The Dark Road

I gripped the phone as my friend told me how his day was. "This is why I tried to warn you that trying to know and do God's will takes you down a dark road."

I get a stunned response from the other end. I don't remember what it was exactly because my own mind was stunned from what I just said. I try to recover and continue on.

"It's a dark road fully of frustration and despair."

The conversation continued in a friendly manner, but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to really expound on what I said.

There are, effectively, two religions in the world. There is one that says, "I can attempt to know and do my god's will." This religion takes many forms in our world, Buddhism, Scientology, Islam, the list goes on. It's ideals has even infected some parts of Christianity. Some say that their god's will is that they "do" certain things, other say it's that they "experience" certain things and yet others that they "believe" certain things. While some people may thrive in these works righteousness systems, they all logically lead to the same place: once I know what my god's will is, how do I know for sure it is his will? Couldn't I be wrong? And once I know and do it, am I really living up to what he expects? Am I doing it just right and with the right attitude? Am I experiencing the right things? Feeling it enough? How do I know those fully feelings are not from demons (Edit: who so often parade as angels of light)? Do I truly believe hard enough? Doubts after doubts lead to fear, which leads to one of two ways to resolve the issue.

Some who realize that they can't live up to their god's will seek to make it more manageable. They simplify it, put fences around it or say, "Oh, we will let that offense slide." This is what the Pharisees in Jesus' day did. What was Jesus' response? He turned up the heat on the Law to show them what they could not face.

Others, who realize the same conclusion about their ability react differently. Plagued by the various doubts, they fall into deep despair, fearful of their god and probably view him with hatred. Their quest to live up to the will of a demanding god consumes their lives and their very soul. This is what Martin Luther did in a German monastery until the Word of God plucked him from his despair. Often others are not so lucky.

What was in God's Word that affected Luther so? Indeed, it was the other religion, the Gospel: The righteous will live by faith! "But wait!" I hear you say, "Faith? You mean we have to believe the right way!" You talk as though faith were a work that we do, rather than a gift that God works in us by the Holy Spirit through the Word.

Only the Christian can see to do the will of God. He does so not out of some sinful self-sanctifying desire, but rather the good he does do is sanctified by the perfect life of Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Christian sees God's will as good and right to do, but does not let it replace Christ as the focal point of his faith, lest he start down that dark road. Though he tries he will always fall short of God's will. But, as I was able to tell my friend, that is when the Christian clings tightly to the Cross and takes comfort that, as an adopted son of God, the Father will not disown him.