About that slippery slope...

Allow me to post a follow up to Trevor’s post. As I read through his post, I appreciate what he’s saying and identify with it, yet I hear already the howls of those who will read a lot more into it than it actually says. Allow me to be the one who takes on the questions immediately formulated in the minds of those who will read and judge.

What Trevor is NOT talking about.

He’s not talking about any fundamental Doctrine of the Word of God. I believe this can be clearly seen in his article. There is NO foundational doctrine that Trevor or I have shaken off as we have gone “down the slippery slope.” In fact, those beliefs are more cherished now, and stand in stark relief from the so many other “truths” we held as their equals. When all of the filler goes away, truth is left in ALL of it’s beauty, and it’s worth dying for! So, as a response to those who will immediately howl that Trevor advocates throwing what we believe over board, that is not at all what he is saying. In essentials unity and in non-essentials liberty! Both of us currently have in our churches people who disagree with us on matters of eschatology, practice, preferences, etc. That is actually a GOOD thing! One of the signs of a healthy church is definitely the ability afforded members to be lead by the Spirit of God in areas that are not clearly specified in scripture. If anything, we are more concerned than ever about studying and knowing God’s Word. We have simply thrown off the chains of man’s litmus tests and rules and regulations. We have come to the place where we are not concerned about how other believers would judge us, but we do care very much about the honor and glory of God!

He is not talking about a license to sin. Actually, interestingly enough, in this journey there are areas in our lives in which we are much more “conservative” than we ever were before while we were simply checking off the important items on a checklist. If by “sin” you mean relaxed clothing or a Chris Tomlin worship song or enjoying a good movie at the theatre, than you’re going to call us wicked “sinners.” If, however, we define sin Biblically, there’s never been a time in our lives of more heightened awareness of the holiness and awesomeness of God! Believe me, it wasn’t the Holiness of God that kept me from taking my kids to see a movie in the theatre before, it was the fear of man-made dogmatic legalism. Freedom in Christ allows me to enjoy that movie, but it may well call me to let go of something else my heart would have held dear before, and I would have still been “ok” since my hair was cut “right” and I was wearing a tie.

What exactly are we “free” from, then? Man’s oppressive, legalistic, pietistic and hypocritical commands. We are NOT free to do as we wish! We are bound by the word (what it actually says, not some guy screaming about Sandy Fatty and Steve Grunt from the pulpit). We are bound by the Holy Spirit of God! We are free to glorify Him with everything He has given us (whether it fits the IFBX mold or not) and with everything we are! I will be the first to admit that many break “free” from legalism and replace it with “license.” This may make the individual a little less miserable, but it is very dangerous. If there is not a rock solid relationship with Christ, with a hunger to serve Him, you may well jump from the frying pan into the fire! We are NOT free to do as we wish! In fact, there is no “freedom” that I enjoy now by God’s grace, that I would not be willing to lay down in a heart-beat as the Holy Spirit prompted me. I would refrain, however, from pushing such a decision on someone else. That, sadly is what happened in many of the churches of my youth, and is still prevalent in many circles today.

So, I agree with Trevor. Once you start thinking through many of these issues, you may well see many changes very quickly in your life. Your view of the body of Christ will widen. Your judgmental spirit of others will begin to fade quickly. Your feeling of superiority based on conformity to man made lists will be shattered. You may well see many old “taboos” disappear over-night. This, I believe, is the “slippery slope” Trevor hints at. Examine your motives carefully, however! Have a clean conscience! Move only as prompted by the Holy Spirit. Be humble about the changes. Don’t look down on those who remain where you were. Honestly, this is a serious cause for concern for all of us who have moved away from some of these things! May we not show the same judgmentalism towards those still holding to certain beliefs that we fault them for having towards our liberty in Christ. Let us respect and be gracious to those whom we disagree with! You do NOT have to be where we are to be our cherished brother/sister in Christ! If you would afford us the same sentiment, Christ would most certainly be glorified! God bless you! May we be humble and meek, never rubbing our “freedom” in the face of others. I agree with Trevor's post. I hope this may answer any questions/objections.

Tony