God Hates Rules!!!

Could that be true?

In the garden of Eden He didn’t make a rule about the tree of knowledge, but rather released a freedom. He freed Adam and Eve to choose. When they chose to break relationship with God and obey Satan, God made a rule to protect their relationship. That rule was banishment from Eden because in Eden was the tree of life. The tree of life makes things “eternal” and God would not have it that mankind would be eternally damned. Rather, He would banish them to protect them because He loved them. 

At Mt. Sinai God wanted the Israelites to come up the mountain and fellowship with Him. He wanted relationship, but they chose to be separate and sent an envoy, Moses. They feared that God would kill them, and thus they chose fear over relationship. God made rules, because they wanted them. They wanted principles, not presence. They wanted things to live by instead of God’s words, living and active among them. Yet He remained, in a cloud, in a tabernacle, in fire. He stayed among a people that would reject Him time and again.

At the cross God displayed his sovereignty and omnipotence in an act unlike any other and an act that seems to display weakness. Our God is so powerful that He is willing to risk looking weak to show His love, so He sent Jesus to die. That’s how comfortable He is with Himself. He freed us to choose again. This time to choose relationship again. To unbreak the once broken relationship with God and disobey Satan. To choose His presence again and forget about those rules. A complete reversal from the act in Eden and a reconciliation from the act at Sinai. 

Today, each and every person has a choice. To relate or to reject God. The God who so loves everyone risks rejection to protect relationship. His presence is readily available to be encountered and realized. The world may look at the Christian and see a person bound by rules and laws, and some are. Those unfortunate many who think their faith is a set of principles and rules that help them obey a God who actually happens to love them. But there are a few who “get it”. Those few who have seen and understood what God was doing and what He has said and is saying. They know that life is about freedom. Freedom to choose to protect relationship with their Father, their friend. Freedom to choose to honor others and also, freedom to choose the opposite. There need be no rules in relationship, only love. And where love is there is no fear, no rejection, no shame.