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I’ve tried to please God by keeping the rules and working my head off. Really, I’ve tried hard. Rule keeping is tough work, especially if you are Baptist.
There are rules to keep (don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t dance, etc.) and then there are rules interpreting the rules. The religious elites just keep piling them on.
It’s not just the Baptist though. Most denominations have developed lots of rules. The elites love keeping us down and keeping us from the freedom Jesus brings.
I had to quit being a “rule man” to become God’s man.
The Messiah Jesus shows me how. Jesus has enabled me. I don’t identify myself with religion and denominations. I identify myself completely with Jesus.
I have been crucified with Jesus. My rule following soul is dead. It isn’t about me and my ego. It is only about Jesus.
I don’t have to appeal to your sense of things to appear good and right in your eyes. It isn’t about keeping your rules. I don’t have to try to impress God any more. Jesus has impressed Him for me. Jesus lives in me.
It isn’t my life any more. The life I live in Jesus is by faith in the Son of God. Jesus loves me and gave himself up so I can live.
I can’t go back to the rule keeping. I am free in Jesus.
Jesus Quotes and God Thoughts 
“Rule keeping is tough work, especially if you are Baptist.”
Ha! You made me laugh, Michael. John the Baptist actually had the best rule of all, “I must decrease so He can increase.” We can all do that today, a little less of us and little more of Him. 🙂
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Just look what happened to the P’rushim. Their rule-keeping didn’t allow them into the Kingdom.
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Love forgiveness and unity
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RE: Rule keeping is tough work, especially if you are Baptist.
Michael, you may have heard me tell about how after my wife and I accepted Christ in 1983, we began attending an independent, fundamental Baptist church in our area and stayed there for 8 years. Were were blessed by the great amount of Bible study there, but it was also very legalistic (not for salvation, as you know, but for Christian living). We were constantly made to feel guilty. There was little joy. The haranguing sermons began to grate on me more and more until I had to get out. I even walked away from the Lord for many, many years because I was so disgusted with legalistic churchianity. I returned to the Lord five years ago and He’s given me a much better perspective on His grace. Now I can serve the Lord out of joy rather than out of guilt. I still consider myself somewhat of a Baptist because my beliefs align most closely with that movement. Our non-denominational church has Baptist roots and I realize not all Baptist churches put the rules on a pedestal.
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Thanks for that testimony. Very powerful.
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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Michael, this totally resinates with where I am too. I was saved in a legalistic, fundamental Baptist church…It was a King James only, Bible thumpin’, gettem’ saved and then you dunkem’ kind-of-church. And though I am grateful for my roots, I am happy to say I am living in freedom as well! I heard years ago that legalists preach the word without love, liberals preach love without truth, and the liberated balance the two… but I like the way you put it best! We are free in Jesus Christ. His Father still saves souls, His Word still speaks to the listening heart and His Spirit is still alive and active. I ‘know’ when my heart is convicted and ‘churchy rules’ certainly don’t cut it anymore. There’s so much more to being a Christ-follower than being consumed with all that.
I said a lot more than planned, so I best close now. But thank you for the thought-stirring post! Blessings!!
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Thanks. Well said. Blessings.
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