Major Morality

by Justin Lonas

It's interesting that the passing of Jerry Falwell would come on a day when I've been thinking a lot about my own personal application of Christ.

I think we all, to some degree, struggle with a balance between the private, relational nature of our faith and the need to exercise it in the public arena. The confusion comes because the public application of Christianity often depends on black and white responses to the issues of the day, whereas the personal application is wrapped up in the gray of listening to and following the Father's bidding. Obviously, God has unchanging standards of morality. On the same token, our public actions are carefully weighed on a case by case basis. Too often though, the public (and political) aspect of Christianity seems like little more than a reincarnation of the very law that Christ came to free us from.

The list of Falwell's achievements in the public sphere is long - he arguably reintroduced Christianity to public policy with more fervor and effectiveness than anyone since Wilberforce. He also arguably sacrificed grace on the altar of principle in terms of how he chose to deal with sinners.

The lesson to us is to be always on guard against the easy (taking sides in the public debates of the day), and not to lose sight of the arduous (earnestly seeking God and treating sinners as people rather than opponents). We have to always remember that moral principles cannot save anyone (indeed, without Christ, they can only convict) - if they could, Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). Our public Christianity (and treatment of fellow men) has to flow out of the grace we know as sinners redeemed. Otherwise, we are very much in danger of letting the rigid stances we take in public alter our personal view of God.

It's a fine line to walk, but one that we are asked and expected to. Thank God for His indwelling guidance that makes meeting the expectation as simple as submission to Him.