The Roman Catholic Church has what is called Canon Law. It is the laws by which that church body is governed. It defines the hierarchy. It regulates the people. It administrates and oversees the polity of the church. What’s the point? Canon Law is meant for the common good of people. It guides the people on how to live. It governs who is in and who is out. How does the Roman church enforce this kind of law? To be honest, I have no idea. I guess they eventually kick you out after so many strikes. Maybe they make people feel really guilty.
The Roman Church does not have a monopoly on Canon Law. You can find it in pulpits across America, across denominations. One church body denounces all things that even resemble a Roman Catholic Church because of Canon Law and then they turn around and throw their own Canon Law at people. Sadly, from so many pulpits, the emphasis is law, law, law. “To be a Good Christian you have to quit smoking.” Law. “To be a good Christian you have to quit drinking.” Law. “Be a better spouse.” Law. “Be on fire for God.” Law. “Give your life to Jesus.” Law. “Feel the Spirit in your heart.” Law. Who is the subject of every sentence of the Law? YOU. What are the verbs? DO. HAVE. BE. FEEL. The Law is good but the Church is not about what you do for God. You should not be going to church to hear how to fix your marriage. You can find a secular psychologist to do as good or, sadly, an even better job. You should not be going to church to find seven ways to control your anger. You can count to ten for that. So why do so many pulpits laud Canon Law? Canon Law is misused to give reassurance of salvation. People look to Canon Law for comfort, to see if they are “in”. We wrongly trust that somehow we can keep ourselves in the Church. If Canon Law is what the Church gives, we are pitiable and lost.
What is it that the Law does according to God’s Word? It curbs us from making poor decisions. It reveals our sin. It guides us as Christians. Jesus says that all the Law and the prophets are summed up in this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” The Law is good. It is God’s will. It is meant to govern and guide mankind. It defines the hierarchy. It regulates the people. It protects the weak and the poor. An honest gaze into the mirror of the Law reveals, with crystal clarity, that you and I do not measure up (Romans 2:12, 3:23). Here’s the problem, by nature you hate God (Ephesians 2:3; James 4:4). By nature you hate your neighbor. By nature you are guilty of breaking all of God’s Law. You do not measure up to what God demands. On your own, you never will. If you think you do measure up, you’re deluded. That’s the problem when the Law is the center and end of theology. We end up deluded or depressed.
Law comes naturally because the work of the Law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15). The church is not without Law because God’s Word is not without Law. In fact, true and bitter Law leads us to desire real and sweet Gospel. This is the reality; the Law serves the Gospel. It points to the Gospel. It kidnaps you, in terror, into the van of condemnation only to drive you to the freedom of the Gospel. The center of the Church is not the Law.
The Gospel is the center and circumference of the Church. The Good News of Jesus Christ who was born into the world, who was tempted in every way we have been tempted yet is without sin (Hebrews 4:15), who obediently suffered on the cross, who died, who proclaimed to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19), who was raised to life and by His authority now sends men into the world to baptize and teach (Matthew 28:19-20), this is the axle around which we hang our spokes. This is the ruler we use to measure the Bride of Christ. This Canon Gospel is what Sunday morning is all about. Every Sunday we publicly confess our sins because we are condemned by the Law. God declares you forgiven through your pastor. Canon Gospel. We watch as an infant feels the compassion of God in liquid form received by faith alone. Canon Gospel. We swallow down, whole, the body and blood of Christ in bread and wine so that, despite our rebellion, we have no doubt that we are forgiven, that we are “in”. Canon Gospel. There is no canon that can measure up to this one. It is what defines the Church. By God’s mercy, it is what you called your pastor to declare. It defines who we are solely by what Jesus Christ has done and finished for us (John 19:30). Canon Gospel, the central message of the Church, is how an external God, His external Word, His external promise of forgiveness is made internal through the blood of Jesus by God’s gift of faith. He does it over and over and over again. In Canon Gospel, the subject of the verb is always God. He forgives. He loves. He provides. He does. We are passive recipients. Church is Canon Gospel; weighed, measured and found forgiven by Jesus Christ. To be a good Christian Jesus Christ has to forgive you, period.
Do not go to church to hear how to be a better doer. That Canon Law can be done by anyone. Go to church because God forgives even you. Canon Gospel is for you.