Pharisees were masters, even though they did not originate the famous, or infamous, “building of a hedge around the law.” By heaping more and more strict laws on top of those given by God Himself, they sought to insulate the Law and protect themselves from its violation.
Marty Duren has sparked a driving conversation along a similar theme at SBC Outpost. I offer my thoughts here.
The problem with building a hedge around the law is that the hedge often becomes the new law. Pharisees would chastise the violation of the Jewish “hedge” law as if it were from the mouth of God. When the hedge become the law, a new hedge ensues, to keep us from violating the new law. We then begin a process by which we move further and further into a web of restriction from which we have little hope of escape.
We also become a barrel of crabs with our fellow hedge builders. Have you ever seen a barrel of crabs? If one begins to have success in climbing out of the barrel, the others pull it back in. We do that, too.
The ironic part is that we all build hedges ourselves, and for good reasons. We quote Scriptures such as, “flee temptation” and rightfully avoid positions that can lead to our destruction. I edit the websites I peruse, the shows I watch and the movies I enjoy because certain themes are a temptation for me.
The difficulty lies in when we apply our personal and reasonable hedges to others. When my personal temptation avoidance practices are applied to others, I become a hedgebuilder in a very unhealthy way.
I am not arguing for a mobile line of demarcation as to what is right and what is wrong. There is not “situational truth.” However, beyond what Scripture declares to be morally true, my personal hedges are my own and for my own good. They ill fit anyone else.
Rather, they become a destructive burden to them and to me. They destroy them by heaping upon them manmade traditions – which are unattainable and for which Christ did NOT die. We destroy ourselves by becoming judges, for which we were never suited, and thus become twisted perversions of that for which Christ did die – chaining ourselves to this false law instead of being set free to glorify God.
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Kevin Bussey
on Jul 3rd, 2006
@ 11:12 pm:
The law was made to protect us. But adding hedges like you say makes life burdensome. Jesus came to take away our burdens!
Sonya D
on Jul 4th, 2006
@ 6:50 am:
Great post Art. Good to have you back.
Villa Rica
on Jul 4th, 2006
@ 7:14 am:
Thou shalt not be a HEDGE HOG:-)
Villa Rica
art rogers
on Jul 4th, 2006
@ 8:15 am:
Kevin,
Good illustration of contrast.
Sonya,
Good to be back.
VR,
I will do my best. ;)
art
nathaniel adam king
on Jul 4th, 2006
@ 8:24 am:
I grew up in an independent baptist church. The very epitome of legalism. We were not allowed to listen to Contemporary Christian Music, as it had such horrid people as Amy Grant and D.C.Talk in it. The women were NEVER allowed to wear pants, as this led to the stumbling of others. On and on ad naseum.
By God’s grace I was taken out of this church and led to a community of people who embraced the freedom of Christ.
My problem now is struggling to not let the pendulum swing too far the other way. No, I don’t think there is anything inherently sinful about drinking. I think that the Spirit should guide the person, myself specifically, to do what brings God the most glory and brings me closer to Him.
However, I am not perfect. I do wander. I do get into those ‘dark nights of the soul’ when I do not hear the Spirit as clear and loud as I would like to.
What then am I to do? Am I to just go off of reason? Reason would tell me there is nothing wrong with sleeping with my girl-friend.
I would then ask the church, or look to counsel from fellow Christians, but the minute one of them starts to say, ‘you should stop drinking, or you should stop smoking’. My mind has flashbacks of the independent baptist days and it cries out LEGALISM!!
I then forsake the ‘counsel’ all because of fear that this is not loving counsel but self-imposed legalism.
I don’t really know what I am trying to say specifically. Except that I am beginning to sympathize a little more with the legalist and pharisees.
Not in the sense of the ones that I had dealings with (the ones forbidding women and pants) or with the ones that Jesus had dealings with. But more along the first legalist and pharisees.
I am beginning to understand that not all ‘legalism’ or ‘hedges’ are built about out of a desire to constrain and control the Christian. Sometimes it may very well be a group of elders that are attempting to help young lechers such as myself live godly lives when we are so far in sin that the Spirit’s call is no longer audible.
tim rogers
on Jul 5th, 2006
@ 8:28 am:
Brother Art,
Just got back off a break and trying to get caught up between moving to another ministry and all that entails, and came across your post.
I am not sure what to think right now. My first thoughts cry out from within that we are opening the barn door. My second thought constrains the first thought that if the cow was truly ours then it would not matter that the barn door is open. My third thought comes to the question, are we not keepers of the barn door?
If we are going to allow freedom to reign in everything that we do in Christ, Why not allow everyone to own slaves? The Bible does not expressly speak against owning slaves and therefore it would not be wrong to own another human being. As a matter of fact Paul admonished Onesimus to return to his slavery with Philemon and never admonished Philemon to set Onesimus free.
While I do not believe the Bible teaches that owning slaves is right, my stand against slavery is based on the fact that racism is the underlying variable that leads to slavery. One would have to bring in other “outside” variables in order to arrive at this position. The same with alcohol used in moderation. Those who cry freedom point to Jesus turning water into wine. Those that argued for slavery in 1845 pointed to Onesimus and Philemon. It took 150 years before the SBC acknowledged that slavery was built on racism and racism was a sin. The SBC acknowledged back in the 20′s and 30′s that alcohol used in moderation leads to sin and therefore it should not be used in moderation.
Cry freedom all you want, the bottom line for me is that I am not trying to protect the Scriptures, they will protect themselves. The Holy Spirit leads each individual and therefore is the one responsible for these conclusions. Brother Art, are you right and I am wrong? Or, am I right and You are wrong? If we apply the same use of freedom built on strict adherence to scripture that you are advocating for alcohol, then should we not all be able to own slaves?
Mike Woodward
on Jul 5th, 2006
@ 9:40 am:
Why is freedom such an uncomfortable word? Why is there an assumption that since I have freedom in Christ, I will use that freedom to rationalize sin? Why do we seek to be the weaker brother from Romans 14?
Elizabeth
on Jul 5th, 2006
@ 10:51 am:
Isn’t it odd lately how everytime freedom in Christ comes up on a blog, alcohol and slavery are the issues that is brought up? I realy do not understand why this is.
Good point, Mike. When we are loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we are not forever going to be the “weaker brother” always easily tempted to fall into sin.
CB Scott
on Jul 5th, 2006
@ 11:06 am:
Tim,
I have one question for you. Have you ever seen a slave?
I have. If you had you would know that it is sin and has nothing to do with what Art is talking about in any way.
Racism is not the cause of slavery. Greed, lust and the total filth in the human heart is the cause of slavery in the past and also in the present. Slavery is as real today as ever before only it is more brutal and few fight it.
Slavery is a poor choice for use to argue the point with Art or maybe it is just too “touchy” for me.
One more thing. You have a daughter. Watch over her well. There are evil people roaming around everyday that would make slavery a reality to you.
cb
art rogers
on Jul 5th, 2006
@ 12:04 pm:
Tim,
We are the keepers of our own gate and any restrictions we choose to place are tailored to us by the Holy Spirit. To enforce them on others becomes the problem.
It is not really about “freedom” as much as it is burdening one another with our own issues – which is a spiritual servitude for which we are not fit. We were never meant to be “enslaved” by one another, but by the the Lord. Enslavement by Him is freedom. Please allow me this comparison, Tim & CB. It is Biblical but it cuts across both of your uses of the term.
As to who is right and who is wrong, I think there is some common ground for us as I understand us to be talking about two different things. Or are we?
If we are talking about the same thing – the application of extra Biblical restrictions on fellow Christians by us – then I am quite confident that I am right. ;)
As to whether or not you are wrong, that is a matter of deduction. ;)
They are here packing us now, so I am off line for a little while.
Carry on without me.
tim rogers
on Jul 6th, 2006
@ 7:16 am:
Brother Art,
Enjoy your adventure. My movers are coming on the 13&14. I do not look forward to this. I told my wife that God would have to speak audibly for me to embark on another move.:>)
Brother CB,
Allow me to take your argument and build on it. Have I ever seen a slave? No! You say you have and then you go on to some great points that reveal its sin.
Now, let me build on the same argument. Have you ever seen a drunk? Of course by your being in the Marines I know that you have. By my being in the ARMY I have also. However, by my being a Rogers, I have seen it in my family with my favorite uncle. I remember the nights of sitting up with him in the hospital trying to keep him from “falling off in the holes” that he saw in the floor. I remember seeing him come over to our house only to wreck our good time with some volatile outburst at someone. I remember the junk that I saw him level at his family. On a more personal note, I remember the times of waking up in the car and not knowing how I got there or left the party. I remember waking up in the hospital and them working on me because I ran off in the ditch and was thrown up into the widsheild completely crushing my face. I remember what alcohol does to one personally and the friends and family it affects. You know, the same arguments you used against owning slaves is the same arguments that I can use against drinking alcohol socially.
“Greed, lust and the total filth in the human heart is the cause of slavery (using alcohol in moderation) in the past and also in the present. Slavery (alcohol use in moderation) is as real today as ever before only it is more brutal and few fight it.
CB, I love you but I just guess we adamately disagree on this issue. And Yes, I do know that I need to watch my little girl. She can become enslaved to alcohol just as quickly as any other thing. That is why I want her looking to Pastors that do not believe alcohol is never right to be used in moderation.
Tim
CB Scott
on Jul 7th, 2006
@ 1:30 am:
Tim,
I should have made my position more clear. I am sorry. I am in no way defending a use of alcohol in any way.
My only point of contention was your use of slavery to make your point as if it were a thing of the past and merely racial in scope.
Slavery is a greater problem on this planet now than it was in 1862.
Please use another analogy. That is what I took up too many words trying to say. Slavery still smells with the same stinch but to a greater degree than it ever did and not many of the “political” powerful say much about it although they know it is real.
I probably crossed the line in my rebuke and for that I am sorry toward you and to Art for going away from the actual theme of his post.
cb