If I asked two different people what makes their marriages work, I’d get two totally different answers. Relationships are unique to the individuals involved, and our relationship with God is no different. Faith isn’t about identical expressions but an honest connection.
Faith is a Relationship, not a rulebook
People honor God differently—avoiding technology, wearing modest clothing, tattooing a cross on their arm, worshiping quietly, or lifting their hands in song. Jesus spent more time correcting the Pharisees’ lack of empathy produced from their rigid adherence to rules than He did outlining standards for worship. He even told His disciples, upset about others casting out demons in His name, “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:39-40). Real worship isn’t about mimicking one group’s customs but about a genuine relationship with God and reflecting His image in our lives.
Our customs become problematic when we make them requirements for salvation, turning symbols of devotion into idols. The practices themselves take precedence over their purpose.
Rigid rules dictated daily life in the Two by Two church, serving as addendums to the Grace of God. These were the “yeah, buts” and “you can’t justs” that we used to “shore up” the supposed inadequacy of Jesus’s sacrifice. Breaking the customs around dress and loyalty to the ministry wasn’t just a personal choice; it was seen as a risk to one’s soul. Instead of centering on Jesus, our faith became a litany of “No’s”—no church buildings, youth groups, paid ministers, modern dress, jewelry, tattoos, or gatherings outside our group. Each “No” was a mark of our righteousness, yet each pulled us further from the heart of the Gospel.
I was exhausted: tired of feeling superior, believing almost no one else could be saved, and of my self-righteousness toward those with different practices. In this framework, I couldn’t embrace my neighbor.
Jesus said to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. Legalism undermines this, isolating us from others in our attempt to “earn” salvation. After all, we would barely get into heaven even after dedicating our entire existence to our works; we couldn’t have someone else distract us from our efforts to save ourselves. Our neighbor’s differing customs often threatened this quest.
I left the Two by Two church because I was tired of worshiping what we weren’t instead of what Jesus is.
Thinking of leaving legalism? You aren’t bitter, you aren’t unwilling, and you aren’t inconsiderate to those still solidly in. God is calling you out of Egypt. Embrace the desert; he is often found there.
By Jared Lerwick
October 26, 2024