Shifting Boundaries

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7

Confusion increases within the church as our culture continues seeking to redefine the concepts of love, hate, grace, and even Christianity. Numerous voices call out amid the crowd, asserting that love cannot be limited, that disapproval is hate, and that Christians must never condemn. In fact, the Law of God lurks as an enemy to modern thinking and even to the modern church where Grace triumphs over all.

Yet, Christianity without Holiness founded on the Word and Sovereignty of God is simply man’s sugar-coated acceptance of all sorts of sin. In the church, we long to show mercy so we refrain from gentle correction. However, without the law of God bringing conviction for sin, mercy is unnecessary. Jesus didn’t die to save the righteous (or self-righteous), remember. “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13) “He died to save sinners—of whom I am chief!” (I Timothy 1:15)

Yet, sin can only be recognized with the aid of a standard. “I would not have known sin except through the law…. Therefore, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good.” (Romans 7:7, 12) Without the conviction of sin, repentance cannot occur for Godly repentance means recognizing that we have been headed the wrong way and choosing to turn and run in the opposite direction.  “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.” (II Corinthians 7:10)

The Bible makes it clear, when read as a whole from cover to cover, that grace never contradicts or cancels true holiness. Mercy may remove the punishment for sin, but it never moves the BOUNDARY of right and wrong. If all God needed to do was change His standard to clear us of wrongdoing, Jesus would never have needed to suffer or die. Without a changeless boundary, the Cross means nothing. And Mercy cannot remove the punishment for sin unless that punishment has already been paid—the purpose of the Cross. “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” (Hebrews 9:22)

Yet, in our modern church, we have an epidemic of ‘cheap grace’, even though a daily reading of Scripture would quickly bring conviction that we must not continue living in our sin just because we’ve said a prayer of salvation. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1) “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:15-16)

In point of fact, the Bible makes it clear that a truly transformed heart will manifest through growth in holiness because the Holy Spirit is at work within us, causing us to become more and more like Christ Jesus. “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (II Corinthians 3:18)

Some people assert, however, that Old Testament boundaries no longer apply to us. Certainly, they are correct up to a point. Upon his conversion, the Pharisee Paul experienced the amazing freedom that grace brings when the Holy Spirit transformed his heart and revealed to him that he no longer needed to keep all the external rituals of the Mosaic Law. However, he warns clearly, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.” (Galatians 5:13,19-21).

Jesus said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:20-23) Therefore, He gives us His Spirit living within who produces holiness and righteousness pleasing to God. perfect but now“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…. Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24)

Holiness begins in a transformed heart and manifests in a pure lifestyle--perhaps not perfect but able to meet God’s Standard far more often because of the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Notice, Scripture makes clear that the standard has not—and never will be—removed. “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith…. The law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” (I Timothy 1:5, 8-10)

Now we can better understand why some rules don’t apply anymore while other boundaries reflect the Eternal Nature and Unchanging Holiness of our Creator. When Jesus rose from the grave after paying for our sins, the Holy Spirit showed His church that grace frees us from external rituals to produce holy fruit flowing from a transformed heart. The Apostle Paul wrote at length about the difference between external holiness and inner holiness. The former is abolished while the latter radiates the active residence of the Holy Spirit within a person’s heart.

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.” Acts 15:28-29 The Apostle Paul addressed this statement to Jewish believers who had memorized the numerous requirements of Mosaic Law from their youth.

As Paul began to preach to the Gentiles, however, the Holy Spirit propelled him to explain the most basic elements of true holiness because the Roman society worshipped dozens of gods and engaged in every form of sexuality imaginable. Paul wrote to the Romans, “God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also, the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which is due. Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”  Romans 1:24-28

Scripture directly addresses many behaviors that God defines as immoral, rebellious, and in direct opposition to His unchanging holiness. Today’s culture wants the church to question and reject God’s boundaries. Movies, music, art, and now our laws pressure us to accept sexual standards as archaic and embrace our “freedom” to participate in sexual encounters with anyone and in any way that we want.   But Biblical standards are based on God’s Eternal Nature. He created us. He knows best.

 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20