New Testament Freedom

I hear a lot of talk about what it means to be a Christian.  One line of thought centers on the prohibitions--things Christians aren't supposed to do or indulge in.  The Ten Commandments, even in this modern age, still contain the major breeches of Christian ethics.  There are five commandments that tell us things we should do: Worship only God, keep no idols, keep his name holy, keep the Sabbath or the Lord's Day holy, honor your parents.  There are five that name sins we should not commit: lie, steal, murder, bear false witness, and covet.  After that, it seems like everything else may need prayer. 

If you tell people how to behave, you are called judgmental.  If you do whatever comes to hand, you are considered uncontrolled.  It seems there is no standard of behavior.  

The Bible usually focuses on things that foster life and love and righteousness. These are pretty good standards for right and wrong, or put another way, how to decide if an action is a sin or not.

People often try to justify actions based on kindness or beauty, convenience or  practicality, but God does not care about these issues. He cares about righteousness. He wants us to look at actions that enhance life and make it better. Actions that promote health, love, and doing the right thing are the ones that God looks at with pleasure.. 

I find great joy in doing things I think God will approve and smile about.