Let Us Reason Together

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Have you ever wondered why sin requires so steep a payment? I heard an atheist pose this question to a Christian during a debate, asking “why is your God so bloodthirsty?” The assumption of course being that it was God who set this price. But what if it wasn’t God who determined the price, but us?

Years ago I was speaking to a coworker and the name of a colleague came up in conversation, to which my coworker remarked, “Yeah, she’s a Christian….well, she’s a professing Christian, at least.“ I knew exactly what he meant, as I had met many such people in my life whom I would similarly describe – people who go to church, occasionally may even read the Bible, profess a nebulous belief in God and Jesus, but have no real relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Christian Bible is split into two testaments, divided into Old and New the birth of Jesus Christ being the line of demarcation.  Although both are divinely inspired they sometimes appear quite different in tone.  One of the central figures in the Old Testament is Moses, synonymous with the Ten Commandments.  However, the actual commandments given in the Old Testament number over 600.

Jesus Christ bled for our sins, but he was bruised for our iniquity.  Sin is something that you do, it is an action, a word, it is outward facing, external, just as bleeding is.  However iniquity is that within us that causes us to sin.  Having a quick temper is iniquity.  One does not choose to have a quick temper, one is either born this way or develops this iniquity somehow (nature or nurture).

Two thousand years ago the Pharisees were the most religious men of their day.  They radically adhered to the Mosaic Law (though in some cases they had watered down the law to make it somewhat possible to keep).  By all outward indication, they were the men closest to God, closest to the mind and heart of God.  Thus, when the Messiah came, they would no doubt be the first people whom he would seek out.  He did, of course, seek them out, but not to heap glory and praise upon them for their rigid adherence to the law.  No, he saved his sharpest rebukes for them.  Indeed, he even told his own disciples, his own followers which included prostitutes, thieves, reprobates and other unsavory characters whom had been excommunicated from the congregation….he warned his own followers NOT to be like the Pharisees.  “Do not eat the bread of the Pharisees”, he put it.

When Adam and Eve became aware of their imperfect (naked) state, they immediately set about to try to rectify their situation. They tried to make themselves perfect, like their creator.  Their efforts, though noble, were futile.  Realizing their fig leaves were a poor substitute for the glory and perfection of their creator, they then fled from him.

I became a Christian at the age of 14, prior to that I would not have described myself as very religious.  But afterwards…

I became something of an insufferable little Pharisee to everyone around me.  And, eventually, none of my friends wanted anything to do with me anymore.  I thought their rejection of me was proof that I was doing what God wanted me to do, running about pointing an accusatory finger at everyone around me and demanding that they repent of their sins or else.  I found further piety in my solitude and took comfort in the robe of self-righteousness that I wore.  They are rejecting me because I now belong to Christ!  No.  They were rejecting me because I was a jerk.