First Problem

Today's Application

Let's make up a pretend religious establishment and call it Fully Dedicated Church (FDC). Let's say the founders of FDC require the following three rules of etiquette as demonstrations of love towards other FDC members:

1. Keep your shoes on at all times because feet stink and its not pleasant
2. No laptops in the first four rows to prevent: 
   

   • Inappropriate material broadcasted on tv,
   • Appropriate non-sanctioned material inadvertently broadcasted with implied approval, 
   • Appropriate sanctioned material is not shown favoritism.
3. No loud worship or prayer in certain areas because it distracts others from their pursuit.

On the surface, these rules seem justifiable as loving etiquette in order to consider others before ourselves. Let's take a closer look at these rules by comparing them to what is written in the Holy Bible. Doing so, will bring us face to face with two problems.


The First Problem

Those who write the rules of etiquette may not be the ones who enforce them. This leads to the potential problem that the original intent of the rules are ignored due to the weaknesses of the one enforcing the rules. Thus, if either side, the writers or the enforcers, do not have the same level of love and kindness in their hearts the rules themselves become a source of humanly justifiable abuse by the enforcers. John the Baptist explicitly commanded Roman soldiers to to be satisfied with their wages for this very reason.

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45

The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit. Proverbs 14:8

The foolishness or weaknesses of man may be in the form of lack of understanding or it may come from deliberate sin, Romans 7. Either way, love is not at work where sin abounds. The one attempting to do right but because of lack of wisdom speaks wrong still deceives with their spoken wrong. The one who loves evil by nature deceives. The problem then arise that original intent is separated from the rule and not past down with the rule.

• Moses' Example
• Pharisee Examples
• Today's Application
  • First Problem
  • Second Problem
• Three Current Examples
  • Keep Your Shoes On
  • No Laptops in the First Four Rows
  • No Loud Worship
• Testing Paul's Words
• The Addition
• God's Original Design
• The Subtraction
• The Curse
• Conclusion of the Matter

Copyright (c) 2013 by Diane Pebley All rights reserved, no use granted without the express written permission of the author, Diane Pebley