Under Grace

     Last week, I read an incredible book that I highly recommend to any Christian.  It is the newly published Twisted Scripture, by Andrew Farley.  The overarching premise is that we, as believers, are under grace, not the law.  Most would agree with that...until you start to look at what that actually means.  Several of Farley's conclusions might be considered radical, but they are scriptural.  I didn't agree with him on 100% of everything, but I agreed with most of it.  Even the parts I differ from were thought-provoking.  This book both liberated and convicted me (and also refuted some of the false, legalistic teachings I have been unwittingly told).  I think this book is a must-read for every believer, whether you agree with everything he says or not.  It is worth reading.  You can order a copy here.

     

     I remember as a college student, going on mission trips and being trained to do ministry.  I have wonderful memories, and know differences were made for eternity.  However, some of our leaders used a lot of legalistic manipulation to keep us where they wanted us.  A lot of condemnation was put on us.  The President of the ministry constantly told us that if our motives weren't perfect every time we did ministry, all we'd get in Heaven for a reward was a chest full of junk.  That kept us paranoid and obsessively checking our motives.  I think it is good to soul-search and make sure we're following God's leading in our lives, but no one has perfect motives 100% of the time.  And what this gentleman was really telling us was that, though we were saved by grace through faith, we really had to live by good works.  That is still a form of legalism.  It was a heavy load to carry.  My biggest fear was getting up to Heaven and not hearing Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and instead being given a box of wood, hay and stubble.  Instead of enjoying my walk with the Lord, I lived in paranoia.

Me at 19 (summer 2001) teaching 5-day Bible clubs in Boston, Massachusetts.  In spite of legalistic leadership, I loved every minute of the ministry.  There were wonderful people in leadership too.

     We also had a very legalistic man leading devotions for us.  His devotions were constantly demeaning us.  He would accuse us of "playing Christianity for all it's worth!"  As if being a Christian on this earth gives you all the glory!  If we wanted to play something for all it was worth in order to get some sort of glory or advantage, we wouldn't pick Christianity, because, from a worldly perspective, there is much more to be had out there in the world.  I say this to refute his logic, not to encourage worldliness.  This man's devotions were very angry, basically warning us to watch ourselves (when his own moral life was far from perfect, but that's a story for another day).  He would tell us our ministry efforts had been failures if we didn't see immediate fruit.  He would cut us down, telling us that we thought we were so great going on mission trips (as if he could read our minds or something), but we weren't, only God was great, and we'd better give Him the glory, or He'd punish us.  I never took his devotions to heart the way I did the President of the ministry, so I wasn't wounded by him as much as totally annoyed.  I felt he was trying to manipulate and control us.  I still think that, although he has since passed away.

2001 Summer Missionary Team (I was nineteen that year).  The legalistic devotions leader is at the far right, leaning in.

     Don't get me wrong.  I am delighted to have gone on those mission trips.  I am delighted for the people who came to the Lord.  I am delighted that I ended up working with this ministry full-time in my 20's, and continue to volunteer with it even now.  Any ministry can have its duds.  But I sure was fed a lot of legalism from leadership back in the late 90's and early 2000's.  My husband (whom I didn't know at the time) was facing the same kinds of controlling teaching at a Bible college he attended.  He was constantly accused of being "in the flesh" every time he said or did anything someone else didn't like (not necessarily even leadership, often other students).  As if the person talking to him was God's authority on what was godly and what wasn't.  Like myself, my husband has spent time separating the good he learned from the Bible from the legalism thrown at him.  This book, Twisted Scripture, takes the power away from those would would manipulate God's people in this way.  Andrew Farley talks about how we should view heavenly rewards in light of God's grace.  He also talks about our work for Him.  He even says it isn't possible for a saved person to be "in the flesh" (though saved people do sin sometimes).  This book really removes all striving from our lives.  We can rest in God's grace, not try to strive to be perfect.  As I said, you may or may not agree with all of it.  I didn't completely.  It was still very liberating to see myself in light of God's grace.  Farley argues that many of the passages used to put burdens on Christians are often really referring to who we were before salvation, and taken out of context.  You'll have to read it for yourself.

     There were several points in Twisted Scripture that I need to mull over and think about more before I determine where I stand.  I definitely agree with the overarching premise of us being under grace.  I overall agree with Farley.  However, my next post will be about the one chapter in this book I definitely disagreed with, so be watching for it!  As a teaser:  How do you know when something is God's will?  When faced with multiple opportunities, how do you determine what God would have you do?