This is the second post in a series about what it does not mean to be a Christian. To read the first post in this series go here.

Contrary to the image so readily portrayed about followers of Jesus, it is not the job of Christians to be the moral police of the world.

Maybe we got bored of doing the Great Commission
I don’t know where the idea came from – maybe we got bored of doing the Great Commission – but it is NOT the task of Christ followers to patrol what people are doing in their lives and hand out violations.

Jesus did not die to make people moral
In fact, I’ll tell you what people are doing in their lives – they’re sinning – and yes its a big deal that they (and we) are sinners. So big of a deal that Jesus went to the cross – not to make people moral – but to pay for the sins of the world and give everyone an opportunity to be transformed by grace.

Enforcing moral codes or a force of love?
What if we redirected our energy from being the moral police force in the world to being a force that helps people experience the radical grace and relentless love of Jesus? What if rather than being known for being against people’s immorality we were known as being for loving people when they least expected or deserved it.

Domesticating the Lion of the tribe of Judah
Something happens when we reduce the message of Jesus to a moral teaching. It somehow de-claws and domesticates the Lion of the tribe of Judah and makes him little more than a house cat. Morality is a good thing and we should live out a Biblical ethic but it is not our job to enforce that ethic in others’ lives. God’s love changes hearts so lets put our energy into helping people encounter Him through Jesus.