Why God Gets To Set The Rules

It is not unusual today to hear someone say when disagreeing with another, “that’s your truth,” or “I have my own truth, and you have yours.” It sounds so tolerant and even affirming of someone else’s opinion. But that kind of supposed “truth” is purely subjective and only works until it conflicts with someone else’s subjective version of “truth.” In reality, truth cannot be subjective at all. Logically, something is either true, or false. It cannot be true for one person and false for another.

Why, then, has the idea of subjective truth become so popular, especially among those living in ways that reject biblical principles? Simply put, it allows people to live as they want, to write their own rules, and to avoid accountability. Subjective truth removes boundaries, enabling everyone to “do what is right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Charles Colson, in his book Against the Night, illustrates this through Robert Bellah’s research: 81% of Americans believe that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue.” Many who claim to be Christians embrace faith on their own terms—terms with no demands on their behavior. One woman, Sheila, famously said in Bellah’s Habits of the Heart, “I believe in God. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. But my faith has carried me a long way. It’s ‘Sheila-ism.’ Just my own little voice.”

The point is, God sets the rules, and He has the authority to do so. We do not vote on His commands or nullify them by preference. Colossians 1:15-17 tells us... “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Paul explains that God sets the rules because:
1.He created all things—everything! All of creation belongs to Him, including us, and everything exists because of Him.

2.He is the sustainer of all things—everything operates and holds together by His will and were He to remove His influence all things would disintegrate.

3.He is the reconciler of all things—only He restores creation to its intended order. Paul said that He accomplished that through the cross of Jesus.

For these reason’s God gets to set the rules, you can like or dislike them, you can receive or reject them, you can adopt or ignore them—but what you cannot do is nullify them, nor escape accountability for them—because the truth is never subjective and the rules of God are not up for debate.

Remember, God is always trying to take you someplace new. I love being your Pastor!

For God’s Glory Alone,

Pastor Ray

Image credit: Unsplash