And what does the Lord require of you?
Summary: History offers us a choice of following man-made rules or following God. It is wise to choose God even when we seem to be breaking the rules.
The problem with many churches is that they haven’t learned anything from the mistakes of the past.
In ancient times, the Jews added rules to God’s Word in order to make it “better.” More rules equaled more clarity about what God wanted his people to do. Of course, more rules also equal more ways to make mistakes.
When Jesus left his new church in the charge of his Holy Spirit, things moved along well for a while. There were very few rules. At one point the leaders in Jerusalem sent a letter to the Gentile believers which said the following:
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.” (Acts 15: 28-29)
Another time, Paul visited Jerusalem and came away with this instruction for the Gentile churches:
“All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.” (Galatians 2: 10)
Since then, like the Pharisees, churches have added more and more rules. Instead of relying on the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, churches found it more convenient to rely on rules.
It is certainly tempting to make rules. It is a real head rush to declare something a “rule” and have people actually try and make it work. There’s a power in rule-making that probably feels a little addictive to those who wield it. Fortunately for us, God is not into rules for the sake of rules. God tells us how it is.
The prophet Micah put it this way:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
Does that sound like a rule or is that someone just telling you the way it is?
God help us if we can’t get this one right.
Application: Love God above all else and everything else falls into place.
Food for Thought: Who decides if we are following the “rules” properly?
Matthew 28:18-20 and Ephesians 3:20,21. I must rely on the scriptures, prayer, and leadership of the Holy Spirit to determine what constitutes a scriptural church.
Well said, JEC!
If our focus is on God and the Scriptures it is hard to go wrong.
I agree with JEC. We need to let God decide which rules to follow instead of letting people decide. Of course, this includes ourselves. We must submit to God’s word and not add burdens on others that neither they, or we, can keep. Acts 15: 10 – 11.
Thanks Rich!
That is a tough order. We humans tend to be blind to our own actions. That makes it difficult to gage whether we are following our own rules or not.
When I read the question “Who decides if we are following the “rules” properly” the word that came to my mind was “compliance.” That was a word I once found comfort in (if I felt I was “in compliance”) while I was in the military. What I truly love about God, about His Word, about His plans for everyone’s life, is that there is no such thing as being “in compliance” with God. Now I don’t mean we can do what ever we want, and I do believe we all should be looking to do God’s Will in our lives. What I mean by not being “in compliance” is that my walk with the Lord is not a series of kudo’s and/or penalties, a checklist with a score at the bottom signifying that I’m “good-to-go.” It is a day-by-day, minute-by-minute walk, where I look to Him for guidance when I make decisions. I like what you said in the application statement: “Love God above all else and everything else falls into place.” I believe that is very true.
Chris,
You broach an interesting topic: How do we know when we are in compliance with God’s will? Luther tried to express one side of this equation by stating we live by faith alone. James comes along and says, “…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17) Are these two views the same or diametrically opposed? The answer has a lot to do with who decides we are following the rules.
You know Jeff, I’ve been chewing in my head on this all day long. I think the Holy Spirit really had something in mind for me here today (lol).
The short(est) answer I think I can give is this: I believe one can be redeemed by faith alone. The thief on the cross was. Redemption though is not the “end state goal”, but rather the beginning. That moment of realization and acceptance of God’s promised gift won’t “grow you” into someone that follows God’s Will. Everyday that you wake up is a new place of faith, not as much as a test of faith, but an understanding of how increased faith in God draws you closer to Him. God says “do this” and you do it not questioning why (or sometimes, yes, questioning why), but it is done in the faith that God’s plan is good and pure. So faith is increased by acting on the faith you hold. If faith is a small flame, then the deeds we do to follow God’s Will make that flame brighter and hotter.
James 2: 21-22 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
So how do I know if I am “in compliance” with God’s Will?
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
If I don’t love God, I cannot love my neighbor, and if I don’t love my neighbor, then this fruit will not appear in my life. And not just the fruit within me, coming out of me, but the results of my actions will not bear this fruit.
There was a whole lot more, but I tried to keep it brief. I appreciate anything you have to say on this.
Thanks
Great responses, totally agree.
12-13-2022, Who decides if we are following the “rules” properly?
The one who makes the rules. God has given all believers two we are to follow. In verse 34, Jesus saw the man answered wisely and said to him. “ You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Yes! 🙂
👍