Prescribed Gospel vs. Described Gospel

Dreadlocks aren't allowed in Church!
Jeans aren't allowed in Church!
Guys shouldn't have pierced ears that's a sin!
You have tattoo's all over your body that's a sin!
Your hair is relaxed and not natural that's a sin!
You're eating bacon that's a sin!
You're eating shrimp that's a sin!
You are having an alcoholic drink so you apparently must be a sinner?

How many of us have heard these accusations from our fellow brothers and sister in Christ. I know I personally have heard four of these (and yes my hair is natural). We tend to become down when we get a verbal spanking from our fellow saints but how do we know that the sin they are accusing us off is in fact a sin.

The real answer is they can't tell us that our actions are a sin unless they can reference it the bible. The way Holy Spirit may interpret the Bible messages and text to you in a completely different way then to someone else. So who are you to judge?

For example the Bible in Mark 1:17 Jesus says "come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men". The text does not prescribe that we can only make fishers of men in certain locations. So if the Holy Spirit leads you to go to the club to be the witness for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who has the right to demonize you. The Holy Spirit told you to GO!! and you went. Now we need to be truly careful that it is indeed the Holy Spirit that is leading in all aspects of life and not our own selfish intentions  The best way to validate this is to ask yourself WHY you are doing a particular action, if your intent is for the good of the kingdom then you can trust that nudge telling you to GO.

According to Dictionary.com

pre·scribe  - to lay down, in writing or otherwise, as a rule or a course of action to be followed; appoint, ordain, or enjoin

de·scribe  -to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of: He described the accident very carefully.

If we are going to advise our brothers and sister in Christ we need to insure that our source is prescribed from the text which God has given us and not described from us interpreting or altering the Bible for our own purpose.

At the end of the day Jesus tells us that our described church rituals and codes are not important i

Mark 7:18-23 NIV

18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean. 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”   

Thoughts?

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