July 4th celebrates the inception of a country based on the liberty and freedom God has given us. But legalism has crept into almost all parts of our society, even in a land that is supposedly "free".
I just had an instance that I thought demonstrates freedoms slowly eroding. Here's the scenario: an intersection with construction going on over a bridge. The signal is flashing red, though there are construction guys directing traffic through the intersection. I wanted to make a right turn before crossing over the bridge undergoing construction. The traffic ahead of me gets to go through. I get stopped, even though I am turned toward the right, where I wanted to go. Okay, cross traffic goes (the traffic opposite me and their left turners that cross my path). Then they let cross traffic from my left and right go. Once traffic on my lefty has passed, I start to make my right turn. The guy with the stop/slow sign yells at me, "You're supposed to stop!"
I yell back at him, "I just wanted to turn!"
Now, in a normal traffic scenario, if you are turning right, you wait for cross traffic to pass, right? I mean "correct", correct? That's what I did. But just because some guy is dressed in day-glow orange and holding a stop/slow sign is there, you can't turn? Was my right turn a WRONG turn?
I was up-in-arms about the whole thing, I had to write it down (and into this long-forgotten blog). But I took full responsibility for my action. Traffic for my right turn was clear! Can't I turn? I took the turn, and get yelled at for it.
That's how it is today. I mean, in healthcare where I work, we work under guidelines. But some rules don't apply in all circumstances. We used to allow patient's family members in the procedure rooms (but not the OR), but because of new infection control rules, they cannot come in anymore. Unless they dress in a one-piece, zip-up "bunny suit" cover, a surgery cap, and shoe covers.
Yeah, I see that. But whatever happened to personal responsibility and common sense? Can't we think for ourselves any longer? Do we need to be mind-numb robots and do everything someone else tells us to do?
That is what legalism is. That is what legalism does. It's in the fabric of our society.
Here are some stupid laws I found on the web through Bing. In California, a law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing. Here's another one: all dog waste must be removed from any yard within seven days. I'm glad I'm not the poop police there.
Some more: animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship. Corral your pets! Bathhouses are against the law. Foretelling the future for donations is illegal. Getting drunk on a playground is against the law. I think you get the idea.
Some laws make sense, but many are just legislature-busy-work. It keeps the elected officials working on some kind of legislature, crazy or not.
Society as a whole is worse, not better. And this legal mumbo-jumbo doesn't help, but it hurts instead. It restricts rather than liberates. It confines instead of frees.
My point is legalism has been in the church for decades. And where's God's grace when we tack do's and don'ts onto our Christian faith? Where is the forgiveness of sin if all we do is restrict and restrain others?
Like the garbage truck crossing through the parking lot in a straight trajectory towards me stopped before we hit, I forgave the driver, er, sanitation worker. That's what grace is all about.
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but grace. -- Romans 6:14
Grace is God's gift of freedom over the law. But that doesn't mean we are to be lawless, either. Laws are there for our protection, but we are not to be slaves to them.
Recently, I saw the movie "Preacher's Kid", which was basically the story of a Prodigal Daughter. She goes off to pursue her dreams to sing on the road and eventually get a record deal, only to find heartache in the process. But she was raised strict and held to a tight leash, so she hadn't experienced much life on her own. But through life on the road, she learns her lessons she needed to grow as an individual. And a stronger person in knowing WHAT she believed. It's also a story of grace. (And I hope I didn't give too much of the movie away if you hadn't seen it. It's still worth watching.)
That also reminds me of an old song by Leslie Phillips, "Your Kindness". It's your kindness (grace) that leads me to repentance, oh Lord.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. -- Titus 2:11
If you haven't received God's grace yet, pray to him this simple prayer: "Dear Lord, forgive me for I am a sinner. Please forgive my past and cleanse me through Jesus' payment of sin on the cross. Help me, Lord God to learn to love You because You first loved me, by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
That is the ultimate Right turn you could ever make.
Blessings,
Garret
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