Have you ever been on a mountain road? You know the ones where you hold your breath as you go around each curve, just hoping you won’t go off the edge and tumble down the mountain? Nowadays, it is common for those curves to have guardrails. Guardrails won’t stop you if you are coming too fast, but they are a barrier, one more thing for you to hit so you will slow down, bounce off, correct course, and not go off the road.
We often set up guardrails in our lives—a barrier to slow us down and give us a chance to course correct—so we don’t barrel into sin. These guardrails are usually based on our personal experiences, whether we have suffered the consequences of sin, been taught something is wrong, or learned from the mistakes of others.
For example, when it comes to dating, we know the Bible teaches that sex is reserved for the covenant of marriage. In order to protect ourselves and prevent that intimacy before marriage, we might set some rules: don’t spend time alone, don’t kiss, don’t even hold hands. If we follow these rules, we are less likely to end up in bed together. If you felt a conviction to set these rules for yourself in your relationships, then to break them is sin for you.
Another example is alcohol. Scripture tells us not to be drunk with wine. I know there is alot of context to this verse, but it is the verse most often used to support the idea of abstinence from alcohol. I personally do not drink. My grandfather was an alcoholic, so I grew up in a home where there was never a drop of alcohol. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “you won’t get drunk if you never take that first drink!” That was a guardrail my parents set in our home and one I’ve set for my family now. I have a personal conviction about this guardrail, so if I were to have a drink of wine with my dinner, for me it would be sin.
Here’s the catch: It is my guardrail, my conviction, so while it would be sin for me, it is not sin for every believer. I can’t hold others to the guardrails I have set for myself.
The guardrails we establish in our lives are good. In most cases, the guardrails are prudent, so it is easy to expect every Christian to implement them. But we can’t hold other Christians to our personal convictions, the ones not given in Scripture. Where there is room for interpretation, we must allow for Christian liberty.
In fact, this is what the Pharisees did. For example, the commandment given by God was to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. Through the years, rules (guardrails) were put in place to keep the Israelites from breaking that commandment. The rules against working on the Sabbath got so detailed that you could only travel a certain distance, and you could go no further. This would be the equivalent to limiting the number of steps you could take on that day. Over time, these guardrails became the standard instead of the spirit of the Sabbath law. This went so far that the Pharisees attacked Jesus for healing the sick on the Sabbath.
Holding others to a standard we set is legalism. Legalism isn’t speaking the truth of Scripture; it isn’t holding to the “rules” given by Jesus and the apostles; it isn’t dressing modestly, waiting until marriage to have sex, or going to church every week. All of these are clearly stipulated in the Word. Legalism is adding to Scripture and expecting others to abide by our guardrails.
Because our guardrails are based on our personal experiences, we feel very strongly about them. It can feel like a personal affront if someone else doesn’t honor our guardrail. But holding others to our standards instead of God’s standards is sin.
I encourage you to examine your convictions and determine which ones are biblical and which ones are guardrails you have set to protect yourself. You might find you’ve been more legalistic than you thought!
Continue the conversation here: When Does Christian Liberty Cross the Line?
T H I S!!!!!