I have recently been challenged, though not personally, on the issue of using God as a justification for sin. What I mean by this is that there is a tendency to disregard any form of organized belief system ont he presumption that to do so is to open yourself up to come under the control of fanatics using God as a justification of evil actions. This is a very dangerous way of looking at faith because people begin to become closed off from being witnessed to, even if they do not see you as a fanatic. They may believe that you are simply a victim of brainwashing.
Let me say this: People who have become frightened of religion are not simply picking the fears out of thin air. Sadly there have been many instances of men and women professing various religions, christianity included, who have committed terrible atrocities. Jim Jones, for example. He was a type-A charismatic leader who convinced his entire congregation to commit mass suicide. Note: he did not physically kill them, but he used God as well as his own powerful speaking abilities to convince people to kill theselves for religious reasons. Of perhaps we look at 9/11, a group of Muslim fanaticists who drove planes into the sides of highly populated buildings.
Let's even look on a slightly smaller scale. People who use the Bible to justify murdering abortion doctors, beating up homosexuals, or even just to just to be mean. Fanaticism is a major put-off.
But let's step back and look at the facts. The Bible CLEARLY teaches us that such actions are a moral evil, abominable in the sight of God. In the Old Testament Law, as it was given to Moses, it states that we are not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain (Ex. 20:7, Deut. 5:11). While some have tried to apply this as being simply a refraining of using the word "god" in place of a swear word, the actual meaning is much broader than that.
In that time period, a person's name encompassed the entirety of who they were. This principle carries over today, in a way. I mean, just think about how many people will flock to see a movie just because Steven Spielberg produced it. Or an example from my own time working for a major book retailer, it is almost frightening to see how popular a book becomes once it has been endorsed by Oprah Winfrey!
Names carry weight to them, and God's name carries the greatest weight. In attributing His name to a certain act, or event, or even person, we put that thing forward as representing the Sovereign Creator of the Universe. Now, when I say I am acting on behalf of someone else, I had better take great care in how I act, so as to avoid the repercussions of misrepresenting them. I know that in my job I am expected to act and treat people in a certain way, because in that setting I am a representative of my company. To misrepresent said company could mean a termination of employment, or worse!
To say that we are speaking or acting on behalf of God means that there is an expectation on us to live in a certain way, as representatives of the Lord Most High. This is not to say that our salvation depends on our actions, but rather, as regenerated people, made new creatures because of the work of Christ, we should live like it.
My dad provided me with a wonderful example of this that I love to draw on in these discussions. I was hired by my dad to work for him in his bookstore. Going into it, my dad pointed out that I would be there as the boss's son, and all eyes would be on me. Anything I said or did wrong could be counted against his good reputation, and so there was an expectation placed on my shoulders to conduct myself in a particular way. Now, if I had messed up big time (which, thankfully, I haven't yet!) I may have lost my job, smudged my father's name, and ruined my own reputation. But I would still be his son, and that would never change.
Anyone who claims to be operating on the authority of God, if they take His mighty name on themselves, the onus is upon them to live in accordance with what he wills. Thus, the expectation is that said individual is constantly checking themselves go insure that they are in the right, they must study so that they may present themselves approved before God (2 Tim. 2:15). One of the key themes of the book of Colossians is found in the ninth and tenth verses of the first chapter, where Paul appeals to us to "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him."
For someone to profess Christ, and then go against the clear and explicit commands of Scripture is to mis-represent His name. While I do not condone abortion or homosexuality, the Bible makes it clear that the way of taking a stand against such things is not through violence, but in the proclamation of the gospel to the nations.
So to those non-Christians out there, do not be put off by those who would misrepresent the name of God, as these run counter to His teachings, and they will answer for what they have done. Instead, focus on what the Bible says to be true, namely, that "God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you [can be] saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you [can be] saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Despite the depravity and sin of our fallen condition, God's love and grace can extend to each and every one of us, and save us from destruction.
