The Law, Christians and the Selective Authority of Scripture

I have often been amazed at how selective Christians can be in applying the law of Moses when it comes to issues in the culture. In two incidents one recently encountered and one an old one we can see this.

1) Many years ago a doctor refused to treat a young girl because her mother had a tattoo. The basis for this was Leviticus 19:28. The interesting thing is that his white robe is made of blended fabric which is also against the law of God. In the same chapter, God forbids his people to trim their beards -- I wonder if he refused to treat someone who shaved?

2) Recently I was reading a work of fiction where the main character is a wizard that is confronted by Exodus 22:18 -- suffer not a witch to live. He returns that the same passage also says that a person should not lend money at interest, that whoever lies with a virgin should marry her and that people should be killed that have sex with animals, worship any other god but Jehovah and oppresses orphans. He then pointed out to the people he is talking to how selective people are about the Bible. He has a point.

I have found an interesting but common phenomena among Christians. When we are arguing about something that we are trying to bring about in our culture we have no fear about quoting the Law of Moses, but then when someone confronts us in the fact that we also practice things that are against the Law of Moses, we are quick to point out that we are not under the law but under grace. I think this is why no one listens to us that much any more.

I know thousands of Christians that have no problem with eating pork any day of the week but use the tattoo passage on their kids. I know many who do not have a problem with working on Saturday (the Sabbath) but will absolutely insist that their family be in church on Sunday.

The point is that most Christians are selective in what they consider authoritative. When a verse confirms our behaviour or more importantly condemns what we think is bad behavior we are quick to embrace it, but when a verse contradicts our own behavior we are quick to call upon grace. It is this hypocrisy and lack of a consistent mode of Biblical interpretation that continues to be a our down fall.

If you are going to insist that people are going to keep all the law then do so yourself -- GOOD LUCK because the whole point of Christ is that we need grace cause we all fail to obey the law.

If you are going to give yourself the grace argument you better be willing to give grace to others on other things of the same nature. Anything else smacks of self righteousness. And self righteousness is what Got the Pharisees in trouble. Make no mistake, I do not believe that we should sin that grace may abound but it not our job to be the moral watchdogs of society -- it is our job to live the grace and holiness of God. as Christians. Part of that is to be consistent in what we consider the authority of Scripture to be over our lives. It is also our job, to recognize what parts of the Word are authoritative because we fall under that particular covenant and what parts have changed because of the new covenant with Christ. It is also required for us to love our neighbor as our self -- something the doctor forgot.