Rules

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

Philippians 3:8-9 The Message (MSG)

It is a good thing to follow the rules, but only after we consider whose rules we follow. Jesus came to demonstrate the rules we should follow and after inviting us to follow Him in doing this, He gave up His earthly life to die for us because of our inability to follow all the rules. Sometimes people making rules are not following those very rules they have made. God's rules are already written in His Word and they far exceed any rules made by people. Standing in the righteousness of Jesus Christ ensures that those who follow Him won't be breaking any God-ordained rules that have been enhanced by people. But when we do fall short, we can put our trust in Him to help us to begin again to stand in His righteousness and live in ways that please our Heavenly Father. God alone makes all the rules that matter.