FreeTruth

Most of my early life major influences had a strong distrust of holy days, and an instinct to avoid them. They saw verses like Colossians 2:16-23, and (in my judgment) rightly concluded that any legalistically required observance of holy days (what Paul calls new moons, festivals, etc.) is a form of spiritual babyhood; a reverting to "elemental" principles of religion below that to which we are called in Christ. We've been set free from such childish requirements.

They also pointed out that the Bible nowhere mandates Lent or Good Friday or Easter or even Christmas observance. And they were right. These are human traditions, and nothing more. And as such, they cannot be required for anyone. No one has a right to command what God does not command.

They also observed how many people treat these "holy days" as if they are really holier than other days. They noticed how people act more spiritual on these days than on others. In other words, people play the hypocrite, and feel that all is okay between them and God because they've done their Easter/Lent/Christmas thing. And so my early influences reminded me often that Paul says that all days are to be consecrated to God as equally holy (Romans 14:1-12). And they were right.

I thank God for these early influences. They gave me a due caution toward all traditions and man-made additions to God's Law. I live with what I think is a healthy resistance to anything that is a human add-on to God's Word. I hate legalism and thank God for all those who've guarded me from the deadening effects of tradition.

But I do think that many in my early life missed something else Paul said. It's found in Romans 14:5-7. Honoring one day above another in a special way is not sin. It can be done for God's glory.

So long as we avoid all the dangers alluded to in my last post, it's possible and permitted to observe special days. It's possible and permitted to set apart Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, Good Friday to remember the death of Christ, Easter (or as I prefer to call it, Resurrection Day) to rejoice in the victory of Christ, and--if we are so inclined--Lent, to do whatever our hearts desire to draw closer to God, more appreciative of grace, more humble before the Holy One, more repentant over sin, more trusting in Christ alone for our salvation, more in love with the Savior.

All the warnings still apply, but one thing we cannot do is forbid what God allows. If some choose to honor a season as unto their Lord in a way that does not compromise any truth of the gospel, then more power to them. May God truly bless those who do. And may God truly bless those who do not!

All that said, tomorrow we'll look at a suggested evangelical way to observe Lent if you so desire.

Labels: Christian Liberty, Holy Days, Legalism, Lent, Spiritual disciplines

If you've been keeping up with TFC's RMMR care group devotional approach you'll be reading Mark 7-8 today. That means you'll be reading Jesus' rebukes of the Pharisees; spiritual leaders of His day who tended to get it way wrong.

For example, as I was reading, I was struck by Mark 7:1-13, and the seemingly incurable tendency Pharisaic humans have to void God's Law by creating their own traditions. Legalism takes many forms; one is that it creates religious laws that God simply does not authorize, and then clings to those laws in such a way that they supplant God's Law in our lives.

Christian history is full of examples of this. We think of those early Christians who decided that sex and pleasure were bad, so in their zeal for what they thought pure, they denounced God's created ordinance of marriage and sexual joy in it. Or we think of those who denounce all (even moderate) drinking of alcoholic beverages as evil (because they supposedly damage the body) but then overeat or fail to exercise (which really do damage the body). Or we think of those who forbid all "worldly entertainment" as evil, but then entertain gossip and slander and complaining as a regular form of pleasure in their lives.

Or we think of those who ignore or forbid spiritual gifts (out of fear of their excesses) but then fail to earnestly desire those gifts (as God commands!). Or we think of those who criticize those who do not dress up for worship (according to their definition of dressing up) which God nowhere commands, but then do not shout and sing out and clap and kneel and leap and celebrate in worship (as God does command).

Traditions and preferences almost always will blind you to actual Laws of God. It's the way the Deceiver works. He tempts us to create laws that God does not endorse for certain areas of life to avoid seeing and obeying His laws (that He does endorse) for those same areas of life.

A safe and necessary rule to set us free from legalism and from becoming self-righteous critics of those who don't measure up to our standards is this: never accept as law or develop into a conviction any tradition or opinion that does not have clear and explicit support from God's Word. Never. If we cannot find clear and unmistakable biblical grounds for our opinions, then we must reject those opinions. Period.

Consciously check all traditions and styles and "ways we've always done things" by the simple question: Is this God's command or simply my tradition or preference?

If it is not God's command then either get rid of the tradition or relegate it to such a place of conscious indifference that it cannot ever again assume anything like authority status in your life (or in anyone else's).

Decide to go to war with your traditions and preferences to demote them to at least a place of indifference, if not a place of repudiation. I have found that repudiation is the best option; it keeps me hanging on loosely to all those things I think wise or good or best--and keeps me searching hard for all those things which God really cares about.

Let us hear the words of our Lord.

Labels: Legalism, Obedience, Traditions