’s gracious feet. I am not claiming to be right in this -- I am trying to challenge a legalism that cripples love and boldness. Christ clearly broke the Sabbath by healing the crippled, yet he was without sin (though the authorities at that time felt it deserved death) – and my feeling is he did it to make a point: “Where is your heart?” You live and act for appearances sake, while you leave your fellow man in distress. Or, you yourself break the sabbath when it benefits you -- you only keep it as an excuse for inaction.
However, as in most theoretical debates on good and evil, we got on the topic of Nazi Germany. The question was asked, “Would you hide Jews who were being rounded up – if you knew they were being killed?” If so, “What if a government official asked if you had anyone in the house – would you lie?”
“Absolutely!” I said to both questions, without thinking.
“But lying is a sin” someone said. “God removes his favor from those who don’t trust Him and take things into their own hands. Shouldn’t we have faith that God could save anyone he wanted – so instead of telling lies and sinning, we should be truthful and trust God to work?”
“No,” I said. I couldn’t back it up with any scripture at the time, but I just knew I couldn’t look Jesus in the face if I let his children be slaughtered. I went with my gut. “I don’t care if it’s a sin – I’d lie all day long.” That got a couple of raised eyebrows and uneasy laughs.
To this day that conversation has stuck with me – I was one of two in a group of eight that felt like it would be okay to lie in that situation. I can't help but wonder if I was wrong. I don't want to willfully sin -- and in the case above, I don't feel it WOULD be a sin. I just wonder at what point is faith more real: when we say "just sit back and trust God" or "step out and take risks, do everything out of love for God and his people, and if you're wrong, throw yourself at God's grace and mercy."
The former line of reasoning goes like this: “shouldn’t we just trust God to work – if He wants bibles in Saudia Arabia, even though it's illegal, he’ll get them there. Right?" The latter says, "Yea, that’s right – and he’ll use his people to do it." I think its strange how the "hands off" Christian position is often credited as being "faithful" while the person who grabs a rifle and heads to the front lines is "faithless." Faith without works, James says, is dead.
Recently, I read an article about “bible smuggling.” It took head-on the idea that it was “immoral or unchristian to break any law, no matter what.” This is confusing stuff, no doubt – but my uncle once told me a story about a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer (I later read his “The Cost of Discipleship” and “Letters and Papers from Prison”) whose life may illustrate this point. He was a German theologian in (again) Nazi Germany who left before the war really got going to study in the United States. Once the war started, he felt like God was calling him back to Germany to start an “underground” church and seminary that was not monitored by the state. So far, so good. Underground churches, though illegal, are a “Christian” thing to be a part of.
During the war, he became increasingly unsettled by the position the church was taking in the war. He struggled with whether, in the midst of a mad man like Hitler driving the world to destruction, the church should simply stand to the side and take care of the wounded, dying and grieving or they should take an active role in removing the wheel from the mad mans hands. Dietrich chose the latter. He became a part of the underground resistance, participated in an assassination attempt against Hitler, was caught, sentenced to death and hung for his crime.
While in prison, he converted nearly everyone he came in contact with – his guards snuck his writings out to the public and his life is still studied today. In his book “Letters and Papers…” he stated that he (paraphrase) does 'not insist what I did was the right thing – but I followed my conviction – and if I was wrong, I throw myself upon the grace of God.’ I think Dietrich understood the Greatest Commandment and the depth of God’s grace. The truth is, many Christians use the law as an excuse for inaction, out of fear for their own reputation or personal safety, rather than take action against injustice and destruction of life.
Finally, I certainly don’t want to do anything apart from God. I want to do everything in conjunction, under the authority and out of love for God and my fellow man. And if loving God and fellow man means breaking a law – I will do it and fall at God’s gracious feet. I am not claiming to be right in this -- I am trying to challenge a legalism that cripples love and boldness. Christ clearly broke the Sabbath by healing the crippled, yet he was without sin (though the authorities at that time felt it deserved death) – and my feeling is he did it to make a point: “Where is your heart?” You live and act for appearances sake, while you leave your fellow man in distress. Or, you yourself break the sabbath when it benefits you -- you only keep it as an excuse for inaction.
posted by Brad at 10:21 PM
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