This section of my blog is devoted to breaking down what the Bible actually says about various religious standards and traditions placed on Christians from a historical, scriptural and contextual perspective using simple logic and reasoning. My goal here is to stay Biblical and in context (this is important) to share with you what the Bible actually says by breakdowning the scriptures simply and logically, so they can be easily understood.
You maybe looking for answers, questioning the standards you have been taught and trying to decide what is actually Biblical. Many of us who grew up in holiness churches have questioned the logic behind many standards because lets face it, many just didn’t make any practical sense, let alone adhere to Biblical context. The truth is, many of the outward standards are not biblical and are man-made legalisms, based upon a man’s own personal preferences or cultural traditions.
Did you know that Christ died to free us from legalism, the law and standards? Standards don’t work and will not make us more holy or justify our sins to God. The only justification is through Jesus Christ and the work done at the cross. When we try to manage our own sins and create legalisms/standards to justify ourselves or make ourselves more holy, we are actually nullifying the cross. Here are two articles I wrote on this that I would highly recommend reading along with this section on standards: The Power of The Cross and Reconciled and Our Debt Paid Through the Cross.
There is so much more to living for Jesus, and when we grasp that He loves us just as we are; it is literally life changing. When we take the focus off trying to save ourselves and justify ourselves through works (standards), we can focus on what God really cares about, and that is our heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance,but the Lord looks on the heart.
John 7:24
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
I also recommend reading the book of Romans and Galatians, these books will blow your mind when you realize the power of the cross and what it truly means to have freedom in Christ.
If you have any questions or wish to share anything with me, please e-mail me at: aaront@aaronmatthew.com.