Thou Shalt Not…Why not?

Thou Shalt Not…Why not?

I suppose as children most of us learned the Ten Commandments or we were at least exposed to them.  And I am equally certain that most found them to be restrictive and negative in nature overall. We were exposed early in life to the negative side of Christianity and we learned quickly that Christians can’t have fun, it is absolutely forbidden…we thought.

It does seem strange, doesn’t it, that God would take the time to write down the things He does not want us to do. And I think you will agree, if you take the time to read the Bible, I mean really read it, you are going to find that it can be very restrictive. There are some very good reasons for this. Of course you have the theological reasoning. And I will spare you a dissertation on that concept except to say that the law was given to show us why we needed Jesus so urgently, Gal. 3:23-24 “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (v.24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Aside from the idea of a school master showing us the way to salvation the law also reveals the character and nature of God. And still we are looking too deeply into the concept. On a simpler note, one of the lesser reasons (if one of God’s reason can be greater than another) the law was given is to keep us out of trouble.

When we get together with friends it is not unusual for us to spend time together watching a movie or maybe a television series. And that in and of itself is not wrong. But which one did you watch? Which movies have you seen (Psa 101:3a)? Which friends have you chosen (2Cor. 6:14)?  What words do you choose when you are angry and want to express your feelings (Eph. 4:29)? When you are looking for a way to really have fun what choices do you make (Pro 23:19-21)? When you are with someone you have romantic feelings for how do you express those feelings (1Cor 6:18-19)? You see, the Bible is so very restrictive that it covers all of those areas as well, not just the Ten Commandments.

What about the positive side? You see there are also things we are told we should do. When Jesus was talking with the Pharisees he said we are to love God above all else (Mark 12:30). And then he said the next most important thing is to love others as much as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). We are not to steal (Exod. 20:15) We are not to lie or misrepresent the truth about others (Col. 3:9; Exod. 20:16). We are to be kind to our enemies even those who are abuse us and speak evil of us (Matt. 5:44). In fact the Old Testament is filled with great ideas about what foods to eat and which to stay away from. The New Testament tells us to build strong families where husband and wives love each other and raise respectful children. We are to build churches where the children of God can grow in their knowledge of God and fellowship with each other and where we can encourage each other in our faith. It is also the place where we meet the needs of the pour and the widows.

Both of the above paragraphs are woefully incomplete. However, there should be enough information listed to make the point. The Bible is not filled with myriad “do’s and don’ts” left here by God to make our lives miserable. So then why does God list so many restrictive behaviors for us? In a nutshell, to keep us safe and happy. Look again at the lists. All of the “don’ts” are harmful to us in one way or another. We will be much healthier, happier and safer if we obey God and stay away from all of them. And if we learn to implement the “do’s” we will be happier and healthier as well. God does not keep from any activity which is beneficial to us. By the same token, He does not ask us to participate in anything which is harmful to us.

Which of God’s commands will separate you from our Heavenly Father?