CLS Announces its "Modest Proposal"
for Spiritual Growth
in the Legal Practice

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.    - Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV) 

What does it mean to be a ‘Christian lawyer’, particularly in the legal marketplace?  This is the number one question CLS hears from lawyers and law students.  We sometimes say the Christian lawyer is the one who evidences “grace and peace in practice!”  When we are asked to give an example, we sometimes say Jesus or Paul or William Wilberforce. When pressed to give a contemporary example, we sometimes ask the questioner if they have ever heard of Chuck Colson, Sam Ericsson, Bill Ball or “Skeeter” Ellis.  But the “great men” answer rarely satisfies.

The only completely satisfying answer is the “discipleship” answer: A Christian lawyer is someone, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who faithfully follows Jesus or at least bears “witness of Jesus.” Acts 1:8.  How did Jesus describe what this means, exactly, to follow him, to be his witness?  There was a way that he explained this that so impressed His listeners, they couldn’t forget it.  In fact, the first three books of the New Testament repeat his words almost verbatim and when we hear these words, quoted above, we realize these few words are among the most counter intuitional, the most counter cultural words of all time! 

The way to find yourself is to lose yourself. The way to fulfill oneself is to refuse oneself. The way to profit is only certain through loss. The way to attain is to forfeit. The way to be remembered by others is forgetting oneself. Self-preservation is the enemy of self-actualization. Self-realization lies in self-renunciation. The way to freedom is dependent servanthood.

Looking to Christ causes us to want to make a difference in His world.  We know we can’t do this by focusing on ourselves. So much in our culture tempts us to focus on ourselves and to develop associations that provide even more efficient ways and means to pamper ourselves, indulge ourselves, treat ourselves, and take care of ourselves. Yet Jesus says deny yourself. Be a servant. Get involved in His work of renewing His world with His love – a love he explained to lawyers included their provision of justice, mercy and faithfulness through their every day work. Matthew 23:23.

We are called to be that "Christian lawyer" - denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Christ, and therefore we have drafted the Modest Proposal for Christian Attorneys.  We know that Christian lawyers will not make an impact in their families, in their law firms, in their communities, in their legal system, or throughout the world if we are not growing in Christ.  We want to encourage all CLS attorneys to read through our proposal, pray about it, and take the first step in following Christ.

CLS wants every attorney to go "deeper" with Christ - thereby letting go of our needs and our will and allowing the Lord to transform their lives and those around them for eternity.  We also have drafted a suggested list of resources for individual, group, or those in leadership.  Please take the time to read through the Modest Proposal, and to delve into our suggested resources .  We are here to help along the way.

Modest Proposal for Christian Attorneys

Recommended Resources for CLS Spiritual Growth Groups

In Him,

CLS Chaplains Glandion Carney & Phil Ashey