Eric Johnson’s God and Soul Care is a fantastic treatment of formation and discipleship. While it is focused on soul care it reads almost like a systematic theology (which may be a turn off to some, I realize). However, his attention and thought on the topic of sin (referred to in traditional theological terms as hamartiology) is exceptional. Here is an excerpt followed by some thoughts of my own:
“At the most superficial level, this opposition to God, self, and others is paradoxically manifested in conscious overidentification with God. Here, we might say, sin cloaks itself under the guise of one’s religiosity, where one is consciously ‘on God’s side’ and opposed to sin. Yet this reaction formation is the most dangerous side of our opposition, supremely displayed in the murder of Christ in the name of God and righteousness” (220).
The most dangerous outworking of sin is when people use God to play God in the lives of other people. This is incredibly accurate from my personal experience. The most relationally harmful people have been those that stand on “God’s side” of issues and have inflicted undue harm to me relationally because they stand on God’s side of things. The most relationally harmful people in ministry that I have served have been those that have an “overidentification with God“ issue. They claim to represent God and his ways while being merciless and ruthless in their application of “God’s ways.” In doing so, they misrepresent the very God they claim because no matter how much one repents or apologizes, there is no mercy. No matter how much one pleads that our only hope is in Christ alone, those that have an overidentification with God issue simply will not let up. These religious types are like a pit bull and once they have bitten, they will not let go.
Furthermore, could it be that those with a strange obsession to prophesy on God’s behalf, speaking his words, hearing directly from him, and challenging those around them with specific words from God, have a subconscious desire to over-identify with God himself? Not that everyone who desires these gifts have nefarious intentions, but that it could be possible that those with a strong desire for charismatic giftings, a seemingly unrealistic thirst to be ‘used by God’ could, in fact, be operating in the dark and simply be trying to be like God. Speculation, sure. Possible, yes.
I personally believe that these giftings are important aspects of the church, but I have seen church communities and church unity ripped apart by people who seek to control the church with their unique take on how the giftings should work out. As an example, I have heard of a situation where one individual who was in the middle of bringing charges against his pastor in order to show his pastor’s unfitness for ministry then proceed to share a prophetic word from his wife with the pastor so that she could share it with the church during a Sunday service. This kind of relational denseness underscores the real possibility that it wasn’t God using this individual but this individual using God.
The relational harm inflicted by those who stand “on God’s side” is disturbing and, as Johnson highlights, exemplified by those who killed Christ. Those of us who follow Christ would do well to model his charity towards those who stumble and falter (as we all will at some points in life). We would also do well to call out those religious types who show no mercy to the wayward (as Christ did). The situation for those who over-identify with God seems hopeless, but we must remember that Paul himself was this very type of person, killing in the name of love. God’s mercy is inexhaustible. Let’s not become the very people we have been harmed by, by not extending mercy to the religious as well.