God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [16]
Under the law, disobedience brought severe consequences. On an individual level, for example, sexual sins and idolatry were punishable by death. Other punishments involved banishment, removal of limbs, and other severe penalties. Because of their sins, Israel severed their connection with God again and again. God punished them with war, exile, and even death. In contrast, we Christians have been told that all things are permissible. All things? Yes, but not all things are beneficial. Paul actually writes this twice in the same letter (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23).
Our motivation for making good choices should not be fear of punishment. There are indeed consequences, certainly. If we lie, we’ll spend our lives looking over our shoulder. When we do hurtful things to each other, we damage relationships. When we make poor choices, we live with the results. When we break the laws of the land, we suffer legal consequences.
But God will not punish Christians. All the punishment God had for us in response to our sins was laid on Jesus (1 Pet. 2:24). There is none left (Rom. 8:1; Heb. 9:28). So New Testament behavior verses aren’t laws that must be kept for fear of punishment. They are advice given by a loving Father regarding what is constructive and beneficial.
At first glance, sin may appear to offer us a Fourth of July experience, fireworks and all. But the next day, there we are out in the field picking up all the trash we left behind. This is precisely why Paul asks us this question:
Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. (Rom. 6:21 NASB)
Paul’s focus is on the absence of any real benefit from sin. He notes the outcome of foolish choices. Who wants to waste time sinning and fighting the shame when we have the privilege of participating in God’s divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4) and expressing Christ himself?
What Not to Wear
One popular television program of recent years is What Not to Wear. Based in New York City, this program features Stacy and Clinton, the two cohosts who enter people’s homes, raid their closets, and tell them what “works” and what doesn’t. In particular, they’re skilled at showing people the fashions that look good on them based on their body type.
Men and women all over the USA are on the waiting list to get advice from Stacy and Clinton—advice they feel will make them better looking and more appealing to others. As a result, they’ll feel better about themselves.
Behavior verses in the New Testament aren’t much different from the advice that Stacy and Clinton give. We’re told to “put on love” and “put on Christ” and “put on compassion” much like the guests on the TV show are told what to wear. In addition, we’re told to toss away attitudes and behaviors that aren’t profitable, just as Stacy and Clinton hold up certain outfits to the mirror and then toss them aside, saying, “That looks awful!”
Some clothes simply don’t fit, while others fit just right and look great. In the same way, some attitudes and behaviors are not “fitting for saints” (Eph. 5:3 NKJV), while others are the perfect fit for God’s children.
Does this sound like religion to you? It’s not in the least! Throughout the Epistles, we’re just discovering the most fashionable way for saints to dress. And, hey, who doesn’t want to travel in heavenly style?
So next time you come across that passage in Ephesians or Romans or wherever about “what to do,” remember your identity as a child of God. With that in mind, know that God is simply pointing out the clothes that fit you well:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col. 3:12)
7
We’d been attending a church for about a year when an outside consultant was called in to lead fundraising for a building project. We were introduced to the consultant during a Sunday morning service. He took about twenty minutes to distribute a survey asking us what we give, who we give to, and why we give to