Preach and Teach Grace
During my graduate studies I was honored to serve for several months as valet and personal secretary to Dr. E. Stanley Jones. My time with this 87-year-old veteran Methodist missionary was a life-changing experience.
I asked Brother Stanley, as he preferred to be called, "What is the greatest weakness in the Church of the Nazarene?" "Because your fellowship has established a code of conduct," he answered, "you run the risk of legalism and Pharisaism. Nazarenes may believe they are saved because they do not drink alcohol, use tobacco, or dance."
Having seen some sour legalism dressed as holiness I countered, "So should we drop the rules and simply urge every member to prayerfully do what they think is right?" In classic wisdom he responded, "There is no reason why godly women and men cannot humbly open the Bible, look at their world, and develop corporate guidelines for holy living. Refusing to do this, some groups have fallen into spiritual lawlessness. Remember, however," he continued, "these collective convictions may change from culture to culture and generation to generation."
He seemed to hear my silent question: "Is this salvation by rules?" His capstone comment provided the balance: "While you humbly embrace the code of holy conduct preach grace every second sermon. This reminds us, 'It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast' (Ephesians 2:8-9)."
In a few months our global church family will gather in Indianapolis for the Church of the Nazarene General Assembly and Conventions. We come together in June 2005:
- for inspiring, challenging God-worship
- for uplifting, encouraging fellowship
- to hear the voice of the Lord
- to enact wise, missional legislation
- to be held mutually accountable
- to embrace visionary faith projections.
As in the past, some of the discussion will involve the General Rules and the Covenant of Christian Conduct. Some people are afraid enough of legalism to prefer removing this collective conscience. Others yearn for a complete catalog of "dos" and "don'ts" that can be the litmus test for "true Nazarenes." Meanwhile in pursuing holiness we can remember:
- God has given us eternal absolutes, such as the Ten Commandments.
- We have personal convictions that we develop in concert with the Spirit's work in our lives.
- Collective convictions guide our lives in community as the Body of Christ.
We do not need to apologize for this prayerfully hammered-out corporate code of conduct. We understand that these may be culturally and generationally sensitive.
Called to be light in a dark world and salt in a tasteless society, we embrace the collective conscience boundaries for holy living.
At the same time, we preach grace every second sermon!
While holding each other accountable, we constantly preach and teach God's amazing grace.
God's grace was drawing us long before we embraced the Christian lifestyle. By God's grace we are saved, sanctified, sustained, and are being transformed into the Lord's very image. The joy of the Lord is our strength. We are not talking about guilt-driven, peer-pressure holiness. We are embracing the lifestyle that flows from a romance relationship with our Lord and holds a loving respect for our brothers and sisters.
Jerry D. Porter is a general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.
Holiness Today, Sept/Oct 2004
Please note: This article was originally published in 2004. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.
