Rules or a Relationship?

Rules or Relationship?

Samuel:

When a person travels from one place to another, he will probably have a very definite goal in mind. This is true whether he is taking a flight, road trip, bicycle tour, hike, trek, or jaunt. If he has never been to his destination before, he will take extreme care to be sure that he is traveling the right way. He checks his route often because of time and money spent on the venture.

Life here on earth is like one big journey. No person has ever been to his final destination before. Nobody really wants to get to the end of his journey and be surprised at what he finds there!

If a man sets his goals too low, he will train himself to be satisfied with less. This person will never reach his greatest potential. A right objective leads a person in the right direction. Goals must be set and performance constantly evaluated to keep a person heading the right way. Just a slight alteration in his course could lead a person miles apart from where he really wants to be.

All that to say that we have goals as Christians. We have a destination. 

A Christian's primary goal is to develop Christ-like character. No low goals here! As Jesus himself said in Luke 6:40, “...every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” Our lives should be governed by looking unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). 

How would Christ react to things going on in our world today? Well, there are no set of rules that can contain the person of Jesus Christ. A Christian must have proper standards built on the principles of God's word, but personal convictions are just that – personal. Each person must develop his own stance on modern issues, cultural questions, and anything else not written in black and white in the pages of the Bible. 

The problem? Well, it arises when an individual tries to impose his personal convictions on other Christians by disguising them as the commandments of God. 

Can two believers have a different opinion on entertainment such as books, television, movies, games, etc.? Sure. The Bible does not always give clear boundaries on what is right or wrong in these areas. What about sports? Social media? Modern transportation? This might include questions on dress, dating/courting, music, etc. 

Sometimes the Bible gives limited instruction in a certain area, and it is a great temptation for us to “fill in the blanks” when teaching others. Because scripture is silent on many of these things, it is very easy to teach our own thoughts and experience even to the point of placing these in a position equal with the Word of God. 

But wait. God doesn't need us to put words in His mouth or help Him in writing an eleventh commandment!

An individual with a higher standard in a particular area is not “more spiritual” than a person with a lower standard. Christ-likeness is our goal. Personal standards are not an end in themselves; they are to help us become more like Christ. But for feeble mankind, following a list of rules is much easier than maintaining a close relationship with God. It is easier to have a quick answer than to beg God on your knees for His light and discernment about a situation. It is easier to rely on our own intellect than to try to know and understand the mind of God.

Alicia

I love the BBC mini-series Cranford. One of my favorite scenes involves Miss Deborah faced with a tough decision. It was considered scandalous for ladies to follow a funeral cart on its way to the burial ground; however, there was no male relative to follow the cart and pay final respects to the deceased. Following the cart certainly wasn't against the Bible--it was just a man-made rule. Miss Deborah gave the matter much prayer. In the end, she decided God wanted her to follow the cart because it was the right thing to do--even though it was against the cultural expectations of the day. 

To me, that is a perfect example of someone who knew the man-made rules, but felt that they were not right for that particular situation. She could have put her foot down and refused to be respectful to the dead because of what people would think. She could have followed tradition. Instead, she sought God's will and did what she thought to be proper in those circumstances in a humble, dignified manner. 

I love that. 

Samuel

So, how is your direction? Are you following Christ? Is your objective to be like Him? 

Alicia

It is way too easy to follow a set of rules, especially when they are what everybody else is doing. You know, tradition? Man-made expectations? But how often are we more concerned about what people think than what God wants and the Bible actually says?

Samuel

Is your goal to look good to others? Is it perfect adherence to a list of rules that you think makes you a good Christian? Will you end up in the joys of Christ-likeness or the hypocritical poverty of self-righteousness?

Together, we all should prayerfully consider what it means to be Christ-like, not self-righteous. After all, the key to holiness is first love. Our foundation to all men knowing that we are Christ's disciples is our love for Him and others.