Many Christians without realizing it will say they believe in one thing about our life as Christians, but turn around and nullify that with something else that totally contradicts it. Case in point is the following written by a Christian regarding our lives as Christians.
"Sometimes when we hear the word "Lord" or "Lordship" we get "scared" of that word...We think that God is hovering over us to make sure we are doing all these "Rules" and "Regulations"...IT IS NOT TRYING TO OBEY A WHOLE BUNCH OF RULES TO BE ACCEPTED BECAUSE WHEN I REPENTED YOUR BLOOD YOU SHED ON CALVARY MAKES ME ACCEPTED, BUT IT IS "OBEDIENCE" TO THE WILL(word) OF GOD. It means I surrender my will for Your(Jesus) will."
I want you to focus on his point about God not "hovering over us to make sure we are doing all these "Rules" and "Regulations."" With that point I agree with him. The Christian life is not a life of being obedient to rules and regulations designed to modify our behavior. The Christian life is a life of discovering to be dependent on the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us from within. Rules and regulations, or as the Bible would call it, the Law, do not change the heart. It is through a change of heart that our behavior changes naturally. We go from avoiding sin because it is wrong to avoiding sin because we know it doesn't offer us what we already have in Christ. We go from doing good because we will be rewarded or accepted by God to doing good because we are sharing with the world that which we have received from God through faith in Jesus Christ. However, the individual above doesn't make that distinction. Instead, he contradicts himself when he gives examples of what he believes "obedience" to God looks like. He goes on to write the following.
".....Here are some examples:
Jesus says: My Response:
1) Forgive 1) I will
2) Love my enemies 2) I will
3) Bless others 3) I will
4) Bring tithes to the storehouse 4) I will
5) Honor your wife 5) I will
6) Live Holy 6) I will
7) Serve others 7) I will
8) Honor my Parents 8) I will
9) Don't gossip 9) I will"
Correct me if I am wrong, but he just listed nine rules and regulations to follow. It is almost like he is giving his "Nine Commandments." Furthermore, he says these are "some" examples which means there are even more rules to follow. He is burdening people with the yoke of slavery Paul warned against. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)." Besides the nine things he claims Jesus tells us do, he leaves out some other things Jesus said. Jesus also said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away (Matthew 5:29)" and "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." Would he respond with the same "I will"? Of course not. Everybody knows that we can't be as perfect as God or that we are willing to destroy our bodies after we sin. It sounds good to your average person because who would tell Jesus "I won't" if He is commanding us to do something? Besides, once you go about announcing these rules and regulations you must go about defining them as well.
What is forgiveness? How do I love my enemies? What does blessing others consist of? How do I bring tithes to the storehouse when there is no Levitical Priesthood to support or storehouse to put my tithe? How do I honor my wife (or husband)? What does living holy look like? What does serving others look like? How do I honor my parents? How do I not gossip? You see where I am going with all this? Furthermore, what is the penalty for a persons disobedience? After all, a law without a penalty is no law at all. Most likely the penalty will be something to do with having your salvation questioned or being accused of having some "hidden" sin in your life. This is the definition of Galatianism. And what is Galatianism?
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" Galatians 3:1-5
It is living by rules, no matter how religious they sound, that leads a Christian into a life of works, self-effort and away from the grace of God. It is a way to allow someone to control you by giving you guidelines, rules, precepts, regulations and laws. The moment this happens you have been set on the path to frustration and depression as you dedicate yourself to a life you can never live. And the casualty will be the joy of your salvation and your trust in God. Don't be foolish. Trust in the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide you from within as the Lord promised. He leads you into all truth and to an understanding of the grace you have received from God. And if God is guiding you through life He is not going to lead you into sin. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age... (Titus 2:11-12)." If Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life serving others along the way, I think we can trust Him to live the Christian life through us without relying on laws designed to show us our need for Him in the first place. Be blessed.
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