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Common Misconceptions About the Bible – Christianity Is Overly Restrictive

Former United States S.E.A.L. platoon leader Jocko Willink has a saying, “Discipline Equals Freedom” that he discusses on his podcast and in his books. This is confusing to many people because they equate freedom to being able to do whatever you want without having to worry about any consequences.

The same premise is true in Christianity because without rules, there is only chaos. One thing that God isn’t is chaotic. The fact that there are rules to follow means that some people classify Christianity as an overly restrictive way of life; however, this isn’t at all the case.

For someone who is just beginning to study Christianity, the Bible is a confusing book. Some areas seem contradictory.

Some of the things that they read, particularly in the Old Testament, might make them think that they are going to be severely restricted.

Once you start to delve deeper into the Word, you find that this isn’t the way things work.

Christianity Is Overly Restrictive

God Gives Humans Free Will

All humans have free will, but you don’t have the freedom from the consequences that come with certain choices. The Book of Genesis has the earliest example of this in it, which you can find in Genesis 2: 16-17.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.””

God told Adam that he shouldn’t eat from one tree out of the entire garden. He didn’t do anything that would prevent Adam from eating that fruit except provide that single warning. Adam and Even eventually did eat the fruit of that tree and ultimately ended up banished from the Garden of Eden.

Limitations of the Old Testament

Throughout the Old Testament, you will read various rules that God set for His people. These cover everything from what types of fabrics they could wear and what types of garments they would put on to what they could eat and where to use the restroom. All of these were set so there was order and uniformity in the camps of people.

Some people still stick to these rules, such as Pentecostal women who say they can only wear skirts because the Bible says so. This is found In Deuteronomy 22:5, which says:

“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Some of these individuals fail to obey the rules that surround this passage. For example, verse 11 of the same chapter says,

“You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.”

Many garments made these days contain more than one type of fiber, such as Lycra and denim together in some skirts, pants, and shorts. Another example is polyester and cotton in many shirts.

Jesus Changed the World

While many of the rules and guidelines in the Old Testament do still stand, some were fulfilled by Jesus. You can find many of the laws from the Old Testament repeated in the New Testament. These are the ones that still stand.

Matthew 5:17 says:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

That is a quote from Jesus who was explaining the importance of Him coming to Earth as a human. This is a crucial point to make when you are thinking about how much restriction you have to deal with.

When Jesus willingly died on the cross, He did that to forgive the sins of God’s people. This doesn’t give people free rein to do what they want. Instead, it provides an opportunity for those who want to do the right thing to have forgiveness when they do mess up and sin. Christians find this comforting because they know that there is no such thing as a perfect human.

If Christians were still fully following the Old Testament rules, they would have to go to the edge of camp to use the restroom, women would have to stay away from society when they are on their menstrual cycle, and death would be necessary for a married woman and the man she is found in bed with if he wasn’t her husband.

Christians Do Have to Follow the Rules

When you start to look at what laws still apply to Christians, you find that each one is meant to make their life easier. For example, Christians must follow the law of the land. Romans 13:1-2 says,

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

This isn’t an overly restrictive rule. Instead, it keeps you out of trouble because you are following the laws that are present where you live. By doing this, you save yourself legal trouble that can lead to time in jail or having to pay fines.

In verses 8 to 10 of the same chapter, you find more rules to follow. This passage says,

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

This passage sets the standard for doing right by people. Christians are meant to love and support each other. The New Testament passage provides some basic instructions for doing this.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the restrictions that you have as a Christian are based on what God directs you to do. Some basic actions that are forbidden are those that can land you in trouble with the authorities. These are the rules that can help you to live in peace with others.

As a Christian, your goal is to exalt God and show others the way to Him. Everything you do should work toward this goal. You can’t do this if you are blaring music with explicit lyrics that boast about violence and adultery because those aren’t the embodiment of God. Instead, those exalt satan, which is the complete opposite of what you want to do as a Christian.

Some Christians are called to go beyond the necessary restrictions. For example, some are called to fast for extended periods, but this doesn’t mean that all Christians have to restrict their food intake to that point.

There is absolutely nothing overly restrictive about being a Christian. You might be called to sacrifice some during your journey, but God will stand beside you throughout it all so you can stand in His strength.

Common Misconceptions About the Bible: