You shouldn't do that! Jesus said not to.

Over the last few weeks I've been doing much pondering about my own beliefs and checking to make sure that they are in line with what Scripture truly says. My goal behind this is that I have backing for all my actions in life.

This has turned into an arduous task but I am confident that with the help of the Holy Spirit I can complete my goal.

My concern also has to do with my fellow Christians who seem to be adding to what the Bible says. It is certainly one thing to hold a conviction against something and not allow it in our homes. The issue comes when Pastors and even parents take something that is not clear in scripture and say you can't do it because Jesus said you cannot.

Let us consider the example of drinking. Drinking alcohol may be one of the more contentious issues in the modern church. This matter often leads some churches to separation and can lead to excommunication in the worst cases. Last week, in a Talkback session I was able to sit in on, John Cooper said that he didn't know of any modern theologian who could, without a doubt, declare from scripture that Jesus did not drink any alcohol.

He is correct. No theologian can without a doubt could declare that Jesus did not consume any sort of "strong drink," yet it is interesting to hear in many pulpits that drinking any form of alcohol for any reason is a sin(except for Grand Mamma's Nyquil). Rather than declaring something as a sin, perhaps we need to state that it may not be the wisest choice and then leave it up to personal liberty.

Music is another example. If you read my previous post on God Honoring Music on this blog, you probably did not see the numerous comments regarding the subject on my Facebook page.  The conversation was lively, but no definitive "Thou shalt not" could be presented by any of the people who are against my view. The argumentation was a conglomeration of many passages pieced together in order to achieve a known goal.

This is our problem as Christians as a whole. We derive an ideal based upon conviction, and it becomes so ingrained in our lives that we believe it MUST be Biblical. In turn, holding our convictions close to our heart, we consult  Scripture. This approach is totally backward. One should first start with Scripture then base our conclusions upon our findings rather than the other way around.

Example:

Conviction - TV is wrong. What do I do to prove this though. First I find the passage that says that Satan is the prince and power of the air. I declare that passage applicable, add it to a few other passages and voila! I now have a "Biblical" support of my conviction.

Some of you are laughing at me and others of you are saying, "Huh, maybe he's right." NO There is no Biblical support for no TV BUT if you choose not to have a TV in your home more power to you. I bet you will get many more things done than I will.

We must always start with a Biblical proofs and then end up with convictions rather than the other way around.   

Why do we do this though? Why do we have the urge to essentially shove words in God's mouth?

The first thing is confidence. We have a lack of confidence as Christians. We are not as bold as Christ has shown the example for us to be. We make up these rules because we feel the need for security yet for some reason we forget that when Christ left this world He left us with a Comforter . This Comforter can comfort our fears and enables us to be BOLD! We can have confidence that The Holy Spirit is there to enable us to have the confidence we are called to have.  

The second thing is control. When Christians are allowed to have liberty no one is in charge other than God. This idea shoots sand into the faces of people who believe that pastors are in charge of their flock. These people have power complexes and have a drive to be involved in every aspect of their parishioners lives. Yes the Bible does say that the Elders are responsible for the spiritual well being of their churches but that does not mean to hover. Pastors are to teach the people how to use Scripture to assist in daily living. Many pastors view the command in Scripture as an ultimatum to assume a micromanaging role. Sheep may be dumb but they are not stupid. How about rather than being a dictator of your flock, teach the dumb out of them.

It is interesting to note that from growing up in a pastors home and knowing many other pastors that the pastors who micromanage have a whole lot more stress than the pastors who do not. I have heard the argument that some people need the structure and control to grow. How ludicrous can you be? "My sheep need me," is the first sign that it is time to bolt. They do not need YOU they need God! These are the same people who think freedom in Christ is just a description of the spiritual realm that does not transcend to the physical world. I dare say that Freedom in Christ is not just freedom from Satan but from tyrannical overbearing religious leaders as well.

These leaders are the first ones who go to scripture to prove THEIR views. These are also the first leaders who tell people not to copy/paste their Bibles picking and choosing what passages to hold to. I suggest those leaders do the same.

Scripture is black and white. Our frail human minds are what mess us up. We read into things, and we over analyze the words on the page. My suggestion is to take Scripture for what it says. Don't read into it to support your own views. If you have a conviction, stand by it but don't attempt to be Holier by supporting it by butchering what God said. Convictions are wonderful and I have many of them but the ones I cannot back by clear scriptural references are ones that I cannot make someone else hold to.

My encouragement today is that we as a Church have everything we need to live our lives. Our convictions and our inclinations mean nothing compared to Scripture. Depending on the Bible for our sole source of direction in our lives is the ONLY way to live the Radical Life.