I recently wrote about moralism, what it is (see this article) and how it relates to church (see this article).
Moralism is not enough. Human action is not enough to get saved. Human action is not enough to grow as a Christian. It straight up isn’t enough to accomplish the most important things.
I was talking with a nurse I work with, and he pointed out the flip side of this equation. And it’s a doozy. Moralism is never satisfied. When you believe that the important things in life depend on your own effort, including how God views you and treats you, you can never do enough.
Perfectionism is just a short step from moralism. Human beings will always fail to be perfect, both in doing the right things the right way (quality) and in doing enough of the right things (quantity). The Bible and Christian theology openly reject the idea of moralism and perfectionism, and work from a standpoint that human beings are fallible and flawed.
Moralism is a hard and cruel master. It does not allow you the realism or freedom of being human. It is incompatible with Christian faith and the regenerative power of God’s grace. Christianity is rooted in God’s character and action, and is all about responding as humans to God.
The next time you hear a sermon or teaching, ask yourself what we are talking about. Are we talking about what people are doing or supposed to do? Or are we talking about God and God’s character and God’s action? I believe you will find a lot of the first, and not very much of the second. We have a deep and constant need for clarity and focus about God’s grace, which accomplishes what moralism never will and simultaneously frees us from the anxiety and slavery of moralism.