[posted June 21, 1999]
T he United States House of Representatives has voted to post "The Ten Commandments" in public schools in order to deal with the problem of teen violence. This not only has raised many church/state issues and sparked controversy; it has misrepresented what Christianity is about.
WHY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?The "fake christian" religious right, which is behind the "Ten Commandments" in schools, claims to be the true Christian faith of America. Jesus, however, never said, "Follow the ten commandments." Jesus said, "Follow me." Jesus never taught the "ten commandments" as the guide for discipleship. Love was the only ultimate aim of Jesus.
In John 13:34-35, the one new commandment of Jesus is clearly stated. Jesus had just demonstrated his humble service for his disciples as an example of what he expected from them. He washed the disciples' feet. This was a highly dramatic moment. Hebrew disciples were expected to perform many services for their teachers, but the law said that a rabbi could not make his disciples wash his feet. It was a very unclean ritual that only the lowest rank of slave ever had to perform.
Jesus said, "I have given you an example (lit. "show before your eyes") that you ought to do for each other what I have done for you." Then Jesus dropped the bombshell: "I give you a NEW commandment that you should love one another JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that you also love one another. By this everybody will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) To love others as Jesus loves you is not something you can learn from a list of rules, laws, or commandments. It is the "new mind of Christ" within you that comes when the Spirit/Jesus enters into your life and you become the new person Jesus has called you to be when you follow Jesus Christ. Read all of John 13 to see the whole story.
"The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5). Love within us to empower us to follow the new commandment of Jesus is a gift from God through faith.
"Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God, we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4) New life in Christ is not the result of keeping laws or rules. New life comes from letting the Spirit of Jesus enter into your heart and life and push out fear, ignorance, hate, and prejudice. Read Romans 5 through 8 for a powerful presentation of Spirit/Jesus filled living.
Nobody will ever be justified by the works of the law" (Galatians 2:16). Abraham was in fellowship with God not by works of the law, which had not yet been given, but by faith. "Abraham believed God and this was reckoned unto him as righteousness." (Galatians 3:6, quoting Genesis 12:3) Christianity is not about laws and about rules, not even about "the Ten Commandments." Christianity is about Jesus and about love and about letting go of prejudice and fear, because perfect love casts out fear, especially homophobia.
How did our society become so terribly wrong about the meaning of Christinity? Where did the churches stumble and take their eyes off Jesus and focus instead on who should be left out and who should be rebuked and condemned because they were different, non-conformists, or "queer"? Somewhere along the way a great heresy took over. This heresy clouded the minds of millions and blurred the vision of Jesus that had been clearly set forth in the Four Gospels, where Jesus included everybody.
Legalism emerged as an idolatrous religion that bought the minds and allegience of multitudes of people. Legalism has divided people into hostile religious parties and allegiences that engage in ever escalating self-destructive spiritual wars. We are witnessing internal struggles in most major Christian denominations over the issue of who should be accepted and who should be excluded on the basis of sexual orientation.
Spiritually, the apocalypse is already upon us. The former foundations are crumbling. Why do you halt between two opinions? "God is love." If God is love, then serve love. If God is the law, then serve legalism. You cannot serve and obey two masters. "Master" in Greek is "kurios" ("lord or ruler") and can also mean "teacher". Jesus made the choice painfully clear in Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters; for either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (human works including the law and legalism)."
The choice today could hardly be any more obvious. Either the churches turn back to the loving and accepting good news of Jesus or the churches will die. John Spong has said it eloquently and forcefully in "Why Christianity Must Change or Die." We cannot sit on the sidelines and watch. We are forced by today's tumultuous religious events to declare ourselves on one side or the other. We can come out and accept and declare ourselves as Gay Christians who are God's children. We can demand acceptance and respect because God accepts and respects us and we accept and respect ourselves and each other. Or we can hide in fear and failure and miss our chance to change and liberate our world.
Visit Dr. Truluck's website: Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse
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