<> Ask the Pastor Pastor Walter Snyder Q: My sister is a member of the Lutheran Church. I do not go to church but I have in the past--many different churches and denominations. My\ sister has always been kind of wild but at the same time going to church. We get on the subject of sin and living according to what we think would please God and we do not agree. I think a person should try to do things right according to the Bible. I read the Bible and pray, and I try to live my life according to the way I think God would be pleased. My sister notices that I do this and tells me that I cannot get to heaven by my works. She says Jesus was sent because nobody is perfect. She just rambles through life and says that is what Jesus is for: He is to forgive her sins. She says nobody is perfect. I do not claim to be perfect but where is the line? A: I'm not a professional counselor, so I won't dwell on possible sibling conflicts that exist along with your question on forgiveness and living a good life. However--and I speak with experience as eldest of five children--you should examine the full relationship you have with your sister and see how it plays out in your lives. Your statements and question I've drawn from the two letters you sent me provide almost more material than I can easily address, but I see a polarization that may be wrong in both directions. I only have your observations of your sister, rather than her own words and deeds, so I won't delve too deeply into her behavior. If your sister truly "rambles" through life, never caring what she's done against other people or against God, thinking that God will automatically forgive her, she is mistaken. Jesus warned against "tempting" the Lord when Satan tested him in the Wilderness. Paul likewise admonishes us not to "sin much, that grace may more abound." At their extreme, such actions are part of the ancient heresy called "antinomianism." This is a belief that the Moral Law is completely voided since the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. The Scriptures also tell us that the fruits of our faith are visible. If our faith and confidence are not wholly in Christ, then our actions bring offense to him and to his Church. If she goes about acting sinfully and immorally, she has not heard God's Law fully and clearly, and has confused forgiveness with an excuse. Just because "nobody's perfect," we shouldn't intentionally persist in living imperfect, sinful lives. However, your sister may be unafraid to make mistakes. Sometimes we confuse faith in a Savior who cares for a "devil-may-care" attitude. She may seem to be a "rambler" because, while she doesn't intentionally go about sinning, she isn't worrying about the consequences as much as she is trusting in Christ's forgiveness. You have reacted differently to God's Word. Like some of those who came to Jesus, you are asking, "What must I do to be saved?" Then you answer your own question: You try to live right, pray right, and please God with your life. The problem with this is that when we decide that following the rules is how we'll please God, he insists that we follow all the rules. If we bind ourselves to obedience, God says the obedience must be total. Anything less is absolute failure in his eyes. Also, when we think that we can gain favor by our actions, we tell God that he didn't need to send Jesus. After all, if we can please God, then why was Jesus sent to suffer and die for us? We cannot live right, pray right, or please God with thought, word or deed. Even in your attempt to honor him by keeping his commands, you admit that you do not come to church. This is contrary to his command and his desire for you. He warns us to not forsake the "assembly." To intentionally divorce ourselves from the gathering of the saints is a sin. Worse still, avoiding church means being away from the place where our sins are forgiven. It takes you away from Jesus' body and blood in the Lord's Supper. It robs you of the support of Christian brothers and sisters. Why persist in telling God you don't need these and other precious gifts that he gives in the divine service and through a Christian congregation? Talk with your sister's pastor about your concerns. Admit to yourself, to the pastor, and--especially--to God that by attempting to fulfill the Law in your own life, you have broken it. Come to know the peace that belongs only to those who have absolutely failed to please God, yet who trust absolutely in his forgiveness for Christ's sake. Drop pride and pretense and stand empty-handed before him, allowing him to fill you with his goodness. Listen to his love for you and learn to live not bound by the Law, but freed by the Gospel to serve and please him with joy. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.