Labels

I really don’t like labels.

Not the kind that identify the ingredients in a product, which I should read more carefully, but the kind that attempt to polarize who is “right” and who is “wrong” measured by an agenda. It reminds me of what President Abraham Lincoln said when asked if he thought God was on the side of the North, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” And everybody wants to be right, so we label, if not to identify who’s right, at least so we can point out who’s wrong. Not good.

“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.” – Galatians 6:14-16 New Living Translation

You gotta love Paul and his way of bringing everything back down to earth.

What he’s writing to them about is labels. These are groups who want you to identify with them: Join us because it’s us against them, you know.

In particular, the people of Galatia were being forced to be circumcised under the Jewish tradition as a condition of their salvation in Christ. Paul warns them that this was nothing but an attempt by religious teachers who wanted to look good in front of the Jewish leaders, and not be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. He also warned of those who wanted them to join with them just so they could boast about gaining more followers than the other groups (6:12-13). Labels.

We see it today, too. We’re calling them: Conservative, Moderate, Liberal, Atheist, Agnostic, Fundamentalist, Anti-This, Pro-That, Right-Wing, Left Wing. Polarizing-- makes my skin crawl.

Paul takes us to our own heart condition and motivations, “May I never boast about anything except the cross…” In the King James Version the word glory is used instead of boast, “May I never glory…”  Both use the same Greek root: kauchaomai, meaning to vaunt or a vain display of self-worth, to brag based on a wish.

If he were writing to us in our churches today I imagine he would probably use the same root. He would probably approach the subject with the same look into our heart and motivations. If we’re going to boast, glory, make a vain display of anything, let’s keep it limited to the cross of Christ that has done all the work of our salvation. Let us not bring in our own religious efforts by attempting to label who’s more right, and who’s more wrong. It’s wishful thinking, and it’s vain.

He’s saying that boasting in this kind of manner leads to these labels and the measurements and standards of man. Looking for and trying to identify with a label creates division, factions, isolation, pride, anger, envy, malice, and all sorts of evil things that can come up from inside our heart and dictate our actions. But Paul says that all who live by the principle of not following a label for a label’s sake should be at peace, having recognized their experience of the mercy of God.

He’s saying that because of his experience with God’s mercy at the cross of Christ his interest in being labeled has been crucified with Christ on that cross. Instead of joining up with a group that leans this way or that way on religious topics, he says that draw or that pull should have died to us. He says having a label doesn’t matter, what matters is that we have been transformed from what we were by the sinful world’s standard to a new creation by Christ’s standard.

These are the new people of God. God was doing a new thing in the hearts of men and women through the cross of Christ!

When I read what Paul is trying to teach us I read it like this:

“As for me, may I never brag in a vain attempt to justify or prove my faith, righteousness, or self worth about anything I have done or value except having gone to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the work accomplished in me from that cross, my interest in being labeled as a ____________ has been crucified. Their interest in me has also died because I no longer measure my righteousness or worth by their standards, so I will be no good to their agenda. It doesn’t matter what our personal perspective is or where it comes from. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation and no longer have those agendas. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.” – Galatians 6:14-16 (through Mike’s eyes).