On rationalization of sin

Posted on April 17, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre 9 Comments

This morning I read the story of Achan whose sin caused the defeat of Israel when they went up against Ai. This story can be found in Joshua 7:16-26.

As a 21st Century American, I bristle when I read this story. I want to tell God that it was such a little sin. It seems natural that Achan should desire the goods that he confiscated. He had a momentary lapse of judgment and for that he and his entire family got stoned?

The danger of grace is that we can take Grace for granted and lose perspective on how serious God is about sin. I once heard a definition of sin as man playing God in his own life. By this definition, anything that I do that is contrary to what God expects is a sin.

I observe in myself and I believe I observe in others that humans have an almost infinite capacity to rationalize sin and make it sound legitimate. In this we follow our first parents in their response to the very first sin. Adam blamed Eve (and God) and Eve blamed the serpent.

When confronted with sin, like Adam, I want to find a way to say that it is not my fault. But it is my fault, the fact is that I choose to disobey.

The fix for this problem is not a legalistic system of do’s and don’ts. Legalism exacerbates the problem by focusing attention on the symptoms rather than the disease. The disease is a heart that is unwilling to yield to God. Legalism does nothing to soften the damaged heart and bring it in submission to God.

Legalism produces two undesirable effects. For those who are successful at keeping the rules, pride sets in which makes the heart even more unresponsive to God. For those who recognize their inability to keep the rules, an inappropriate sense of unworthiness can set in. This sense of unworthiness can then trigger rejection of the very God who gives them worth.

The sin of Achan was not that he desired the loot. The sin was that he did not desire God more than the loot. As C. S. Lewis points out, the problem was not that Achan’s desires were too strong, they were weak and focused on the wrong thing.

We presume upon Grace when we rationalize sin. The fact that we don’t end up under a heap of stones is not because we don’t deserve that heap. I share in the sin of Achan and that is why this story makes me feel uncomfortable.

Don’t add or subtract

Posted on April 5, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre 10 Comments

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2, ESV)

We are told that we are not to add or subtract from what God commanded of the Nation of Israel through Moses.

Jesus gives us his viewpoint on the Old Testament when he said,

“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18, ESV)

From these statements, it should be obvious that we should not add or subtract from what is written in Scripture. Do we add and subtract? I think that we do.

Adding to Scripture

We add to Scripture when we make some sins worse than others. For example, the church has a history of elevating sexual sin to be worse than more common sins like pride. I have met many prideful Christians who find excuse for their pride while condemning others.

We add to Scripture when we call sin what the Bible does not prohibit. For example, some churches condemn all alcohol use as sin. I understand that alcohol has had devastating effects on families and individuals and that some are prone to addiction, but we must be careful in saying more than Scripture says.

We add to Scripture when we take a hard stance of issues that are unclear in Scripture under the guise of denominational “distinctives.” For example, Scripture gives hints about the events surrounding Jesus’ return, but we are not given a timeline or order of events. It it OK to make guesses about the events, but they remain guesses. To stand on one interpretation as the only possible correct interpretation is divisive and unwise.

Subtracting from Scripture

We subtract from Scripture when we explain away clear statements in the Bible. One example is the current debate over the definition of marriage. There are some in the church who have felt the freedom to deviate from the definition of marriage that God gave us in Scripture under the guise of “inclusiveness.” We should be loving to everyone, but we do not have the freedom to revise what God has proscribed.

We also subtract from Scripture when we ignore its teaching. For example, Paul tells us to be angry but do not sin (Eph 4:26). Those who justify their inappropriate anger by saying, “that’s just the way I’m wired” or “that’s just how my family was” are subtracting from Scripture.

We subtract from Scripture when we ignore or forget the promises that are made to us. Jesus tells us “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Yet, I often find myself stressing over the details of life. Remembering that Jesus is with me should change my behavior.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that we add in the area of external sins by adding rules above and beyond Scripture. We subtract in the areas of internal sins by making excuses for our own behavior. We like to declare what others are doing is sin while excusing our own failures. I see this tendency in myself and my observation of others seems to prove that this is a universal tendency.

The goal is not external conformity to a set of rules. The goal is to have a heart yielded to God and willing to do what he commands.

I find great comfort in my favorite prayer in Scripture, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

Judging the judge: You cannot have it both ways

Posted on April 1, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre 9 Comments

One of the objections raised against Christianity is that the God of the Bible is a vengeful deity who commanded Israel to practice genocide as they conquered the land of Canaan.

As a Christian, I would be the first to admit that some of what I read in the Old Testament (OT) makes me uncomfortable. There are things in the Bible that offend my 20th Century sensibilities. Yet we must look at the context of that command and understand it in its historical setting.

In the instances where Israel was commanded to wipe out an entire population, that command resulted from the evil that was being practiced by the soon to be conquered people. One of the most detestable practices was that of child sacrifice. God chose to eradicate the people to contain the evil.

On the other hand, another argument against belief in God is based on God’s apparent inability to contain or eliminate evil. People struggle with seeing the love of God when bad things have happened in their own lives or in the lives of others. The question is framed something like this: “how do you expect me to believe in a God that would allow the Holocaust to take place?”

But we cannot have it both ways. We cannot on the one hand complain when God steps in to eliminate evil and then complain when he does not. We cannot be the final arbiter of determining the justice (or lack thereof) of God.

The original attack on God’s credibility came in Genesis 3 when Satan asked the question of Eve, “did God really say?” There is always a danger when we assume the authority to stand in judgment of God.

God created humans as moral agents with the ability to choose well or choose badly. That ability to choose has not been rescinded and we get it wrong much of the time. If God changed the world so that none of us could choose to do wrong, we would all then become automatons.

The fact is that I choose badly every day. There is not a day that goes by where I do not have an inappropriate thought, say something that is hurtful to others or fail in some other way.

This does not eliminate the so-called “problem of evil.” We will never fully understand how the justice and love of God can be simultaneously if effect. Depending on our point of view, we will often be uncomfortable with what God allows or doesn’t allow.

So the question then becomes, am I willing to allow God to vanquish the evil in my own heart? Am I willing to admit my own finitude? Am I willing to worship a God who sometimes makes me uncomfortable? Am I willing to allow God to be the judge and trust that he will get it right?

Are you?

Unbelief and its consequences

Posted on March 27, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre 4 Comments

In Numbers 20, Moses is commanded by God to speak to the rock to initiate a flow of water to meet the Israelites needs.

In a fit of anger, Moses instead strikes the rock and the water gushes forth. God responds to this action by telling Moses, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)

In Moses’ previous episode of bringing water from a rock, he was commanded to strike the rock. So what is the big deal about Moses doing it the same way the second time? Isn’t God’s reaction a little extreme?

The short answer is no, God’s reaction is not extreme even though my initial reaction is to think so.

Moses’ problem is also my problem, I struggle to believe God and act on that belief when He tells me something. God identifies Moses’ problem as lack of faith when He says, “because you have not believed . . . ”

I have observed in myself and others the tendency to do things in our own wisdom and relying on our own talents. Often, a train wreck ensues.

When I was young, much of the church withdrew from the surrounding culture. We looked different and were often identified by the things we could not do. The church was intentionally out of style. The church stood firm on trivial issues like men’s hair length and women wearing pants. We successfully conveyed the message that those from the surrounding culture were not welcome in our church unless they cleaned themselves up to look like us.

Because withdrawal didn’t do anything good for the church or the culture, Evangelicals then tried to change the culture through political action. Political action succeeded in allowing the church’s detractors to portray Christians as right wing extremists who are determined to take people’s freedom away. This thought is with good precedent. Every time the church has gotten political power, it has gone badly for the church and the surrounding culture.

I do not see either of these responses modeled in the New Testament. If the Apostle Paul was so inclined, he could have found many things about the Roman government worthy of criticism, yet such criticism is noticeably absent from Paul’s letters.

Nor do we see Jesus withdrawing from the surrounding culture. Jesus interacted with everyone, religious or irreligious alike. He encountered the culture where it was at and shined the light on that culture.

When the church responds badly to the surrounding culture, it is an indication of lack of faith, a demonstration of unbelief. Like Moses striking the rock, we can lash out at the people around us in unrighteous anger. Or, we can withdraw and refuse interaction with those who need our message the most.

The third way is the way of Jesus. We are called to lovingly interact with the culture. We should not condone those aspects of it that are contrary to Scripture, but should acknowledge that we all fall short of God’s standard. It never ceases to amaze me that the only group that hated Jesus was the religious right. The sinners and others who acknowledged their need flocked to Jesus and were accepted by him.

This third way is sometimes messy. Some people will misunderstand. Yet this is what we are called to do. It takes faith and obedience working together to do this.

We would do well to emulate the one who we claim to worship. Acting in unbelief does have consequences. Just ask Moses.

What do you think? Your comments are encouraged and appreciated.