S.O.S.

From Luther’s Small Catechism:

Q. What is the key to the correct understanding of the Bible?
A. Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, is the heart and center of the Scriptures and therefore the key to its true meaning.
( John 5:39; Acts 10: 43; John 1:18; 2 Tim. 3:15; Luke 24:13-27)

Q. What basic distinction must we keep in mind in order to understand the Bible?
A. We must sharply distinguish between the Law and the Gospel in the Bible.
(John 1:17; 2 Cor. 3:6)

Q. What does God teach and do in the Law?
A. In the Law, God commands good works of thought, word and deed and condemns and punishes sin.
(Mark 12:30-31; John 5:45; Rom. 3:20)

Q. What does God teach and do in the Gospel?
A. In the Gospel, the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ, God gives forgiveness, faith, life, and the power to please Him with good works.
(John 3:16; John 6:63; Rom. 1:16; Col. 1:6)

(In Sunday School, to help us remember the difference between Law and Gospel we used the acronym “SOS”. We said the Law Shows Our Sin and the Gospel Shows Our Saviour.)

So, as Lutherans are fond of saying: What does this mean?

In Holly’s recent piece Dear Mom, she kindly and compassionately admonishes mothers to go a little easier on themselves. She points out the incredible pressure moms are under to be perfect. Or at least nearly so. She wonders where the pressure comes from:

"I’m not sure who we are looking to who tells us we must be all of these things and more. Perhaps the home schooling community? Perhaps our inner drive? Perhaps the internet? We are able to “visit” in so many women’s homes, and “see” the edited version of “how they do it all?” We are always on some self improvement kick - which is generally good - but sometimes we need to see ourselves as we really are and cut ourselves some slack. We join group after group who will help us clean our cupboards and get our laundry tackled. And when we can’t keep up - we kick ourselves again."

The pressure comes from many different sources, but in the end, it all boils down to the LAW.

The Law accuses. The Law exposes our shortcomings, where we have failed to meet the mark in what we have done - and in what we have left undone. The Law points its finger and pronounces its verdict: Sinner. And it is under the crushing burden of the Law that we despair our imperfectness. Were it not for the Law, we would not know it, nor care about it.

Those of us who have been Christians for a while, well, we know our sin pretty well don’t we? In fact, the more we look, the more awfulness we find. When we face our shortcomings (I am being kind, for if we are honest, they are sins) our instinct can be to try harder - as if perfection were actually in our reach. Or it can be, as Holly points out, to despair, because deep down we know that we are never going to hit that mark.

Here though, is where I part company with Holly. Please understand me, I totally get where she is coming from. In essence, she is saying, (with love and kindness and compassion): “Be realistic. You are NOT perfect. You are NEVER going to be perfect. So take care of the essentials and let go of the rest.” And I can get on board with that (really, my own kids are 17, 15, and 13 – believe me, I have lowered my standards!). I have to go one step further though.

In the face of the unbearable burden of the Law, we don't need to hear one more thing we should do - we need to hear the Gospel. We need grace.
I know deep down, that even if I “cut myself some slack”, there is still going to be a nagging little voice accusing me. Because ME cutting me some slack isn’t the same as God extending his grace, is it? When I look to myself I can never be assured. Assurance can only be found in Christ and His completed work on the Cross.

So, to Holly’s very, very good advice:

“...take some time to be still. Stop cramming your seconds so full. Stop raising your blood pressure. Listen to God. Take care of your spiritual body. Take care of your physical body. Take care of your family. Everything else will flow down from there. Practice peace, practice patience, practice mercy. Let the perfection drop by the dusty wayside. Let it GO!”

…I add this: Take your eyes off yourself and turn them back to the Cross. Receive forgiveness. Be refreshed and renewed. Be His.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4