Some people think that the Bible is a boring book filled with endless rules. To them, Scripture removes all fun and enjoyment from life, placing limits on the freedoms of individuals.
People who hold such views would assume that becoming a believer in Jesus entails a joyless existence following stiff rules of behavior. Surprisingly, some Christians also hold such views, claiming that the Bible is too narrow and limiting.
So, how should Bible-following Christians respond to these accusations? Is the Bible a mere rule book that restricts individuals? Do those who seek to follow Scripture live dull and restrictive lives? Let’s look more closely at this issue.
Christianity Is Not about Following Rules
Those who assume that the Bible is a rule book, and thus Christianity is about following rules, fail to understand what it means to be a follower of Christ.
First, we need to pause and understand that individuals cannot earn salvation or favor with God by trying to behave as the Bible dictates. No one can be saved by checking off a to-do list of the Ten Commandments or by doing good works.
Instead, the Bible teaches that individuals are saved by grace through faith in Jesus’s death and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8-9). All people are dead in their sins and cannot save themselves (Ephesians 2:1).
The Mosaic Law that we read about in the Old Testament helps us see the reality of our sins but cannot save us since we are incapable of keeping God’s Laws (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:10-11).
Only Christ can save anyone. He alone perfectly kept the Law as the sinless Son of God (1 Peter 1:18-19). As fully God, He added humanity to His divinity to die in the place of sinful mankind and take the punishment we deserve for our wrongdoing (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).
In a way, a person would be correct to say the Bible is narrow because it tells us that there is only one way of salvation. Jesus specifically said in John 14:6 that, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The truth that only Jesus can save brings freedom, not restriction. In Him, we receive eternal life. No one else can offer us that gift.
When someone places faith in Christ, they receive a new nature. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (ESV).
The Holy Spirit baptizes believers into this new life and indwells believers (1 Corinthians 12:13; Titus 3:5). He empowers us to live as new creations (Galatians 5:16). Not only that, but we begin to see that we desire to live according to God’s righteous ways.
To say that Christianity is about rules misses the point of grace and new life. Christians are no longer slaves to sin. Instead, they have an everlasting relationship with the living God.
The more they grow in their relationship with Christ, the more they want to follow Him. The Bible and Christianity are all about a relationship with the Lord, not legalistic rule-following.
Scripture Is Not a Regular Book
Just as Scripture is not a rule book, it is also not a regular book. The rows of novels on a shelf or in a store are vastly different from the Bible.
What we read on the pages of Scripture is inspired by God, without error, and completely true. Hence, believers refer to the Bible as God’s Word because all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16).
When we read the instructions from Jesus to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), or to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), we quickly recognize these words as authoritative. However, all Scripture is inerrant and authoritative since it is inspired by God.
The words were not devised by humans to promote their agendas and ideologies. Instead, those who physically wrote the words of Scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
Recognizing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is vital. When we read and listen to Scripture, we are listening to God. Learning from and obeying the Bible, thus, becomes an important act of loving and honoring God (John 14:15).
Also, the Bible is as essential to the Christian life as food is for daily sustenance (Matthew 4:4; see also Deuteronomy 8:3).
We find nourishment for our souls as we read, meditate, and obey the Bible. Scripture is not a restrictive rule book, but the living Word of God that sustains us spiritually.
Obeying God’s Word Brings Freedom and Joy
Unlike the assumptions of many people today who think the Bible is restrictive and leads to joyless lives, those who lived during biblical times held radically different views.
For instance, the Psalmist in Psalm 119 expressed how he delighted in God’s Word and rejoiced in following the Lord’s statutes (Psalm 119:14, 16). He described the value of Scripture when he said he loved God’s laws more than gold (Psalm 119:72, 127).
Also, obeying the Lord’s laws was not burdensome or restrictive to the Psalmist. He longed for the words of Scripture and found strength and refreshment in God’s Word (Psalm 119:20, 28). With the Lord’s help, the Psalmist not only walks according to Scripture but runs.
As he poetically wrote, “I run along the path of your commands, for you enable me to do so” (Psalm 119:32, NET Bible). The picture of running shows how God helped him to have unhindered devotion, but also gives us a picture of the freedom that comes from following the Lord.
At the beginning of Psalm 119, the Psalmist wrote that those who follow God’s Word are blessed (Psalm 119:1-2). How different that is from what other Bible verses say about those who despise and turn away from the Bible (see Proverbs 1:5-7, 22; 10:23-25).
In contrast to the assumption of people in the modern day, those who love Scripture and seek to obey it are the ones who live in freedom and joy.
Those who reject Christ and His Word are the ones who are confined — enslaved to their sinful nature (John 8:34; Romans 8:5). They might think they have happiness and freedom, but they are restricted to living according to the flesh.
Thankfully, Jesus offers everyone the opportunity to place faith in Him. In Jesus, individuals are truly set free (John 8:36). Once a person becomes a follower of Christ, they no longer see Scripture as a boring book filled with rules.
The Bible is God’s Word, the source of spiritual sustenance, a source of comfort and strength, and the way believers listen to the Lord.
Legalism Is Different from Following the Bible
In the discussion about obeying God’s Word, we need to remember that following the Bible is not the same as legalism. Some Christians may have had bad experiences growing up where their church or family forced them to obey legalistic rules under the guise of following Scripture.
Some of these rules may have consisted of not being allowed to wear certain types of clothes, listen to music, or watch specific television shows. They may also have been told that tattoos and drinking alcohol are evil.
It is important to note that these things I listed are a matter of personal conscience for a believer (Romans 14:1-6, 22). Adhering to man-made rules does not make a person righteous or provide salvation. Only in Christ is a person saved and declared righteous.
On the flip side, though, we need to recognize that legalism, the practice of rigid rule-keeping to obtain salvation or righteousness, is vastly different from Christians who choose to abstain from certain activities as a matter of conviction from Scripture and conscience.
For example, some Christians may choose to abstain from alcohol while others may choose to exercise their freedom.
Likewise, some believers may choose not to listen to secular music or watch certain shows and movies. Such choices, stemming from a believer’s desire to obey his or her conscience and pursue holiness, are not legalistic.
Why Does This Matter?
People sometimes make the accusation that the Bible is filled with endless rules to follow and that being a Christian is restrictive.
When we look closely at what it means to be a Christian and to follow the Bible, though, we find that Christianity is about grace, not rule-keeping, and that believers want to obey Scripture because it is God’s Word.
Obeying the Bible is a way for Christians to love Jesus. Also, following the teaching of Scripture brings delight and freedom, not restriction.
Those who do not know Christ are the ones who are hindered and confined. In Jesus, they can find real freedom and discover that His Word is a source of delight and strength.
For further reading:
Is Faith Just Following the Rules?
What Is the Difference Between Obedience and Legalism?
5 Problems with Legalism in the Church
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