Moralism is tedious and draining. And there is an obvious reason for it being draining. It is an attempt to do an impossible climb of good deeds to God, or at least better than the other people around (I hope you’re thinking about the Pharisee and the Publican right now). The thought of it is even taxing.
Listen to this type of music only, and make sure it has no beat. Dress like this, except not in church. Make sure you wear an ankle length dress to church. If you are a man wear a tie, or at least a nice polo. Let’s pray for those people who wear shorts in church. No movies rated above PG, unless of course it is a violent depiction of Jesus’ death. If that is the case, we can clear the church out to watch it at the movie theater. No facial hair. No long hair for men. No television. Move that Devil Box out of your house.
Trying to keep up with the rules that I have heard some people say are funny. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with. It is almost always draining and tedious.
Our Diet
Our diet of sermons heard and books read often resembles the ladder climbing more than anything else.
- God chose Abraham to graciously save a people for Himself. Yet, we will more often hear sermons about Abraham’s faith in leaving his land to follow God. Rather than hearing about God’s gracious work, we hear about the work of Abraham. This turns God’s gracious promises into the background story of Abraham’s big show.
- Joseph was treated terribly for a purpose. The purpose of this treatment is given to us at the end of the Book of Genesis. In Genesis 50:20 we find out that the hard times were meant for the good of many people. Or, to save many people. As we read on into the Book of Exodus we find that it was through these sufferings that God saved His people and made them quite numerous.
- The point of the story of Moses is truly God’s faithfulness to His people in rescuing them out of Egypt, but how many times have you heard sermons about Moses’ great faith.
- The biggest offender, in my opinion, is the life of David. God raising up a king for the people of Israel is overshadowed by a sermon or book about facing the giants in your life.
All of these things, and many other sermon topics, have something in common. They overlook God’s grace and mercy and heap another law or command upon you. They don’t bring rest, they bring more work. They don’t lead you to look to Jesus, they lead you to do navel gazing as you try to see if you have the quality of faith that Moses or Abraham had. They lead you further inside of yourself when the stories are actually about God’s work outside of you and calling you to trust in Him.
Our diet is oftentimes quite unhealthy. We are naturally inclined to look in upon ourselves and try to fix things that way. But, God calls us outward. God calls us to look to Him…and rest from our unhealthy ladder climbing.
There Is Another Way
God offers rest. He offers rest from the constant attempt of measuring up. He offers rest from climbing rung after rung of the moralistic ladder climbing. And that rest is found in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah deals with this in Isaiah 28:9-13.
“To whom will he teach knowledge,
and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from the milk,
those taken from the breast?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.”
11 For by people of strange lips
and with a foreign tongue
the LORD will speak to this people,
12 to whom he has said,
“This is rest;
give rest to the weary;
and this is repose”;
yet they would not hear.
13 And the word of the LORD will be to them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little,
that they may go, and fall backward,
and be broken, and snared, and taken.
God offers rest from the weariness of attempting to attain self-righteousness by our own means. He offers rest from the incessant rule giving that we and others like to place upon ourselves. He offers rest from a life devoted to working on our righteousness. He offers, and gives a righteousness that I can actually rest in.
A Warning For Rest Refusers
There is a bit of a warning here. For those that refuse the message of rest, God’s word will come to them. But it will not come to them in the way that it comes to those who rest in the work of God rather than their self. It will come upon them as, “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward,”
For those that refuse God’s rest, His word comes at them as more things to do. It comes to them as more demands and commands to live by. It comes at them like a whirlwind of good deeds that they must fulfill. Rather than finding rest, they find weariness, until it finally breaks them.
How many times have you wished that older folks in your congregation were nicer? It is very likely that they have been broken by the demands of the moralism that they held so dearly. The anon Bitter Blue Betty is a humorous depiction of the sad conclusion of a lifetime of moral demands on the life of a believer. It is one of the saddest sights that you will ever gaze upon. They have tried so hard throughout their whole life, and now after refusing rest they have become bitter.
Let’s Go The Other Way
Rather than looking at Scripture as a guidebook for life or a manual for living, look at it for what it is, God revealing Himself through written word to us. In it He reveals to us the message of His Son, which is the primary meaning and message of the Scriptures.
Are their rules to obey in Scripture? Yes, absolutely yes. Is that the primary meaning of Scripture? A resounding no is the answer to this question. God shows us in Scripture that we can rest from all the striving, and trust in Him. What He has done to give us this rest is the main point of Scripture.
So, next time you read about Adam and Eve, notice the small but huge reference to the destruction of Satan through the seed of the woman. Next time you read about Abraham, think about God’s beginning to His glorious rescue of sinful people. Next time you read about Joseph, consider how God was rescuing many people through the sacrifice of one…who does that remind you of? Next time you read about the Exodus, think about how Jesus is depicted as the Prophet greater than Moses who would bring about a greater exodus that would rescue from sin and death. Next time you think about David, consider that Jesus is a greater King who completely fulfills God’s promises to David. Next time you read the Prophets, consider that in Jesus there is complete fulfillment of the great peace that God promises so many times.
As you read Scripture try to keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus has come and completely accomplished salvation for you. Now, rest in His finished work.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28 ESV
R. Dwain Minor
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