Late For Breakfast

Republican Senator Nancy Mace made headlines a few weeks ago when she was attending the state’s annual prayer breakfast. She was running late for the event put on by senator Tim Scott. But her being late was not the reason for all the news surrounding her; it was the explanation that she gave for being late. Fox news reported, “Mace said Wednesday that her fiancé tried to keep her in bed that morning, but she insisted she needed to get to the breakfast on time. "When I woke up this morning at 7, I was getting picked up at 7:45, Patrick, my fiancé, tried to pull me by my waist over this morning in bed. And I was like, 'No, baby, we don't got time for that this morning, I gotta get to the prayer breakfast, and I gotta be on time," Mace remarked.

Nancy reportedly is a protestant christian that currently attends a non-denominational church. This didn’t sit well with many conservative christians. To think that someone that is  a leader in our nation that is supposedly a christian would commit such a blatant sin as living with someone and having sex before marriage.

 Fox news report continues, “But some conservatives took issue that Mace used her platform at a Christian prayer breakfast to make light of premarital sex, which Christianity considers a sin. Tom Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Florida, chided, "How thoughtful for Nance Mace to delay fornication so she could show up on time for Tim Scott’s prayer breakfast. Reminds me of a line from that old song, "E'rybody talkin' 'bout heaven ain't going there."

And if this wasn’t controversial enough, her response to all the “heat” she was getting certainly put gas to the fire: "I go to church because I’m a sinner not because I’m a saint! Glad those in attendance, including Senator Tim Scott and our pastor, took this joke in stride. Pastor Greg and I will have a little extra to talk about on Sunday now," she said.

This is the American version of Christianity on full display. While we know we probably shouldn’t do certain things, if you at least acknowledge they're not good, it's ok to keep doing them. No need for change. No need for repentance. C.S. Lewis’ was right in saying, “The 'frankness' of people sunk below shame is a very cheap frankness.” Her response tells it all, “I know I am a sinner, I'll admit it. That's what I believe!” But admitting you're a sinner is only part of it. You not only have to admit your sin, but also repent of it! This is what Jesus meant when He told us to die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow after Him. Acknowledgement does not make you a christian. Admitting sin does not make you a christian. Repenting of that sin and faithfully trusting in Christ does.

But this is what we get in America when we do not want to stand up to sin. When we do not want to hold people accountable in our churches. Sin is nothing to be trifled with. What Nancy treats so lightly, Jesus bled and died for. We are to be working toward holiness just as He is holy. JC Ryle said, “I cannot see how any man deserves to be called "holy," who willfully allows himself in sins, and is not humbled and ashamed because of them.” And I do not know how Nancy can believe she is a true Christian.

Actually I do know! It is obvious her church is not a church that preaches the word and holds its members accountable for their lives and administering church discipline. Her pastor may be the biggest culprit. She made it seem like he is perfectly fine with what is going on. That he got the joke. But sin is no laughing matter! When we do not look at sin the way the Bible teaches us about it, we play with it, instead of fighting it. Let us take note and not be so lighthearted about the sins in our lives. Let us be fighting sin constantly. As John Piper would say, “A saving faith is a fighting faith” or John Owen “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” Let us realize there is a war going on and sin is what the enemy will use to defeat us. Take Paul's warning seriously,“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)