You know what cracks me up sometimes? Watching some legalistic Christians get all worked up about “the law.” We’re talking about the Bible’s law—yes, the 613 commandments (or mitzvot) of the Old Testament. But here’s the kicker: the Bible is crystal clear that none of us can keep the law perfectly, and NO ONE is justified by it (see Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:20). It should have been obvious that, as believers, we’re not under the law anymore.
Whose idea was to divide the law into Moral and Ceremonial?
Yet, suddenly, someone started pushing this idea of separating the “moral” from the “ceremonial” law. This idea—popularized during the Protestant Reformation by thinkers like Martin Luther and John Calvin—suggests that while the ceremonial rules (like the sacrificial system) no longer apply, the so-called moral laws still do. And when you ask them, “What are these moral laws?” they usually point to the Ten Commandments.
Being Selective about what to follow?
But then, throw in a curveball—“What about Sabbath?” And suddenly, the list changes to eight, nine, or whatever number suits the moment. It reminds me of a game my nephews played, where the rules changed on the fly just to suit their needs. Who decided there are exactly nine commandments we must follow? No one did! It’s as if someone pulled a rule out of thin air. The Bible never divides the law into “moral” and “ceremonial” sections. There’s no scriptural basis for saying, “These are the only rules you have to follow.” It could have been eight, ten, or any number—but someone, somewhere, started teaching it that way.
Take tattoos, for example. Some folks latch onto Leviticus 19:28 to say tattoos are a no-go, yet a few chapters later, the Bible talks about wearing clothes made of two different materials (Deuteronomy 22:11). You skipped that part? Exactly! Who gets to pick and choose which rules to enforce? Is it like the latest update of cricket rules from the MCC, where you have to constantly check what’s “in” and what’s “out?”
Whose rules are the best?
Some churches won’t let you participate in communion if you’re not dressed in white or if you wear jewelry. Where did that come from? Can I just make up my own rule based on what I feel is doable, while dismissing the ones I can’t follow as “just metaphorical” or “not what Jesus really meant”?
Even Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount get twisted. Many claim that Jesus was showing us the true way to live according to the law. I once asked a friend who held that view, “So, have you ever committed any of the sins Jesus warned about?” He sheepishly admitted, “Yes.” He sheepishly said yes. Then I asked, so why do you still have eyes and limbs? He said “no. no no PJ, Jesus was asking us to dismember but rather he was saying that it is serious, because dismembering is ridiculous”. Okay, so I am now confused. When you could do something, you said that it is the standard that Jesus wants, and when you find it difficult you are like- no that’s not what Jesus meant. Who decides these things? So can I say what I feel is doable as law I should follow, and the ones I cannot keep as “Jesus was being metaphoricall?”
At the end of the day, what’s the takeaway? The Bible tells us that we’re saved by grace and justified by faith, not by a checklist of dos and don’ts. When people use bits of the law—whether it’s about tattoos, tithing, or communion attire—to judge others or enforce personal rules, it comes off as hypocritical. The law was never meant to be a constantly shifting rulebook for Christians. Instead, we’re called to live in the freedom of Christ, following His example and the true spirit of the gospel, rather than a patchwork of rules that change with every season.
So, who really decides the rules? If we keep picking and choosing which parts of the law to enforce, it’s starting to feel less like following God’s Word and more like playing a never-ending game of rule-maker. Let’s remember: we are saved by grace—not by our ability to check off a list of commandments that someone, somewhere decided to update on the fly.
Leave a Reply