There is, among many well-meaning Christians, a common practice of creating commands, rules, and standards that the Lord did not make. If you have ever been in any church for any period of time, you will probably know of some of them. Years ago, church leaders railed against the playing of cards. In other settings, ministers taught against dancing. Still today, many Christians declare any drinking of alcohol to be a sin, or those who do not declare it to be sin will still passively affirm that view by only allowing non-drinkers to serve in leadership in their churches. When I was in a youth group years ago, I remember being taught that any listening to secular—read not intentionally Christian—music was a sin. Or some churches will apply very specific rules for what constitutes appropriately modest dress for ladies.
Why do we do these things/? Why do we make rules that God did not make? In all of the things listed above, the ones who made those standards for their churches almost always did so because they wanted to help. Church leaders saw the potential dangers in each area, and they wanted to set up road blocks to prevent their people from falling into sin. Ministers opposed dancing, not because dance is evil, but because, in dance halls of their time, dance had become sexually charged and lust inducing. My youth minister opposed secular music, not because of a desire to do any harm, but out of a desire to call his students to think on righteous things—a good desire. We all know that drunkenness is a sin, and some decided to say that any drink takes a step toward sin, a step that is better not taken.
There are two problems, however, with our tendency toward making extra commands. One is that they do not work. Another is that they dishonor the Lord.
Hear how the apostle Paul responded to a people who were trying to apply strict dietary standards to help prevent people from sinning against the Lord.
Colossians 2:23 – These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Paul says that the rules people were making up in Colossae had an appearance of wisdom. These did not look like stupid commands. But, Paul also said that they lack any power to turn a person from sin.
In an encounter in Matthew 15, Jesus was approached by the religious leaders of his day and confronted on not following their particular rules on ceremonial hand-washing. Jesus actually turned the tables on the religious folks, asking them in verse 3, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” “ It seems that the religious guys of his day had changed God’s laws to fit things that they thought were wise. Look at how Jesus described where they ended up.
Matthew 15:6b-9 – 6b … So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, , a strong condemnation in the Old Testament, which clearly says that God is not honored by people who teach the commands of men as if they are the word of God. This should lead us to a right conclusion that, whether from false or true motivation, to create rules and commands that God did not make is dishonoring to the Lord.
Allow me, at this point, to check the glee of the lawless among us looking for license to sin and to declare that nobody has any right to bind their consciences. To obey the Lord does not require a specific biblical prooftext. For example, while I would argue that no person has the right to tell another Christian that no Christian may watch a movie, I do believe that we can apply other biblical principles to call people to account for what they watch. If you are watching something full of sin and which leads to lust, if you are watching something that someone had to sin to make, you are probably violating principles of the word of God. This is not me making a rule, it is simply me applying Scripture to life. So, let us not pretend that there are no standards for modern living to be derived from the word of God.
However, and this should slow down the moralistic legalists among us, we make a major mistake the moment we start teaching as commands things that the Lord did not command. Man-made rules do not restrain sin. Man-made rules that are not clearly biblical commands or clearly and directly derived from Scripture dishonor God.
Am I saying that authorities will not develop and apply standards for their businesses or their homes that are not commands found in Scripture? Of course I am not. We have rules in our house about when bedtime is or what time a child needs to get home. Those rules are not Scripture. But, they are ours to make as parents. However, we are not foolish enough to pretend that our rules are God-given commands that must apply to all believers.
One more caveat: God commands us to obey our authorities. If, then, you are a child under parents with particular rules or an employee who is willingly employed by a boss with a certain standard, obey that standard so long as you are not violating Scripture to do so. To avoid drinking alcohol, for example, is not a violation of a biblical command even if a command to avoid alcohol for an adult is not biblical. If a parent has made a rule for the ladies of the house about what clothes are acceptable, a child must obey that command to dress modestly, even if it cramps her style. We obey authorities, and sometimes give up our rights to do so, and we honor God in the process.
Friends, love the word of God. Do not compromise Scripture. Obey the word with great faithfulness. Do not set for other, adult Christians standards that are not in the word. At the same time, do not pretend that we can disobey the things and principles the Lord has taught. The bottom line is this: Don’t play with the word of God. Fear the Lord and take his commands seriously. Love the Lord, and do not try to do his job by creating law.
Pastor Travis Peterson 