Me → Instagram
Contents
<aside> ⚠️ LEGALISM LEGALISM LEGALISM is not what this is about. This is more about putting some effort into critically thinking about how you live and act in our culture, about knowing what you believe, why you believe it, and why you do what you do as a result of those beliefs.
P.S. This article was originally written in 2021.
</aside>
I've made some mistakes. Done things physically that I wish I hadn't done. I think a lot of us have, and it's really sad. Fortunately, Jesus has set me free from condemnation. He has resolved the shame associated with these things. So I'm extremely motivated, now more than ever, to prevent those mistakes from happening again, because that is just a natural by-product of loving God, in that you want to be obedient to Him.
I have been set free from sin. Now I’m a “slave” to righteousness, to being obedient to God. Sometimes though, obedience is viewed as a strict adherence to following the rules. It can be viewed sorta like legalism. Following Jesus and being obedient to Him is not like that at all, it is not legalistic. Yes, there is the Law, and there are things that we are commanded to do and not to do. There are also a multitude of things that aren't specifically addressed in the Bible which vary depending on the complexities of context, heart posture, and more.
John Mark Comer mentioned a quote from John Ortberg in regards to obedience that said obedience in the way of Jesus requires initiative and must be discerning, creative, grace-powered, and intelligent. I think that obedience to Jesus is about relationship, not about simply following rules. It is about becoming a righteous person, not a self-righteous rule-follower.
Whether or not you decide to kiss your girlfriend or boyfriend before marriage is not addressed in the Bible directly, so it's one of those things that is a little more complex to discern whether or not it is sinful. But if you're reading this simply to see if I think it's sinful, I think you're already off track. It should be more a matter of what is honoring, glorifying, and pleasing to the Lord.
Lust: an intense or unrestrained sexual craving, or an overwhelming desire or craving.
Job 31:11-12 (NLT) "For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a devastating fire that destroys to hell. It would wipe out everything I own."