Law and Grace and Tiger Woods

Anyone interested in the difference between law and grace can get a great back-to-back comparison by first checking out Rabbi Yonason Goldson’s take on Tiger Wood’s public apology and then comparing it to Michael Hyatt’s view.

This last week I spoke to someone who told me about a scandal that had just occurred at a local Christian school.  She fell into what we all tend to fall into when presented with situations we don’t understand:  Aghast judgment.  “What was he thinking???”  “HOW could he have done that?”  etc.  In other words, THIS sin is heinous, beyond forgiveness.  MINE, well, it’s just a little bitty struggle.  Like a white lie, my (arrogance, pride, self-righteousness, judgmental spirit, unforgiveness)  doesn’t really count.  After all, those aren’t dark and ugly sins like murder or infidelity.

Let’s not forget that some of the worst sinners in the Bible were godly men.  David, both adulterer and murderer, was a man after God’s own heart, for pity’s sake.  If we, as Christians, have anything in our hearts but love, forgiveness, and grace toward Tiger Woods, we indict ourselves.

Let’s also not forget that Tiger Woods is a human being, and no matter what line he crossed, he deserves forgiveness just as much as any other sinner does.  Christian response to his confession should be bathed, not in cynicism and mockery, but in the abundance of love and forgiveness Christ lavished on us.

Hyatt adds:  “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14, 15).

Anyone claiming the cross of Christ should take those words very, very seriously.