Rules or No Rules?

Some will claim that freedom in Christ allows them to do whatever they want to do.

"There is therefore no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1).

"Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath...Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism...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...according to human precepts and teachings?" (Colossians 2:16-22).

I'm free in Christ and you can't tell me what I should or shouldn't do!

But then do we have a contradiction in other passages that give commands?

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor...Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands..." (Ephesians 4:25-28).

"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking..." (Ephesians 5:3-4).

"Wives, submit to your own husbands...Husbands, love your wives...Children, obey your parents..." (Ephesians 5:25-6:1).

So are we free, or aren't we? Are there rules to follow or not?

Yes, we are free and yes, there are rules to follow.

As always, read the context of the passages.

We are free from sin. Its power and penalty are broken through the blood of Christ on our behalf (Romans 6-8).

The list of rules that Paul warns the Colossians about concerns temporal things: food, drink, holy days and denial. For some following these rules are what makes them holy. Paul says that those teachers are filled with the empty philosophy of the world. You can't do anything to make yourself holy (Colossians 1-2).

But because we have been made holy through the work of Christ on the cross, we are to live a certain way (Ephesians 4-6). These have to do with attitudes, relationships, communication and responsibilities, not food, drink and holy days.

There are rules for the Christian life. And we need to be very careful how we set up our rules.

The rules that we have need to be based in the Gospel.

Following the rules do not make us holy, but because we are holy, we follow the rules.