Being Versus Doing

I was listening recently to a podcast that got into the weeds of what causes people to behave against their free will. The information shared highlighted various kinds of parasites (both social and physical). The idea was, when physical parasites infiltrate the physical brain (that lump of meat in our skull) the social and physical barriers cross and therefore cause the brain itself to dominate the mind (that part of our soul; i.e. the mind, will, and emotions which fall outside the physical brain). Choice is no longer self-willed.

While I easily conceded that parasites do release toxins and toxins do influence behavior, I wasn’t quite ready to go the distance. Admittedly I have no physical control over when my body decides to have the hiccups or when one of my muscles begins to twitch, but the information being shared took it much further.

The podcaster, in my opinion, was painting a broad stroke across parasites being the root cause of socially unacceptable behaviors, and because the physical brain dominates the mind, it gives a “pass” for all who engage in such. She hinted that because the parasite was not something they chose, so long as they had the parasite, they had no choice but to continue to act in such deviant ways.

OOOH, that is so sticky and at the heart of it we will find the debate of the ages. Is God more focused on the sins (acts of doing) or on the sinner (the act of being)? Are we justified by faith regardless of our acts or by works because of our acts? The irony is that biblically oriented believers will strongly affirm that we are justified by faith, and then a large majority – without even realizing it – will “add to” that qualification in one way or another. Why? And what about those whose mental capacity has been hijacked and they are not behaving of their own free will?

Here is what I know: God, who is a HOLY God, deeply cares about both – the sins (doing) and the sinner (being).

I believe if we more closely examine the aspects of free will, we will have gained insight with understanding on how BEING can and does coexist with DOING. Follow along with me on this line of thought for just a moment longer to understand how this also addresses acting against our free will.

Can we relegate all deviant behavior to a parasite, as the podcaster suggested? What if we just equate the word “parasite” to the word “sin”? It would certainly be convenient on the day of judgement to have this free pass that I am not responsible for my behaviors (aka the dog ate my homework) because I had this parasite called sin. It reminds me of the old adage: “the devil made me do it“.

The bible tells us that all have sinned and therefore fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But if none of it was our fault, at what point then was the line crossed that caused Jesus to leave everything and come sacrifice Himself for us? What was the moment we became accountability – from innocence to guilt?

Consider that there comes a point in every person’s life when momentary actions become deliberate choices. I choose, I want, I desire… Should those actions become a lifestyle (repeated acts of choice), it is no longer a physical brain reaction but has become a willful selection.

It is the lifestyle that represents the BEING. If my actions, whether willful at first or not, become systemic choices that lead me down the path of death rather than life – one where I no longer desire to walk after God but am purposefully choosing to remain un-whole, broken – then it would no longer matter if I had 1,000 parasites! It all becomes part of a life – a series of acts – I myself have chosen beyond just the physical lump of meat I call a brain. Chosen out of my mind, will, and emotions – my soul choice. It is a life choice that I alone am responsible for. The “parasites” (aka “sin”) is all designed to keep me from knowing the only One who can heal me of all my diseases and put me back into a right relationship with the Father, but God promises that those who seek Him WILL find Him, and not even a parasite alien controlling the physical brain can override this.

Through Jesus alone we come to the Father, and we know that it must be on the basis of free will. I freely choose the gift of salvation, the restoration of relationship. I freely choose to love God and to love others. No one has forced me to do so, not even God.