Going too far?

About a year ago, a long-term friend gave me opportunity to share with her what the Bible says about faith in Christ, forgiveness and eternal life. Because she is a tender soul, I was careful in what I said, but she became very angry. She said that she’d suspected I was “radical about my beliefs” and because of my “religion” she would never speak to me again unless I apologized to her for talking about Jesus Christ.  She came to mind as I read this verse today.

So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” (Exodus 8:28)

Moses told Pharaoh that his people needed to go out of country to worship. He didn’t say that God intended none of them would ever return to that place of bondage. Pharaoh said they could go, then changed his mind. He feared losing his slaves, but he also knew that the God of these people had power. He had proven it with plagues every time Pharaoh changed his mind. Now this ruler said they could go, but not too far.

Eventually, they were able to leave, but only after the final plague. In this one, the firstborn of every household would die. However, those who killed a lamb and put the blood on their doorway would be safe. The angel of death would pass over those homes where he saw the blood.

Christians identify with the experience of God’s people in Exodus. We were in bondage to sin, but have been set free from sin’s penalty by the blood of Christ. Further, Pharaoh and Egypt typify the world that we have left, a realm of bondage to sin. As the Israelites were to flee that place and never go back, so also are we to flee the philosophies and lifestyles we once lived and never return.

However, in the eyes of that world, our fleeing is seen as “going too far.” Much like Pharaoh, the world is okay with us going a little way into our faith, even asking that we pray for them, but a full break meets with scorn and ridicule.

For instance, I’ve friends and relatives that have told me that Christians must love everyone. This is biblical, but in their minds, loving everyone also means looking the other way at sin. For them, “good Christians” not only accept sinful lifestyles but affirm them. I’ve been told that I must love sinners as Jesus did, but I must not go too far in condemning sin. I can safely reject the same things they reject, but I cannot let the Bible tell me what is right and wrong over and above what society accepts. That is going too far.

Perhaps the biggest conflict concerns the way of salvation. The world is fine with Christians being “good people” but when we say that no human goodness can earn salvation or merit favor with God, they become upset with us. We have become radical and our faith is unacceptable.

When I shared the gospel with my friend, she decided that the only way to deal with me was total alienation. Unlike Pharaoh, she cut off all communication and eagerly kicked me out of her life, all because I told her about the delights of my life as a believer in Jesus Christ. For her, the definition of a Christian (which she claims to be) is being “a nice person who would never try to convert anyone.”

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:18–20)

The one who decided to end our friendship is firmly convinced that she is okay with God because she is a “good” person. She is also firmly convinced that I have gone too far because I talk about Jesus. Even though she didn’t ask me to, I still pray for her.

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Father, You called me out of bondage to sin. Staying free of it means refusing to stay close to it and giving myself in total dedication to Jesus Christ. This means obedience even when the world around me thinks that I have gone too far. The Bible says that there are ways that seem right but lead to destruction. It also says that Jesus is the way, the narrow way that few will walk. I don’t deserve to be on this path, but here I am, and I am grateful that You are holding my hand as I walk with You.