When Rules Fail

Colossians 2:20-23
(20) If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations--
(21) "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
(22) (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings?
(23) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

This is where the fine line is drawn between legalism and license. We don't want to impose rules on ourselves or others because those rules do not produce godliness. However, our behavior does indeed shape our witness to the world. This is why my seminary asks us not to drink, for example. The goal is so that we present the most holy front to the world possible.

However, while there is an initiative to get healthier, we are not as strict about what we eat or how we look. This is one of those Baptist distinctives that gets me sometimes.

I really want to live in such a way that everything I do is a positive witness for Christ so that He may be glorified in my life and hopefully in the lives of others as they develop a hunger for Him. This passage tells me that it starts with the heart and not with rules. However, I also know that my sinful heart needs boundaries.