I love God's Word (The Bible)! I believe that it is true, that is has authority, that it has stood the test of time, and that one of the greatest acts of love in world history was God loving us enough to give us instruction that has been protected and preserved over centuries to bless and guide the church.
However, the Bible is not a math book, so we should stop treating it like one! Here is what I mean:
In math 2 + 2 = 4. The reason reason this is the case is because well...2 + 2 = 4. It is known fact, it doesn't need to defend itself, it is what it is.
Here is where the tension occurs, many people try to govern morality using the Bible as a math book making this argument: "you should or shouldn't do something because thats what the Bible says." That line of reasoning isn't wrong...but it is lazy and incomplete.
The truth is that the Bible was never intended to be a rule book providing lists of arbitrary laws that people must follow. Instead, scripture is the true story of how God loved his people so much that in spite of their evil and rebellion he provided them with salvation. Are there parts of the Bible that give specific instruction on how to live? Absolutely! But they are there with a purpose and are given to us because God loves us and wants us to display wisdom, love one another, be safe, and ultimately become more like his son Jesus bringing Him glory!
That being said there is a better way to give instruction from scripture than "the Bible says so" method and here is what it looks like:
Example 1: High school boy admits to drinking and partying
Response 1 - "Stop partying because you are not old enough and the Bible says don't get drunk." (law-driven, lazy response)
Response 2 "The reason you shouldn't be engaging in those activities is because as a follower of Jesus who God has loved and saved, we have the ability and responsibility to model Jesus to others.
The reason we are told to flee drunkenness in the Bible is because drunkenness is both addictive, meaning it is easy for alcohol to replace Jesus in our hearts and we end up worshipping alcohol, but also drunkenness causes us to make decisions and act in a way that does not represent Jesus well and can lead us to make decisions that we will regret for the rest of our lives.
Drunkenness is a self-centered desire to feel a certain way, because Jesus loved use and and gave his life for us we should no longer be motivated by selfish desires but live in a way that model's Christ's love and grace to others, that will not happen when we are drunk! You have been forgiven, and loved by God, therefore Jesus needs to be at the center of your decision making process, not abuse of alcohol!" (gospel driven response)
Example 2: Young woman (believer) enters a into a relationship with a man who is not a Christian.
Response 1: You need to break up with him because the Bible says you have to marry a Christian (law-driven, lazy response")
Response 2: "As a child of God, you are loved by God in a way that is impossible to even comprehend. God has called you his daughter, has chosen you, pursued you, and made a way for you to be saved. God also, because he loves you and you are his daughter, He cares deeply about who you marry. Marriage was given to us by God to represent our relationship to Christ! That is why the church is often referred as the bride of Christ in the New Testament.
The reason we are told not to marry non believers in scripture is not because God is a control freak, but because he loves you and wants to protect you. As a believer in Christ, you are no longer ruled by sin and driven by selfishness, but now you have the desire to honor and glorify Christ by how you live. The guy your dating doesn't share those desires, and without Christ he will continue to be motivated by selfish desires, he will not love and lead you in a way that models Jesus, he will not help you grow in your relationship with God, and he will pressure you to cross lines that you are uncomfortable with. This will lead to sorrow, regret, and eventually loneliness, even though you are in a relationship!
In conclusion, it is the gospel and God's love for us that is the motivation for change and repentance (Rom. 2:4). When we lean on the Bible as only the law or rules that we have to live by and we don't take the time to explain grace, and how the gospel changes everything, we are not necessarily wrong...but we are lazy and incomplete in our instruction.
Well spoken, it is to bad more young people don't look at the word in the same way as this. So often we do become law driven and lazy, when trying to convey this to our families, friends and young teens.
ReplyDeleteSo true Nancy! We need to continually be reminded of God's grace, that is what motivates us to love and follow him!
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