Dear Mel Vol5

 

Dear Mel:
Why are Christians so legalistic with their rules? Sometimes I feel like they are worshiping their rules more than God Himself. And ideas?
~Confused about Christians~

That is a great question. I understand what you are saying, as most of us have probably witnessed this. I think legalism can depend on the way the bible is interpreted among different Christian groups. Following rules makes us feel good. For some there is safety in following the rules, while others feel too restricted and stifled by strict rules. For me personally, my main goal is to follow Christ and treat others kindly, even if our views differ – and I’m the first to admit, I do not always succeed at this. I also find myself to be a little rebellious. I question everything and decide how I feel about rules and regulations w/o just accepting because a pastor or head of the church said so. I want to follow rules that are biblical.

We have to live by rules in society or we would live in chaos. Justice has a place in this world, even within the church and we have to be certain that our authorities w/i the church are truly going by the bible and not their own personal whims. We also have to realize that even those in authority are human and they too fail. Only God can really make the final rules.

Dear Mel:
Why is there such importance on being a member of a church? What does it matter if we are members of a certain church or denomination?
~ Lacking Church Membership ~

Dear Lacking Church Membership:
My understanding of church membership is to help unify the body of believers. Members of the church vote on issues within the church and keep the entire body accountable to one another. You don’t have to be a member of a church to be a regular attender but most churches do require membership in order to be considered for leadership positions and in order to vote on business issues. Most churches have a mission statement and rules they ask members to abide by. For the churches I have been a member of, they ask you to profess your faith in Christ in front of the church body, deacon board, or board of directors. I think it’s one way to make sure everyone is on the same page.

What advice would you give “Confused about Christians” or “Lacking Church Memberships”? Go ahead and comment and leave your advice!

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5 Comments

  1. Saw this link on fb and came here because of the subject. This has been a decades long struggle for me. I was raised and spent about 40 years in a very legalistic church. In fact this denomination (although they denied being a denomination) taught they were the only true church and only members of that church would go to heaven. I have moved way beyond that now and no longer believe it although I once did. It is still hard for me to know exactly how far to go in determining what is essential and what is not. I’m glad God will be the judge, and not me.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte
    Charlotte recently posted..Thank You to Tim Hansel by Ray Boltz

  2. I don’t see the point of being a church “member”. You’re already attending the church so what does signing a piece of paper do for you? Do we really have to be a member to belong to the church body? I won’t even get started on legalism. That whole thing is crazy. Jesus basically wore a dress. do you people really think he cares if women only wear dresses and men wear pants?

  3. Thank you for your comment and I will enjoy reading your blog!
    Mallori recently posted..Pompeii Exhibit

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