The Sunday School System, Sunday night services, and Wednesday night study have great merit, but they are not scripturally binding on Christians, they are merely based in tradition. Anyone insisting that you must participate in a Sunday School program in order to be a child of God is wrong (not that it's unscriptural to go to Sunday School,) but it is unscriptural for another person to bind their personal opinions on other Christians.Any group of believers who bind their traditional viewpoints on other believers rob them of their freedom in Christ, and enslave them like puppets to a human religious system.
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Gal 5:1 ESVMany Christians honestly believe that every time the door to the "church building" is ajar, you absolutely must be present in order to be a true follower of Jesus. Any person not attending these meetings are often considered unfaithful members, and soon find themselves on the outside looking in, even if the reasons for not attending these meetings are valid (not that they have to be valid.)
Enjoy your freedom in Christ, and don't allow anyone to hamper your relationship with Jesus because of their Pharisaical pronouncements on your Christian walk.
11 comments:
..And the same would go for a Sunday morning service.
Your statement is true; "Anyone insisting that you must participate in a Sunday School program in order to be a child of God is wrong.."
I would quickly add, You must not do anything other than believe on Christ to be a child of God.
What is unscriptural is that so many people have the mistaken idea that there are dozens of things you must do or not do to be saved.
Gal 3 says in part, "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."
God saved every person He ever saved by faith, not by works.
very well spoken, don't give up the freedoms Christ died for, and return to bondage of law whether it be the law of Moses or the law of "The church lady, or man"
Royce...
Without God's grace all of us would be lost in a heartbeat!
Being raised in a very conservative COC, it took many years to see things in a different perspective. Grace was only available for those of like minds who followed the same old traditions, and mouthed the same old slogans.
I still meet with a small COC, but no longer with the my-way-or-the-highway type. Freedom in Christ is not something anyone should attempt to control, it is surely God's gift to those who love Him.
Laymond...
It's amazing that some "churches" make it their business to control our freedom in Christ.
Our precious freedom is not used in a manner that causes us to sin willfully in disobedience to our Savior, but freedom to follow Jesus where He leads without being subjected to opinions forced on us, and the resulting ridicule if we don't conform to a specific belief system.
Our freedom was purchased at a very high price, and it doesn't seem fitting that we relinquish our freedom to any person, or group of people, that would attempt to conform us to some legal system rather than enjoying the benefits of being free in Christ.
Good point Larry
My in-laws are Catholic they freak at the thought of missing a Day Of Obligation. I missed that stuff in the Bible. Am I obligated to go to church because it July 13th? Oh no I’m not getting into Heaven now I missed a day. I’d hate that kind of pressure.
You did a GREAT job of pulling these thoughts together! Walking around the lake with your dog must be good for you!
Milly...
Seems like there's always someone ready to bind us to their personal beliefs.
Many Christians are sincere, and honestly believe they are following God 100%, but freedom in Christ is a concept they just can't grasp.
JB...
My dog walking has been hampered by some really hot weather.
Unfortunately, I'm a fair weather dog walker!
Your mind and thoughts should be that you want to go to church and not have to. If you have to go to church then you are less open to what's being taught. You're wondering what you could be doing instead. The more closer you get to the Lord. The more you'll want to go to church. It won't be a must anymore but a want. Have a great weekend.
Pastor Josh...
As a youngster I was forced to attend "church" services every time the doors were open. While training a child is necessary, it often backfires when one becomes an adult and the chains are loosened.
My point in this post was basically that no one has the right to project their traditional opinions on another child of God.
Each of us will eventually stand before our maker on our own two feet, and if we have been faithful we will be confident of the outcome. I prefer to stand before the Lord free, not having been chained to any group that uses human traditions as law to repress my walk with Jesus.
Each of us will eventually stand before our maker on our own two feet, and if we have been faithful we will be confident of the outcome. I prefer to stand before the Lord free, not having been chained to any group that uses human traditions as law to repress my walk with Jesus.
Amen Brother!
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