Freedom. Maturity. Love.

Jesus died to complete all of God’s laws for us. We could not complete them, so he did it for us. So, we really do not need to be concerned about keeping the laws any longer.

But, again, that doesn’t mean Father is not concerned with how we live, and what we do. In Father’s original design, mankind was designed to be like Jesus. To love – because love fulfills the law – naturally, and instinctively.

Some recognize this, and live with a tremendous freedom. They live according to the Great Command – love God, and love people – and not sweat the rules churches set up.

There is the usual, unspoken, but expected church rule: attend the meetings. Scripture does say that it is good for God’s family to gather. People are designed to function as family, as community. There is benefit, and opportunity, to serve, to encourage, and to love. Those who are wiser, and more mature, can build into others. People were designed to love. Love needs givers, and receivers.

There are churches where one’s commitment, maturity, and life effectiveness are judged by the attendance chart. There are people, who judge their own worth to God by the attendance chart. Plus a host of other organizational rules.

I do not condemn organizations for having rules. Large numbers of people, sharing the same resources, and space, need something to direct traffic, maintain open lines of communication, and ensure that needs don’t get lost in the shuffle. But if God does keep a gradebook, I doubt any of these sorts of rules are recorded in it.

But there are people, who have given their allegiance to Jesus, genuinely, and truly, and believe that God expects them to keep these rules. And there are people in the same local family, who think that’s crazy. And thus, we have the potential for disunity, discord, and dis-harmony. What’s a body to do?

The mature, and the strong, must realize that love is on the top of God’s list. And unity is an important component of love in God’s family. So, it is up to them to love, and serve, those given to the minutiae of rules. And, by this love, all may grow in relationship to God and others, may grow in love, and may grow in understanding.

Again, organizations with lots of people may need rules to operate efficiently, and effectively. But keeping organizational rules, or cultural expectations, do not mean worth, or maturity, in God’s economy. Human worth is derived from God’s love of each person – demonstrated with the cross. Human maturity is derived from each person’s love of other people.