Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 5/2/2010

Question
QUESTION: So in my walk with THE LORD I have always experienced what I think of as a very O.C.D. like experience with things.  I have truly grown in my faith and have been drastically transformed by the Power Of our LORD'S grace, but yet still I always wonder why other Christians do not get hung up on the things I do.

For instance I always drive just under the speed limit, and even press the crosswalk button and wait the white walk light comes on before i cross (even if a car isn't in sight).  All this is to avoid breaking the laws of the land (Romans 13), since they are not in conflict with the will of GOD.
  These are just a small sample of the many things I get hung up on in order to avoid sinning against what is presented in scripture.  At times it drives me CRAZY because there is so may rules to follow to not break the law.  Not to mention being a faithful employee and following every rule put in place by them so I can serve them as I would Christ.  If you think about it we can really get bogged down.
  Many Christians can drive 5-10 over the speed limit or jaywalk or not come to a complete stop at a stop sign.  And with a clean conscience saying "well since its not enforced..."  

Feeling stressed.  Am i Just taking it too far?

ANSWER: Hi John,

Thank you for this great question.  I am sorry for my late response.  YOu are to be commended for your obedience here.  I do have a few words of caution for you.

1.  Make sure that your motivation is love, not a feeling of superiority or fear.  No matter how hard you try, you will still be a sinner who needs a Savior.


Romans 3:10
10 As it is written,  There is none righteous, no, not one:
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

So we serve God and obey Him because we have trusted in His forgiveness.  We are motivated by love.

1 John 4:17-19
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

John 14:21
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2.  Make sure that you are not keeping the commandments in order to judge others and to lift yourself above others in your own eyes.  If someone is speeding.... that is not your deal.... you just do what you believe to be right... It is possible that although you are doing right, you are doing so in order to feel superior in a judgmental way to other sinners who are saved by the same grace that you are.

Romans 14:4
4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2 Corinthians 10:12
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response.  I appreciate that you mentioned that i should make sure my intentions are for the right reasons.  My love for CHRIST needs to remain my main motive and i sometimes forget that.  

My first reaction to whether I have animosity to fellow Christians is that i do not, but it is good to just do a quick self check. I cannot remove the speck from my brothers eye if i have a resentful or angry heart.

But i do wonder why these "little things" do not bother alot of believers.  Maybe it is just because many in the faith just overlook it.
T
o me the things i mentioned are not just grey areas of scripture that our conscience can guide us through.  I do not confront many people with this, but should I?  Is this a sin that i should approach a brother with after i remove any logs from my own eye?  A Catholic site defined sins of this nature as venial sins, not mortal.  I am not a Catholic at all but I know that if i had a brother who was committing adultery and didn't know it was wrong i would have to approach him.  But with a sin like this i feel like it really isn't something i should approach a brother with.

Back to me though, yes I do obey sincerely because I want to obey the LORD JESUS CHRIST, but i do forget and just obey out of habit at times. And yes I am well aware that i am very guilty before GOD aside from the grace provided for me through JESUS, but praise GOD for granting us the gift of being fully pleasing to HIM!!

Thank you for your reply and i look forward to hearing back.

Answer
Hi John,

Thank you for this followup question.  You approach this differently than some people because God made you as an individual with a specific temperment.  You appear to have what is known as a melancholy temperment.  You are very analytical, detail oriented, and have a great attention to specific rules.  THis is how you see things.  Others are made up of different temperments and have different strengths and weaknesses than you do.  A great book to help you understand that is called "Spirit Controlled Temperament" by Tim LaHey.  

If an individual is in the realm of your jurisdiction, like your child, student, one that you are mentoring, or one under your leadership... then absolutely you should approach them biblically after you are clean of beams from your own eyes.  If however, the person is not within your care, not in your church, not in your family or not under your leadership, then you may not be so quick to confront them.  God tells us to practice justice and justice must be practiced within one's realm of jurisdiction.

Micah 6:8
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don