It's Been a While

It has clearly been a while since I have posted to this blog. Our theme for the church this year is simply "Be Holy". I bring that idea up because holiness and legalism get confused often. I love people who are holy. I can't stand people who are legalistic. Holiness can only be brought into our lives through relationship with God. It is not something that we strive for in our own efforts because you cannot have Holiness apart from Him who is Holy. Holiness is driving by relationship and not rules. I see Holiness as conscious driven within the relationship of Jesus Christ. I can be Holy because in my interactions with God and seeking His direction there is a clear path for me to take and I will pursue it in my life. I also think holiness is more built around action as opposed to avoidance. You can avoid sinful behaviors and still not be Holy because you may not be actually doing what God desires. Legalism is driven by rules and avoidance. It's main focus is on staying away from things that are considered sinful. The thing I dislike about legalism the most is the way people can perceive there own convictions and make them Scriptural for everyone. I'll give you an example. Some people do not believe that dancing is appropriate for a Christian. I can accept their belief in this and respect their decisions. There is nothing wrong with holding this position personally. However, this personal position is often applied to everyone and is seen as a Scriptural mandate instead of a personal conviction. In many ways people will say "you shouldn't dance because the Bible says so". Where does it say that? Because in many place in Scripture where the word dance appears it is accompanied with statements of someone (a Godly person even) actually dancing.

I say all this because I see a trend that is not real appealing. There are many teenagers and young adults who appear to be rejecting church. They choose not to be a part of the church when they become adults. I personally believe a lot of this has to do with legalism that they see in Christians they know. This legalism becomes deadly when a person holds a legalistic view and acts hypocritically by engaging in the behavior they renounce in others. Our best way to stay close to God and keep others in the church is to actually draw close to God and let our relationship with Him be the driving force behind what we do and do not instead of a list of rules. We must strive for Holiness, but please leave legalism at home because it will never get you to true holiness; but it will get you to a self-diagnosed holiness that will keep you from achieving holiness according to God.

I believe the Ten Commandments are still useful for us to understand and apply but making that the focus can sometimes drive people to legalism. Our main focus should be on Great Commandment. Love God, Love Others. If we make this love commandment our basis for living and holiness we will achieve all that those laws were pointing towards but in a much more effective way.