Towards Rule Free Living
If and only if we have been transformed, we can get on the road towards rule free living.
Paul laid it out for us in the first verses of Romans 8 when he wrote:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
In effect, we are no longer governed by rules – or we do not have to be. The rules for sure can be a guide, but the new road is to be led by the spirit.
This is a fundamental shift obviously, and we need to understand it in order to embrace it.
See, rules can be problematic.
Scripture points this out. In Mark Chapter 2, Jesus’ disciples were walking through a wheat field and casually plucking a few strands of grain then popping them in their mouths. The Jewish scholars on a fault-finding tour, told Jesus that his disciples were breaking the law by that simple act, since it occurred during the Sabbath.
Jesus thinking these guys were batty, made a huge point not only about the Sabbath but the law in general, by saying the Sabbath was meant for people, not people for the Sabbath.
The intent of the law was to guide us, not to create these ridiculous requirements. Jesus following that thought, healed a man on the next Sabbath to the dismay of these legal experts.
Their legal argument was absurd. How could they complain about someone being healed on the Sabbath – as if healing were some kind of controlled act. Their subjugation to the rules lacked both compassion and common sense. Jesus was disgusted. How did rule keeping get us here, which is so far from the intent and purpose of God?
Going forward we must not blindly follow rules as if we are under some sort of psychological subjugation. Let the rule be our guidelines (for sure) as we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit without compromising love, righteousness, wisdom, and peace. Do not think God wants to put you in danger, or in pain, or misery, or any unnecessary suffering to merely follow rules.
Case in point, I’m not going to advise a battered woman go back to her husband because that’s the rule, regardless if it was nonsensical, if it puts her in danger.
Likewise, I am not going to sit in a wacked out church because that is the rule. I know church is supposed to be a net positive, so I will keep looking.
In both cases I know the intent of the rule, but in both cases I understand that God is both wise and compassionate. I understand the rules, but I opt to be led by the Spirit and advise safety while seeking it for myself.
It represents a major shift, if you can absorb it.