Deck Chairs

Those who know me understand my frustration with what I call "symptom sins." These are the deeds done by those who hate the light of Christ that the church "loves" (there is some sarcasm there, but not much) to speak out against. For example, perhaps the two most common symptom sins attacked by the church are abortion and homosexuality. I routinely receive information seeking church support for some agenda against these or other sins.

My frustration stems from how I believe God sees these sins. Please understand, these are sins -- transgressions against a holy God. However, these sins are not the issue! They are merely symptoms of a greater problem (unbelief - a rejection of God). Addressing these symptoms is like trying to wipe your runny nose with a Kleenex. It addresses the symptoms, but not the core issue.

The reason for this is that the church has forgotten how God works. Addressing the symptom sins is like trying to change the world by changing the way people live. God seeks to change the world by changing people from the inside-out. Thus, the church's responsibility is not to affect the moral standards of society, but turn people's unbelief into belief.

A quote I heard last week at the conference was this: "The church is spending time trying to change the deeds of darkness. That is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." Perhaps we should focus on our real duty.