Purpose Driven Boundaries

Growing up as a child, it seemed I was always being told NOT to do something, and the real zinger was when my parents would add, "Because the Bible says so." While today I understand the wisdom of many of those don'ts, back then it felt like the Bible was a giant book of rules bent on sucking the fun from my life.  

As I got older, I learned to manipulate the system by asking, "What's wrong with it?" I wanted chapter and verse, and if there was none to be found, I'd feel pretty good about myself.

But today I understand something I missed in my youth: the DON'Ts weren't just a collection of random religious rules, but the framework for accomplishing the DO's. The goal isn't to be a scorekeeping legalist but an active participant in advancing the Kingdom of God

Saying NO to accomplish a greater cause is common in nearly every area of life. If you want to lose weight, you DON'T eat a lot of sweets, and if you want to be an accomplished surfer, you DON'T spend all your time in Kansas. You don't say NO to these things to appear better than others, but to achieve a greater purpose.    

God chose the nation of Israel to showcase His reality and bring salvation to the world (Psalm 67). Part of that showcasing was living within the framework of the Mosaic Law because it reflected His character. But they failed miserably:

"You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”' Romans 2:23-24

The violating of the DON'Ts undermined their greater purpose and turned the watching world away from God. In all their rule-keeping, they lost sight of the big picture.   

Jesus summarized the Mosaic Law into only two DO's when asked His thoughts on the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-31): love God with everything you've got and love others as yourself. The DON'Ts of the Ten Commandments…don't lie, don't steal, don't commit murder or adultery, don't covet...and the DO's of the New Testament for living as a child of God, are simply common-sense ways of loving God and others.    

But it was Jesus' passion for the redemption of humanity that trumped everything. So He gave His followers one more DO before returning to heaven: see that everyone in the world, starting where you live, hears the life-giving message of the gospel. Arrange your DO's and DON'Ts so nothing distracts from this. Never be rule-driven for the sake of keeping rules: be purpose-driven.     

Yet today it's all too common for Christians to be known more for what they're against than what they're for: more for what they DON'T do than for what they DO.  I've often wondered why, and I think I've figured it out: it's just easier. It takes less effort, less commitment, less time, and less love to focus on the DON'Ts. All we have to do is check the boxes and we're good. Yet it misses the heart of God and drives people from His love.  

Jesus lived with purpose driven, love fueled boundaries of DO's and DON'Ts, and it changed the world.

Now it's our turn.