Biblical Standards vs. Christian Law
"Without even knowing it I had judged myself guilty by someone else's standard. I had condemned myself by that standard and was left feeling like a complete failure. To my family and loved ones I was doing fine, yet I was blinded to the fact by my own self-induced guilt." -"Seasons of a Mother's Heart"; Sally Clarkson; p. 162
Sometimes what people say isn't necessarily wrong, there can be wisdom in what is shared; but the question we need to ask ourselves is, "it a biblical standard?" What may be relevant to one person's situation may not be so for our own. It's very easy to allow personal preferences to overtake us to the point where we then judge others for not living according to our standards.
These personal preferences can easily cause division in the body of Christ. Some examples in and around my life have had to do with school choice, mothers working outside the home, health, fitness and nutritional preferences, media and literary selections as well as types and amount of activities for our children. We will each be led differently in these various areas. As Sally Clarkson writes, "the freedom and joy of doing God's will their way. . . (begins to be) subtly supplanted by the burden's of trying to God's will someone else's way." (p. 164)
I have been guilty of imposing my high ideals on others as "the right way" or even "the godly way" to do things. And also have fallen prey to guilt by allowing myself to feel that I'm not living up to another's ideals for family or personal life. It becomes far too easy to practice what Sally Clarkson calls "Christian law". (p. 165) She reminds the readers of her book that "many matters of Christian faith and practice find their origin in specific Scriptures, but are in reality man-made standards." (p. 165) And that "God has provided very few such formulas in Scripture; rather, he encourages us to live by faith, not depending on formulas to know if we are 'doing it right,' but on Christ, and on the Spirit of God in our hearts." (p. 166)
When we think we are right about something, no matter what it is about, we want everyone else to agree with us, "not just in principle, but in practice." But "if I use my personal standard to judge another person's standards, then I have created Christian law. And when it is used even to accuse others, or to question their relationship with God, then it becomes legalism. Legalism is the practice of creating external standards of belief or behavior to judge whether a person is righteous, or mature, or not." (p. 166) God provided a Savior in Jesus; and we are accepted by God by our faith in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. External works are not the means by which we receive salvation.
Galatians 5:18 reminds us that we are to be led by the Spirit; that we are not under the Law. Sally Clarkson writes that "God wants us to live by faith in Christ, instructed by his word, and guided by his Holy Spirit, not in an immature dependence upon others to tell us how to live." (p. 167) However, we must be careful not to allow our freedom in Christ to become a stumbling block to others (Romans 14:22; 1 Corinthians 8:9). As we become confident in our choices for our own lives and family, we must be sensitive to the choices of others.
Sally writes that if we are feeling burdened, "then perhaps we have required things of ourselves that the Lord never asked us to do. Perhaps the standards we are trying to follow are not God's standards, but man's. Perhaps we are living by formula, rather than by faith." (p. 169) If we are feeling overly burdened, it may be "because of our own insecurity, immaturity, or limitations. Sometimes it is because we fail to discern that a teaching is not a biblical standard, but just someone's opinion. Sometimes it is because we have willingly put ourselves under the rule of 'Christian law'."
As we learn to navigate the many choices in this life, may we continue to seek biblical wisdom.
Sometimes what people say isn't necessarily wrong, there can be wisdom in what is shared; but the question we need to ask ourselves is, "it a biblical standard?" What may be relevant to one person's situation may not be so for our own. It's very easy to allow personal preferences to overtake us to the point where we then judge others for not living according to our standards.
These personal preferences can easily cause division in the body of Christ. Some examples in and around my life have had to do with school choice, mothers working outside the home, health, fitness and nutritional preferences, media and literary selections as well as types and amount of activities for our children. We will each be led differently in these various areas. As Sally Clarkson writes, "the freedom and joy of doing God's will their way. . . (begins to be) subtly supplanted by the burden's of trying to God's will someone else's way." (p. 164)
I have been guilty of imposing my high ideals on others as "the right way" or even "the godly way" to do things. And also have fallen prey to guilt by allowing myself to feel that I'm not living up to another's ideals for family or personal life. It becomes far too easy to practice what Sally Clarkson calls "Christian law". (p. 165) She reminds the readers of her book that "many matters of Christian faith and practice find their origin in specific Scriptures, but are in reality man-made standards." (p. 165) And that "God has provided very few such formulas in Scripture; rather, he encourages us to live by faith, not depending on formulas to know if we are 'doing it right,' but on Christ, and on the Spirit of God in our hearts." (p. 166)
When we think we are right about something, no matter what it is about, we want everyone else to agree with us, "not just in principle, but in practice." But "if I use my personal standard to judge another person's standards, then I have created Christian law. And when it is used even to accuse others, or to question their relationship with God, then it becomes legalism. Legalism is the practice of creating external standards of belief or behavior to judge whether a person is righteous, or mature, or not." (p. 166) God provided a Savior in Jesus; and we are accepted by God by our faith in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. External works are not the means by which we receive salvation.
Galatians 5:18 reminds us that we are to be led by the Spirit; that we are not under the Law. Sally Clarkson writes that "God wants us to live by faith in Christ, instructed by his word, and guided by his Holy Spirit, not in an immature dependence upon others to tell us how to live." (p. 167) However, we must be careful not to allow our freedom in Christ to become a stumbling block to others (Romans 14:22; 1 Corinthians 8:9). As we become confident in our choices for our own lives and family, we must be sensitive to the choices of others.
Sally writes that if we are feeling burdened, "then perhaps we have required things of ourselves that the Lord never asked us to do. Perhaps the standards we are trying to follow are not God's standards, but man's. Perhaps we are living by formula, rather than by faith." (p. 169) If we are feeling overly burdened, it may be "because of our own insecurity, immaturity, or limitations. Sometimes it is because we fail to discern that a teaching is not a biblical standard, but just someone's opinion. Sometimes it is because we have willingly put ourselves under the rule of 'Christian law'."
As we learn to navigate the many choices in this life, may we continue to seek biblical wisdom.
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