by Mark Gambill
We love to label things. Categorizing items into groups based on shared characteristics helps us better understand our world. If we can classify something, when we encounter a similar item, it can also be put into that same class and we can say to ourselves, “I have that one figured out.”
It’s been said that there are two kinds of people in this world: Those who classify others into one of two groups and those who don’t. Classifying people by association is a well-documented concept in social psychology and sociology known as “social categorization” and “social identity theory.” This phenomenon describes the cognitive shortcut humans use to group individuals based on their real or perceived group memberships, including those they associate with.
We might say, “She’s a republican”; “He’s a “democrat”; “They’re rich”; “That family is middle class”; “They belong to that country club”—the Elks, Moose, VFW, black, white, Latino, Asian, etc. We categorize people based on their sexual orientation, disability, and so on.
One big way we often classify people is by their religions. According to the Oxford Dictionary, “Religion is a complex human phenomenon encompassing systems of beliefs, practices, morals, and worldviews that relate humanity to the supernatural, sacred, or spiritual, often providing answers to existential questions about life’s purpose and offering community and comfort. Generally, religion is an institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that must be observed.”
But what often comes with religion? Rules . . . aka legalism. Codes, guidelines for behavior, practices that followers must adhere to in order to become or remain members of a particular group. But as we know, we are not saved by adhering to a system or rules, but rather by God’s grace (See Ephesians 2:8, 9). Legalism pushes people away, but grace invites them in.
Our One Mores don’t need more rules—they need Jesus! Don’t give them religion; give them a relationship.
Legalism or Liberalism?
 
Last Sunday, in our teaching time at Christ’s Church, our lead pastor Brad Wilson talked about “Death to Religion” as he taught verse by verse from Colossians 2:16-23. In case you missed that teaching, you can check it out here. In that passage, the apostle Paul tells us that we tend to come up with what I call “stupid rules”—man-imposed mandates that God never intended, and that often put us in conflict with not only other believers, but also our One Mores. I drive my wife crazy when I say, “Stupid rules are made to be broken.” But believe it or not, that’s exactly what God is saying in this passage, or, more to the point—those rules should be ignored.
I once heard a preacher declare that Eve was the first legalist. In Genesis 2:15, God said to Adam and Eve, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (NIV). But in Genesis 3:2,3, Eve added to God’s original command the requirement that not only should they not eat from the tree, but also not touch it—thus adding rules that God never intended.
What is the inverse of legalism? Liberalism. They are opposite ends of the same spectrum. Liberalism in Christianity rejects God’s rules in favor of human reason and the individual’s interpretation of faith and actions.
We need to face the fact that there are some rules God did put in place—scriptural mandates that should govern our behavior. I call these “Spiritual Immutables”—unchanging commands that God expects his people to conform to. But there are not as many of those as some, the legalists, would like to believe, nor are there as few as others, the liberals, think.
What would God have us do? Adhere to the rules that he has mandated and neither add ones nor change those to fit whatever skewed version of Christianity we think is right, or ignore those because we know better. Or worse, insist that others follow “our rules” especially when they have nothing to do with saving others for eternity.
Just Jesus and Him Crucified
First, we need to adopt a balanced, biblical understanding of faith, God’s Word, and obedience. If you are a legalistic Christian, shift your focus from one of personal performance and adherence to a set of rules and instead decide to show gratitude and love for what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross. If you are a liberal Christian, have a healthy respect for the unchanging authority and truth of Scripture. And in both cases, pray for a more flexible spirit.
Second, we must lose our egocentrism. Focus on Jesus rather than human effort or intellectual deconstruction. Understand that there are many religions in the world, and that just because they vary in certain respects from what you might believe, they might not all be “wrong.”
I once talked to a follower of Christ who in good faith thought that only people in her particular religion were going to Heaven. No amount of persuasion, Scripture, or reasoning would change her mind. We need to focus on being and making Christ followers like we espouse in our church’s mission statement rather than trying to put everyone into a religious box.
Third, look beyond religion. It’s not about us; it’s about Jesus. Religion gives us a sense of group identity, but we need to understand that God did not set up a system in which everyone has to be of a certain religion to be saved. I believe there will be Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Messianic Jews, and others in Heaven; and we need to accept that fact, even if some of what they believe varies from what we believe.
I like what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (NIV). If that is what someone believes, they are going to Heaven. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, NASB). On Judgment Day, I don’t think God is going to say to any believer:
“You didn’t take communion just from one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17), so you’re not getting into Heaven.”
“You worked on the Sabbath. Oops, no Heaven for you.”
“You are just a few good works short of salvation.”
Many years ago, in 1763, the Anglican cleric and hymn writer, Augustus Toplady, penned the words to “Rock of Ages.” I love this phrase in that hymn, “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to the cross I cling.”
It is time to transcend the notion that we have the market on all truth, and everyone else’s beliefs are wrong. The most important thing is that we are making Christ followers, pursuing the “One Mores” God has brought into our paths. Here are some concrete steps I would challenge you to take with those in your life who don’t need religion—they just need Jesus:
- Focus on the person
In Luke 15 Jesus talked about seeking the lost sheep, lost coin, and the lost son. Singular concentration on the lost.
- Pray for your One Mores
Invoke God’s intervention and action to assist you in your efforts.
- Share your story of how you came to accept Jesus
Be proactive in sharing the gospel—just Christ and him crucified, not rules or what you think God’s mandates should be.
- Avoid meaningless arguments
In 1 Timothy 1:4, the apostle Paul says to not get caught up in “myths and endless genealogies.” Center on “Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1) and don’t debate things that are not important.
- Demonstrate love and compassion in practical ways
Our goal should be to be in Heaven one day and have people come up to us and say, “Thank you. I’m here because you shared Christ with me.” No religion, no false mandates, no misinterpretations, no classifications, no labels, no categories. In the words of the Outback Steakhouse motto: “No Rules, Just Right.”
With over 35 years of business experience, Mark Gambill runs the East Region Real Estate Division for Albertsons; has three post-graduate degrees; has taught for over 30 years at various universities; and has been a member of Christ’s Church for over 25 years. He and his wife Karen have two sons, John and Matt, and two dogs, Lia, and Tater.