Why do those who embrace God’s inspired Word have such a love affair with man-made rules? Why is it so difficult to get free from man-made religion when the God of grace has provided His own formula for the Christian life?
This is not a new phenomena, man has been making his own rules ever since Adam and Eve rewrote their own job description in the Garden of Eden. And then later Cain brought God a vegetarian sacrifice simply because it seemed like the right thing to do. Aaron and the Israelites sampled some self-styled worship when they fashioned a golden calf. Jeremiah warned people about those who preached man-made doctrine rather than words truly representing the heart of God.
When God has given us the operator’s manual for Christianity, why do our stubborn hearts insist on adding our own mandates to Christian living? I find it interesting that the greatest opponents of Christ were the Pharisees who prided themselves on this kind of extra-biblical piety.
In Jesus’ parable from Luke 18 the Pharisee prays, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men…” Wow, what a superiority complex. If that rule-keeping better-than-you Pharisee was alive today, he would likely talk like this:
“I don’t just obey the Bible, I obey all this other stuff too. Oh what a good boy am I.”
“You drink wine with your dinner? Oh I would never drink alcohol for any reason.”
“You use tobacco? Oh my, I don’t dip, smoke or chew, or go with girls that do.”
“You send your kids to public school? I send my kids to private school.”
“You send your kids to private school? I home-school my kids.”
“You have a tattoo? I’ll pray for your salvation.”
When reading Jesus' parable we see this proud Pharisee feeling very righteous when compared to others, and then presuming to be much closer to God than others. Making up our own mandates for Christian living (things that God Himself does not ask of us) somehow creates the illusion that we are more righteous than our fellow pilgrims (for we can hardly resist comparing ourselves to others) implying that we are much nearer to God. But does this formula hold up theologically? Is a feeling of personal piety truly a sign of nearness to God?
Well let’s consider some in scripture to whom God drew near, while paying particular attention to how righteous they felt during their encounter with the Divine. When Abraham met the Lord he fell on his face and said, “Lord I’m but dust and ashes in your presence.” Or how about when Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up? Surely this great man of God would hold his head high in the presence of his Creator. But he says in Isaiah chapter six, “Depart from me Lord for I am a man of unclean lips.” And needless to say, when Peter began to understand who Jesus really was he said in Luke 5:8, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
When a person is truly near to God, personal righteousness appears to be the last thing they feel. So dear Christian, if you enjoy a sensation of personal piety and superiority to others, it may be a sign of just how unbiblical your Christian ethic is, therefore betraying just how far from God you truly are.
1 Corinthians 4:6
...that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
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