Defense Mechanism

I have a couple of friends who used to strike me as gullible Christians. You know the kind. Someone gives them an idea that starts with "God wants you to ..." and follows it with Bible-lite proof, and they're off and running considering whether or not they need to change. At the time it struck me as too easily persuaded. Now I'm not so sure.

I realized that these friends lacked one of the most common defense mechanisms that most of us have. That mechanism is simple: "What is the least I have to do to be saved?" Oh, we never actually voice it, but it's the common concept. We turn "What must I do to be saved?" to "What are the essentials of salvation?" with the conclusion that "anything more is heresy." We'll put nasty-sounding labels on it like "legalism" or "Phariseeism", set up warning flags, and alert people to the error. There are groups that have started up to shout the good news that "There is absolutely nothing you have to do to be saved except believe!", leaving "do" and "believe" with definitions so ambiguous that I hear people say, "Well, if a person believes in God, then they're saved, right?" And you can see the reasoning. 1) Jesus is God. 2) You don't have to do anything. 3) If you believe "in God", and Jesus is God, and you don't have to do anything else, well, then, you're saved! In other words, "What is the least I have to do to be saved?"

My friends completely lack this defense mechanism. They have a bizarre perspective that runs 180°counter to that idea. They think, "I want to do anything and everything that God would have me to do. Further, I don't think I've arrived. So I'm going to keep on the lookout for anything else I'm missing." Strange people indeed. Well, you know those sinners. They must sinned much and been forgiven much, eh? Luckily, we don't have that problem. "Thank you, God, that we are not like those sinners ..."