As our culture continues to erode into something comparable to a stubborn goop – difficult to govern, but easy to control – rules and regulations continue to be on the rise. This is because morality and moralism have an inverse relationship. As one goes down, the other goes up. Since a moral code is an unavoidable reality, the further people are from good rules that bless, the more they’ll try to compensate with petty ones that burden. And so, we shouldn’t be too surprised when we see a rebellious people who are unwilling to submit to proper authority be full of rage when other people don’t color within their lines.
These are the waters we’re swimming in at this point of our historical current. The river has morphed into a swamp. The Christian standards that at one point came to be Western cultural assumptions thought to be not necessary of defense have been driven out of our institutions, leaving a void quickly filled with tyrannical moralism. This moralism is, if I can say so, laughable and painful at the same time. It’s funny because it’s ridiculous, and it hurts because its personal. Despising the authority of a loving Creator, rebellion simply puts itself on the throne, and demands that all bow.
Furthermore, the advance of moralism in a post-Christian culture is a bit trickier than it would be in a pre-Christian one. The residue of the original varnish of Christian morality seeps through at times, making everything that much more confusing. “Jesus loved the marginalized” is mixed in with “If you don’t pay for my mutilation surgery, you’re a spiteful hater.” That may be an extreme example (extreme, but sadly, not far-fetched). Or perhaps where the Christian advocates for submission to governing authorities, the world twists into tyrannical orders which keep Christians from submitting to the One who instills governments with authority. Or there’s something about “loving your neighbor” being used as an argument to mask up. Maybe that one is just too close for comfort (the mask, that is).
So, for those who are part of the remnant who have not bowed the knee to Baal, how are we to live? How are we to navigate through this moralistic goop with our souls, and, until the right time, our bodies, intact? As is in most things on this side of the grave, wisdom is of necessity of course. Which is another way of saying that a list of rules might not be as helpful to fight against lists of rules. But perhaps a few principles would be worthy of consideration.
For Christians to effectively strain through this convolution of moralism, rules, and regulations, it may be helpful if our decision-making framework included at least two filters. The first of them is the question of morality. That’s morality, not moralism. You know, that transcendent standard that judges all men, as opposed to the one based on the whim emotions of some. This is the objective standard that would divide between good and evil, right and wrong even if none of our current voting block was ever cast into this world. Is it a sin or not? Is it righteous or unrighteous? That question judges every one of our actions. Even if the answer to it creates an inconvenience or difficulty, the answer is what it is.
Either it’s a sin to obey the world’s dictates, or it’s a sin to disobey the governing officials, be they pagan as they come. Either way, the first question we must answer is, what would obedience to the Maker have me do? When our Lord walked this earth, He told His disciples that He is sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves and instructed them to be innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16). That means whether we sin or not does matter. A seemingly righteous end does not justify an unrighteous way of attaining it. God is not mocked.
This is both proper and necessary. If a Christian is defined by whom he calls Lord, as he is, then a concern to submit to and obey the Lord is primary. But if this question is presented alone as always sufficient to draw a decision from, it is presented as a false dichotomy. What I mean is this: if the context of our godless culture is pressuring some kind of moralism onto believers, it may be possible that it not be a sin to obey them, while at the same time not being a sin to disobey them. What if submission to a specific regulation is not a sin and resistance is also not a sin? Then what do we do?
In the same breath that Christ commanded His disciples to be innocent as doves, He told them to be wise as serpents. If our only standard is innocence, then we fall short of His command. It’s not only innocence that our Lord is after. Wisdom is a required piece of the puzzle. If you notice, the innocence we are to pursue is that of a dove – clean, pure, without blemish. The wisdom, though, is that of a serpent. That’s strange. The serpent is that ancient enemy of the children of God. Couldn’t Jesus, the pure Lamb, have chosen a different analogy? Didn’t he see the awkwardness of the demand? Yes, I’m sure he did. That’s why he said it.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.” – Genesis 3:1, ESV
Christ is not calling us to imitate the enemy. The wisdom, craftiness, and shrewdness of the serpent is not by necessity a sign of his evil nature. It’s the way the LORD God made him. Instead of using the craftiness and wisdom to obey God, the serpent used it in his attempt to dethrone Him. As he does to all of God’s creation, Satan perverted the shrewdness to serve his evil purpose. The shrewdness, wisdom and craftiness of a serpent, is not in itself evil.
Christ is telling His disciples that as they go out as sheep in the midst of wolves, they ought not to act like those wolves (be innocent as doves), but they are also at fault if they act naive or foolish in their interactions with the enemy (be wise as serpents). The second filter that we use to sieve through the world’s expectations is one of strategy and wisdom. This filter is not as straight-forward as the first one. Tis the nature of wisdom.
To bring in an oversimplified example for the sake of illustrating this filter in use, let’s say as you’re strolling down a dark street late into the night, a man in a dark mask (worn for the purpose masks used to be worn) jumps out with a pistol pointing at your gut. He continues to follow all the lines a character in this costume is supposed to follow, demanding your wallet. What do you do?
Is it a sin to give him your wallet? No. Is it a sin to not give him your wallet? Well, no. Is it foolish to not give him your wallet? That depends. Are you armed? Are you alone or do you have armed friends by your side? Do you believe he will pull the trigger or is he bluffing? Is it worth gambling your life for the wallet? Wisdom is called for. This is not a moral decision. It’s a strategic one.
Let’s change it a little bit. Let’s say the man wearing a mask is not demanding your wallet but is demanding you also put on a mask. Moral issue or a strategic one? What if he doesn’t just have a gun, but also a badge? What if it’s not about a mask, but about you wearing an armband symbolizing your affiliation with a political party? Or what if he’s enforcing a curfew? Or limiting gatherings? Or censoring Christian content?
These are not isolated moral questions. Strategy comes into play. However, there’s another critical twist in the game. One might say it’s essential. Christ didn’t say, “When they come as wolves in the midst of sheep, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” He said it a little differently:
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16, ESV
Our Lord sends us out. Our context is not a defensive one. The wisdom that is required is not simply to defend against the enemy. He commissions us to advance His kingdom. Our strategy is one of offense. We are to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves in an offensive pursuit, not in a defensive retreat. Should we resist tyrants or submit to them? If we do resist, should we do so publicly to expose the emperor with no clothes? Or should we do so quietly, to not risk unnecessary confrontation? This calls for strategic wisdom. But wisdom in the strategy of advance, not in the strategy of retreat.
In the density of the culture’s dictates and demands, some of the Christian’s confrontations will be moral questions. But others will be strategic ones. We will need both filters if we are to advance the Kingdom of God in the depths of this moralistic goop.
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