By Debra Franklin-Rothrock
Jeremiah 6:16-8:7 / Colossians 2:8-23 / Psalm 78:1-31 / Proverbs 24:26
Have you ever noticed yourself having an almost innate emotional reaction to rules? A lawn you’ve never thought of crossing, suddenly becomes tempting, as soon as you see the sign, “Keep off of the grass.”
And religious laws, those rigid standards that many times are not found in the Bible, can be the worse culprits. I was raised in a church with some rules like these:
- You cannot go to the movies on Sundays.
- You cannot dance; dancing is evil.
- If you drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes you will go to hell.
- Women whose skirts are above their knees are sinful and to be avoided.
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Now, these may be good ideas in and of themselves. If you want to prohibit your children, in your home, from certain activities you believe to be unhealthy; no problem. And as an FYI, I do definitely like cleanliness, at my age it is best to keep my knees covered, and the only dancing I’ve done lately is in church. But to make a religious doctrine based on these? To believe that certain personal preferences will send you to hell? To enforce beliefs, not in the Bible, as doctrine for an entire church body? That is: “Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”[1]
This is what the Apostle Paul says about the law in general, “For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting.”[2] He even goes further in Second Corinthians, “ The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit pours out life.”[3]
In today’s reading of Colossians Paul warns us about religiosity and this kind of judgment, he says: “Don’t retreat back to being bullied by the standards and opinions of religion— for example, their strict requirements, ‘You can’t associate with that person!’ or, ‘Don’t eat that!’ or, ‘You can’t touch that!’ These are the doctrines of men and corrupt customs that are worthless to help you spiritually.”
In 2 Corinthians 2:17, Paul, again, gives us an alternative to religiosity: “Now, the ‘Lord’ I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom.”[4]
Imagine that! We don’t have to constantly worry about eating, dressing, walking, and talking in a rigid guarded manner! We can take our shoes off, let our hair down, and be ourselves. After all, we are new creatures in Christ.[5] We are free!
And Christ, himself, sums up our true responsibilities in two existing commandments. He says: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.’ Contained within these commandments to love you will find all the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.”
In conclusion, let’s follow Paul’s advice: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”[6]
[1] Matthew 15:9, Paraphrased
[2] Romans 7:7-8, New International Version (NIV)
[3] 2 Corinthians 3:6, The Passion Translation (TPT)
[4] The Passion Translation (TPT)
[5] 2 Corinthians 5:17, The Passion Translation (TPT)
[6] Colossians 2:8, The Passion Translation (TPT)
