Part I: Introduction

So for my first blog, I guess I should begin by explaining the title of my blog, “The Straight-Line Fallacy”. I have used this title for several things over the past few years, from a web company to a musical project, but I think it is most appropriate as the title of this blog. I have always had some concept of what this title means to me, but I have yet to fully explore what it conveys in its entirety.

Essentially, this title was derived from the scripture, “For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and the religious ideology that to live the Christian life is to “walk to straight and narrow” with God. However in my own life experiences, I have learned that these two principles are not complimentary, but are contradictory. How can one truly believe that they are walking a “straight and narrow” path when we are constantly giving in and “falling” subject to our own desires and sin? Yes, to live a Christian life is a calling to be saints (Romans 1:7) and to live a life above the sin and temptations presented to us on a daily basis. But let’s not fool ourselves. If we believe Romans 3:23, we know that not only did we sin and fall short before we came into the knowledge and understanding of who Jesus Christ is, but we are a continual work in progress. We are constantly straying from that “straight and narrow” path seeking to fulfill the desires of our flesh. We are constantly straying so that not God’s will but our will may be accomplished.

When I gave my life to Christ and decided that I was going to live a Christian life, I did not understand the difference between living under the law and living under grace. Living under law is a legalistic way of life where obeying the rules and practices of religion will save you from your sin. Living under grace is a post-Messiah way of life that acknowledges the fact that Jesus Christ took our burden of sin and bore it on the cross. Living under grace frees us from works and rules based religion, but not all Christians understand this freedom. Living in today’s society, we are not use to getting something for nothing. We are not use to having someone else step in and suffer the consequences of our mistakes. That’s why it is so hard for human beings, even Christians, to fathom the concept that we are under the protection of the grace that Christ showed us by suffering and dying at Gethsemane. We are free from the legalistic chains that religion would have us believe is required to be acceptable before God. I believe that Pastor Stephen Wagoner (www.121blog.org) explains it better than I could when he states:

“… [N]ow since we have died with Christ we relate to God on the basis of Christ
and His accomplished work on the cross. We do not relate to God on our basis and
our behavior. There is no need for legalism. We are not working to earn God’s
acceptance. Now we obey God because our identity is found in His love toward us.
Living legalistic lives, always looking at rules and judging others robs Jesus
of the glory He is worthy of and robs the believer of the joy that is only found
in Christ. In Christianity, we learn to rest in His obedience rather than our
own.”

It is a legalistic and religious outlook that gives Christians a sense of entitlement and a self-rightous pride that they are walking on a "straight and narrow" path that makes them part of the elite, when in actuality we all are on a perpectual cycle of rising and falling.

All of this just to say, the notion that the Christian life is a “straight and narrow” path is a lie, a fallacy. I would dare to say that the Christian life is filled with more ups, downs, forks, and crossroads than the non-Christian life. However, it is through this imperfection and vulnerability that we can truly find our identity in the grace of Christ. Resist trying to live “The Straight-Line Fallacy” and accept that we are broken and can only be made whole and redeemed by the grace of God.