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There are many different theories on how to successfully live for God. And there are many aspects to living for God in different areas of our lives.
However, we, like the Pharisees of old have a tendency to add rules in an effort to keep people from crossing the line from holiness to sin. Man excels at coming up with fences (Christian standards) to place inside the fences that God has already built within his word.
But we don't realize what we are doing when we do that.
Do we, for instance, treat cows the way we do each other?
Do we build fences to keep them safely within a pasture (and to keep predators safely outside the same pasture)? Do we then, after building the fence, then turn around and build another fence yet a few more feet within the fence we've already built just to keep the cows from going outside the original fence?
No!
What sense would that make?
First of all, we'd be keeping the cows away from perfectly usable grazing land that could help to nourish our valuable livestock. This makes us have to work that much harder to feed them because we aren't allowing them to eat from that section of the field.
Secondly, by not allowing the livestock to graze in the perfectly acceptable land, the grass and weeds that would otherwise be eaten or trampled down are allowed to grow wild. And what happens when grass and weeds grow tall? Snakes and preditors come in, hidden by the brush that has been allowed to grow.
And what do we do?
Rather than tear down the inside fence and cut down the wild brush, when we see the dangers that now exist there, we build yet another internal fence to protect the flock from these dangers.
And the process happens over and over. More wild brush leads to more dangers- and more fences put up to protect them from the outside of that fence dangers.
Before long, the pasture area that is meant to be a place of provision and safety is neither. It's become too small to be able to nourish the flock. And the areas on the other sides of the fences that used to be good pasture are now full of snakes, wild predators, and poisonous vegetation.
Soon the herds that we are trying to protect begin to feel malnourished because they're running out of food. They begin to fight each other for the scraps of food that can be found in an effort to stay alive. And finally, some will decide to crash the fencing in a desperate attempt to find the sustenance that their body craves.
I pray that as Christian leaders we will learn the lesson presented here.
Yes, there are dangers in the world that we want people (including ourselves) to stay away from. There are many, many things out there that will absolutely destroy us and our walk with God. And these we should stay away from and publically denounce! These fences should be built and heartily maintained- because they are established by the word of God. (The ten commandments come to mind as an example)
But, we must also remember that Jesus, and not us, is the great shepherd. It is his spirit that will "lead and guide into all truth." If we begin to build fences within the fences already established by God's word, we are headed down an ultimately destructive path.
Want to know why so many are leaving the fold? Because in many cases (not all) we've built so many interior fences that they are forced to break out in an effort to survive!
Our job is to speak the truths that the Lord leads us to speak and to live a Godly example. Our job is to be the hands and feet of God. We are to allow God to love them through us to help to lead them (and us) to where he wants us all to be- with him.
It is not our job to run anyone else's home and life. That's between them and Jesus. We're just a tool that he uses to help to do this.
When God calls us out of darkness and into his marvelous light, he gives us a command: Follow thou me.
Our whole life is to be devoted to being in hot pursuit of one thing- a closer walk with God almighty.
True Christianity is a personal walk with God. Our relationship with God does not depend on other people. Our relationship with God is dependant upon our own praying, our own worshiping, and our own bible study. The more we do these things, the more his light shines into our lives. This light then shows us what things to repent and walk away from, and what things we should do more of.
Yes, God gave us the five-fold ministry to help to guide that process, but what is the real goal of the five-fold ministry?
Ephesians 4:11-12King James Version
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
So, the five-fold ministry is to help to perfect the saints through our teaching and example. Why? So that they (the flock) will perform the work of the ministry. And this edify's (builds up) the whole body of Christ.
In other words, through seeing the example of our walk with God and hearing the truths that God has taught us being taught, they learn to follow God (not us) for themselves. Then, God can use them to blaze the trail for other hungry souls! Then we have a real revival!
But, if we keep adding layer upon layer of extra rules that the Bible doesn't actually teach, then we start to hem them in, and soon they are literally dying to get out.
God's way leads to a hunger for him and holiness will grow. The Pharisee's way leads to danger and starvation. And many that get out won't come back because they'll remember the prison they were in.
When God calls us out it is an individual call to leave the world and follow him. Just as Abram of old, we are personally called and told to leave our old lifestyles, to follow a God we don't know to a promised end.
If we leave God's biblical fencing up, many can find the way to God. If we put up extra fencing, many will leave his way and die outside the fold.
It's our choice whether to follow God's way- to let God be God and stop trying to control others- or to try and control everything and wind up making them two-fold the child of hell (and we become the first fold child of hell).
What's your choice?
I pray we make the right one.
"12 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran."
