Following Judah's Lion

The Sin of Moralism

What, in general, is “moralism”. Moralism has a wide variety of manifestations, but in general it is replacing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a crusade of morality. It can be identified easily by its culling out of certain sins and making them the focal point of one’s attack or crusade. It can be abortion, homosexuality, liberalism, or any number of issues that do damage and obscure the gospel of Christ. To be sure, Jesus Christ did not come to the earth to upgrade its moral condition. He came to provide a sacrifice that would save the souls of those who would trust in Him. And the change in the lives of those believers is residual and the observable effects of a changed heart.

So many in the church have been caught up with all sorts of moral issues that the world wrongly assumes must be adhered to in order to “go to heaven”. Much of this deception has to do with nationalism and politics. The paradox of the entire situation is that the gospel is for the immoral. While it is true that after a person comes to redemption through Christ the Spirit begins a work of what we call sanctification. That means that a saved person’s life is now in the potter’s hands and usually begins to change in many different ways.

But none of us changed to become saved. All of us came to Christ as committed sinners, and only after the Holy Spirit gave us both the light to see and the power to change did our lives change. And yet some believers use their “conservative” moral stances as the phalanx of their conversation to a lost world. It is the height of hypocrisy as well as completely at odds with grace. A moralistic message misrepresents Christ and His gospel and confuses the lost world into seeing us not as ambassadors of God’s love and grace, but of a collection of moral police who hold themselves in high esteem.

The old farmer said that when you see a turtle high atop a fence post you know someone placed him there and he did nothing to get there himself. Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” The church seems so bent on projecting perfection and positioning itself as moral judges on everyone from Hollywood to Washington to sports figures. When lost sinners behave like lost sinners why are we so amazed and why are we so quick to condemn them?

Jn.3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

I Tim.1:15 - This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Jn.20:21 - Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Do you see the progression and the mission? We are Christ’s representatives upon this earth, and we are to walk in His steps. Ours is not the seat of the scornful, ours is the doormat of sacrifice. Ours is not a conservative cause, ours is a redemptive cause. Ours is not to attack, ours is to surrender. Ours is not self, ours is Him. Ours is not the wrangling of this world, ours is the kingdom of God. Ours is not exaltation, ours is the cross itself. The world understands shouting and battling and demeaning verbiage. What they cannot understand is love without condition.

Like turning a large vessel, little by little over many decades the church has been turned into some moral village that is interested in politics and nationalism and an accepted list of the morals du jour. The epistles were written to believers who have the Holy Spirit. The world needs Christ and not some moral cast system which in effect is nothing more than a modern version of the law. How many immoral thoughts does it take to make an immoral person? The answer is one.

I am a saved immoral person.

(Remember immorality includes hatred, pride, judgment, vanity, lust, and the love of money.)