New Theses, New Reformation

Thesis 19- We must stop being more pious than God.

If we understand piety as a devotion to God and to His Word, then naturally one could never over-do it. Indeed one of the great weaknesses of the modern American evangelical church is that we do not hold piety in high regard. That said, there is such a thing as false piety. False piety is where we have a great devotion, but it is not to God, nor to His Word. Rather, it is to our own conception of God, or to our own false understanding of His Word.

The Pharisees misused and misunderstood the law of God in two distinct directions. On the one hand they diminished the scope of the law of God. Their narrow understanding of the ten commandments, for instance, allowed them to believe that they actually kept the law. On the other hand, however, while the Pharisees were making the law less stringent than God, they often made the law more stringent than God. If God said, “Do not touch” they affirmed their “piety” by saying, “Don’t go near…” This is called “fencing the law.”

A few examples may make the point more clear. How many evangelical Christians hold the view that while Jesus did turn water into wine, while the moderate enjoyment of alcohol isn’t a sin, it is still “unwise” to partake? How many evangelicals recognize that Jesus clearly allows a spouse who is the victim of adultery to divorce, but would suggest that the “better” option is to forgive? Assuming that God’s law does permit the use of alcohol and divorce of adulterous spouses, what are objections that abstaining from either is wiser or better option than adding to the law of God? If God says “You may…” and we say, “You’d better not…” are we not claiming to be more pious than God?

The issue, however, isn’t the issue. That is, our problem isn’t that we misunderstand alcohol or adultery. Our problem is that we misunderstand our relationship to God’s law. We are neither His co-counselors nor His parents. We do not get to give Him advice on His law, far less are we free to supersede His law. The appropriate response to the law of God is “Yea and amen.”

The same is true with respect to His grace. The Bible says that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). How often do we confess our sins, and then try to demonstrate the depths of our piety by refusing His forgiveness? “Please forgive me O Lord” we cry out. God says, “I forgive you.” And we think we’re showing how good we are when our response is, “No, you can’t forgive me. My sin is too great. My heart is too black. I don’t deserve to have my sins forgiven.” Of course we don’t deserve to have our sins forgiven. That’s why it’s called grace. Our Father calls for the fatted calf, and we think ourselves pious for slinking our way down to the servants’ quarters. The appropriate response to the grace of God is “Yea, amen, and thank you dear Lord.”

If we were wise, if we were truly pious, we would cease to add to His law, and we would cease to take away from His grace. Our piety would seek to obey all that He commands, and to rejoice that He forgives us though we do not obey all that He commands. Indeed our adding to His law is against His law, and our taking away from His grace may mean we have not received His grace.