Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
In the context of Christianity, moralism is an ethical system for right behavior rather than a faith based on God’s grace. And it is this religiosity that I want to dig into today. But before diving in, I think we need to be clear about who we are and what we are about.
Why isn't it, moralism, about faith?
All faith expressions are an assent of the mind toward the truth, but more than that Christian faith in Christ alone is the ground on which the human soul stands, grounded upon divine revelation and scriptural authority. Christian faith is a complete trust, a strong conviction, and a belief in the gospel messages found in the scriptures. And this faith generates complete trust, confidence, reliance, and devotion to Jesus Christ.
So, this is the arena into which the Christian steps when they make a claim of faith in Christ alone. They take upon themselves the responsibility of believing and trusting in the gospel with confidence, reliance, and dedication to the Gospel's purpose.
This epistle message should be the Christian's underlying philosophy and goal when they step into that arena of faith.
1 Corinthians 2:2-5
"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
Because preaching, teaching, and sharing the gospel is not the wisdom of men and lofty viral speeches, but it is the demonstration of the Spirit and the power of his works being revealed in the world among men who have been converted to Christ. The gospel is the message of Christ crucified, buried, raised from the grave and now sitting on his throne of glory. It is he we believe, there in heaven, who rules with all authority to save those who believe in Him and obey his words. Those who are spiritual. Our faith is in him alone. Our trust is in his redemptive spirit. Our hope is in his hands, not relying upon human understanding to interpret his gospel for us.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13
"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual."
In the Bible, in the gospel scriptures, Jesus is taught to be the ground of our faith. We preach Christ and him crucified. On this truth we stand in our faith.
Luke 24:24-27
"Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
And he [Jesus] said to them,
"O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
What did Jesus not say to these disciples on the road to Emmaus?
He did not say:
"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them a message of morality by characterizing each person there in the scriptures as a study of perfection, of acceptable and righteous living and how The Lord desires that his disciples do likewise."
No...no that's not what he said.
Well then maybe he taught them about the systems of religious purity laws, and sacramental doctrines?
No...no not that either.
Well then maybe something more to do with intercessory prayer to employ other meritorious humans who have gone on into glory ahead of them so that they can approach Christ's throne for them and appeal for more grace on the disciple's behalf?
No...no not that either.
What did he do?
"He [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
I believe that too many are preaching a different gospel then what Jesus taught there on that road to Emmaus. Especially those who believe the gospel was intended to serve the church. I believe they make the gospel the slave to the priesthood when the church was never founded for that purpose. The church was founded to serve the gospel.
What Is Moralism?
Moralism is associated with legalism and a works-based righteousness. It's a system of church governance and religious morality laws that has perverted the core gospel truths that preached Jesus Christ and atonement in Him.
What were the gospel writers looking for when they wrote the gospels? Morality laws?
Read these:
John 1:45, John 5:45, Acts 8:34-35
No, they weren't preaching character studies about moral integrity in worship, ethical values inherent in the religious orders, or meritorious authority among the followers of Jesus. No.
They preached JESUS CHRIST!
They preached, "the good news about Jesus."
The gospel was never preached relying upon men for its effectiveness to save the souls of those who have heard it. The gospel is not contingent upon skillful leadership and effective oratory. It's not reliant upon music, stories, passion plays, movies, experiential experiences, smoke and mirrors, rock and roll, interpretive dance, lofty gothic ceilings, organs and church bells clanging and resonating. It is not reliant upon centuries of tradition and councils. It is not reliant upon the positions of authority assumed by men who have cloistered themselves behind walls of separation. There is not a gospel mentor required to save a soul.
The gospel is...
"In demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
With fear and trembling. The gospel should humble us, not lead us into building up systems of lofty human strengths and expressions of human demonstrations of our morality. The gospel should give us pause, not systems of reverence for the positions of the preachers preaching it. The gospel doesn't need us, it is Christ Jesus. He needs no help from mankind to save mankind.
What do we do?
First of all, stop thinking we need to do something, just preach the gospel.
Your being holy and perfect, your being pragmatic and programmed, is not necessary. Failing to preach Christ's gospel alone ultimately leads to preaching a false gospel.
So, just preach the gospel...
"So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
Moralism has reduced the gospel to a message about morality rather than the good news of salvation through Christ’s atoning work on the cross. All throughout the gospel we see Jesus doing battle against these moralists. The Pharisees, the Scribes, the Sadducees and so on. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day typified moralism, they were strictly observing religious rules, and Jesus rebuked them saying they were lacking the one thing the gospel came to share, God's love.
If people want moral laws and lists of works, they can do to save their souls, there are plenty of eastern religions that teach those sorts of things. They don't need Jesus Christ because the gospel doesn't teach that. The Bible is written to unfold God's redemption plan in the person and works of Jesus Christ. Not your works of morality.
Galatians 2:16
"Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."
"Not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ"
Not through moralism..."through faith in Jesus Christ".
You can't read the gospel and come away believing that Jesus justified his followers according to some progressive morality. The entire Bible preaches Jesus Christ, not moralism.
Example:
The church didn't like God's choice in David. He didn't measure up to their standards and expectations. The church feared Goliath. The church tried to force David into wearing their armor. The church tried to prevent him from even getting involved. David faced Goliath in faith.
What did David bring into that encounter?
Faith!
1 Samuel 17:37
"The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine."
Faith did that!
The ancestor of Jesus and his faith in God stood there. He fit not one moralistic mold. This imperfect son of man entered into that arena of war in this...Faith
1 Samuel 17:45-46
"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel."
On that rock of faith, that tiny little slingshot rock, rested the gospel message. This story isn't a reason to develop a manmade moralism focused upon David. Though it may seem so, this story didn't focus on David. "The Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel", is the focus.
Preach the gospel.
That's it. It's all we've ever needed to do.
Search the scriptures, yes! Search them for gospel.
Become the image of Christ Jesus, yes! You'll find his image in the gospel, not in any doctrine, tradition, or ceremony, those things are but shadows, looking through a dim glass.
Colossians 2:17
"These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."
The substance belongs to Christ!
1 Corinthians 13:12
"For now, we see through a glass, darkly..."
Preach the substance of the gospel. See Christ clearly in the gospel, clearly through the scriptures. Gospel faith transforms our hearts and leads to righteousness, not vice versa. Obedience flows out from salvation in Christ. Ethics is a response to the gospel; the gospel is not a reaction to our ethics. Genuine life changing restoration only comes through faith and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
The antidote to moralism is preaching faith that focuses in on the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ alone.
Don't take my word for it...read what the gospel writers believed.
Titus 3:5-7
"He [The LORD] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."