Originally posted March 25, 2014.
Lately there has been lots of talk about the “grey” in the Bible. Conservative Christians are supposedly waking up from their stunted, abusive, check-your-intellect-at-the-door sham of a faith and realizing that the Bible on their shelves is a lot more grey than it is black and white. And, what a relief for them! It is so nice, they say, to put aside the oppressive teachings of the youth groups they once thought were awesome. It’s incredible to finally understand that the Bible is only a book, albeit a pretty good one, written by lots of flawed humans, handed down through all kinds of unenlightened cultures, compiled by who knows what kinds of means (by more flawed humans) and finally given to us as a laughably irrelevant guide to life in 2014. I mean, come on, what did Jesus know about gay marriage?
And, it’s wonderful, they say, to be able to distance themselves from the big, bad, mean church. It’s nice to be able to say to the world, Hey, world, you big ball of grey, blurry, undefined truth, I’m with you! I’m nothing like those so-called church people (*cough, Pharisees*). And they write their blogs and they tell and retell all that the church is that they hate. And they tell and retell all that everything else is that they love. There is no “right” way to interpret the Bible, they say. And they embrace the “grey” that lets them blend into the great lostness of this world.
The questions, they say, are more important than the answers. Who cares what the answers are, they ask, as long as you’re sincere? Even things the Bible seems to be clear on are not really clear when you take into account the cultural influences of the day in which they were written, and then of course there’s the whole angry misogynistic god issue, and in the end it’s really better to just quote the love chapter a lot and talk about how Jesus would do the exact opposite of whatever the church is doing.
And during all of this talk which is peppered with many references to themselves as great warriors of peace and love, there is an important element of the gospel which is noticeably absent: the truth.
And, there is no grey in the truth. It stands out clearly against the drab landscape of a world that is writhing in the agony of sin and strife. This truth is so crisply black and white that it glows plainly through the fog of confusion and “progressive” thinking and the lie that says that sin isn’t our real problem. This is the truth that calls humans sinful. It calls God holy. It shines a light on our desperate need for a Savior. And this truth challenges us in the most incomprehensible, yet beautiful way, to strive for holiness, even if it is unpopular (which it is), even if it makes us look like we’re trying too hard (which could never happen), even if it makes this whole grey world, even the grey Christians, hate us immensely for our stupidity, for our foolish devotion to an outdated book, for our crazy desire to live out the radical faith that it calls us to. And, most importantly, for our willingness to call sin what it is, a terrible offense against a Holy God, and a reason for great humility and repentance.
I have no doubt that the grey Christians are sincere in their desire to love the lost. But, the grey areas of their faith tell them that they cannot love while believing the tougher truths of the Bible. So, they call those truths fuzzy and call the church judgmental and they declare to the world that those who live in the black and white are ruining Christianity.
But, there is a better way. It is a delicate balance of truth and love, which Jesus so clearly demonstrates throughout His ministry. It is deep, crazy, genuine love that demands clear and honest truth-telling. Love and truth are excellent partners, and are necessary if we are to love God with all we have and love others with the kind of love that is completely different from anything the world offers. It is a black and white love, and a black and white truth, and when we drop the truth because of fear and discomfort, we drop the true love of the gospel message.
We are sinners who need God. No grey, no exceptions, no cultural nuances. That is truth. And that is love.
Amen. Amen. Amen. It is this very thing that keeps me on my knees and in tears much of my private life. Praying for scales to fall away within the Church. For all of us who call ourselves Christians to realize how we must fan the flames of our love for Christ, for His Word and for His Truth. He is the same. Yesterday. Today. Forever. Thank you for your boldness. Prayers covering you and your family <3
Bravo! You have expressed this so well. I have been stunned recently as people I have known all my life, that know the black and white have grossly embraced this awful gray nonsense. I recently read an article on “Cookie Cutter Christians” and called it heresy because it stated that people did not have to change or forsake sinful behavior to be saved. I was lambasted, as you can imagine. Every loves that “no judging” card, and if you point to the fruit (which we know others by) you are a hypocrite and have committed the ultimate sin. I am so glad to know there are others out there that are sticking by the fact that the truth is that we come to Christ by denouncing what His Word calls sin. Without repentance, there is no salvation! We were called to be separate, and I am seeing a lot less separation and a lot more merging and blurring these days. Thank you for speaking up!
If you had any idea how often I am nose to nose with the very thing you talk about here Melissa. The modern western, especially American church is saturated in the agnostic uncertainty of both dialectic Barthian epistemology and a thorough misapprehension of the significance of quantum science.
Most pew dwellers, while not stupid, wouldn’t be able to tell you that, but that’s what the seminaries are churning out and that’s what the groovy post modern “progressive” church celebrates.
I must say that outfits like “RELEVANT” magazine, and yes, “Christianity Today” are the strategic command centers promoting this.
It is such a sad situation, seeing the things that are happening that I had no idea would happen in “my corner” of the world, even though God’s WORD has been letting it be known that it would happen long before any of us were born; yet to actually be living in the place where those who once believed and stood against the sin now “seem” to accept it by supporting it with their attendance and monies in the churches that have okayed the sin; now claiming that it is not a sin. It looks like the world has been brought into the “church,” rather than taking the church out to the lost and dying world. May God have mercy on us all, in Jesus’ name!!!
Wow! I can’t express how much your words of encouragement have been a blessing to me. I stumbled across your blog helping my daughter find something for her preschool class yesterday. I loved the way you expressed the truths of God and went to other blogs. I am a pastors wife in a small town and we have been in a difficult season. My husband and I firmly agree with your very well expressed thoughts:) he preaches the Word boldly and all of it! We recently had to let a pastor go that disagreed with that and he took several people and started another church down the road:) That said I know God is in control and doing awesome things in our church body. As I’m sure you know as a pastor’s wife there is hurt and disappointment that go along with difficult situations. I just want to thank you for sharing this truth. I agree wholeheartedly!!! It was a confirmation and encouragement to me:) I look forward to reading more from you!