Key Bible Verse: "You ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions" (Mark 7:8). Bonus Reading: Galatians 4:8-12a

The Bible commands us not to get drunk with wine. A simple, clear command. But instead of preaching about drinking in moderation (which is considered too dangerous and messy), many groups fence this about with a law of never drinking a drop of alcohol at all—total abstinence. This is so pervasive in American churches that most evangelical and charismatic churches use grape juice for holy Communion. There's nothing wrong with this choice; but we can't talk truthfully about the bread and the wine; it's the bread and the "juice."

For a number of groups, the total abstinence fence isn't enough. To ensure complete holiness, they add laws like: "Don't even go into restaurants that serve alcohol." Or some modify this law: "You can go to a restaurant that serves liquor, as long as it doesn't have an open bar."

People make these rules with good intentions. But the more our faith becomes about keeping human rules, the more lifeless it becomes. That's the position Jesus took on this. Faith easily stops being about God and His guidance in our lives and starts being about how others think we should live. It can quickly become a dead, human, religious thing.

—Ed Gungor in Religiously Transmitted Diseases

My Response: Am I aware of an area in which I've added to God's commands?

Thought to Apply: There's a little Pharisee in all of us. Harmful though it is, we find a lot of security in our iron bars and solid walls.—CHUCK SWINDOLL (pastor & educator)

Adapted from Religiously Transmitted Diseases (Nelson Ignite, 2006) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, make me aware of the cultural blinders I bring to your Word, and please keep me from becoming a modern Pharisee.

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