The concept of ‘no rules’ seems initially appealing to many people.  Just think – you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.  Wonderful!

But, wait, if I can do whatever, whenever, wherever, then so can everyone else.  That means that their actions may impact upon me.  They might decide to take my car, burn my house, or steal my children.  If there are ‘no rules,’ then they can do anything, and there is no basis to stop them.

Rules, we come to realize, are extremely necessary.  My rights, my property, in fact my very existence depend upon rules.  Without them, ‘civilization’ would come to an end.

Religion is no different.  Rules are clearly necessary.  If allowed to do whatever we want, there is no end to the chaos that results.  The confused and divided religious world of our day is a testimony against the misguided notion that man should do as he pleases when it comes to serving God.

How can we know what is right?  How can we be assured that God is pleased?  On what basis can we judge that certain religious deeds are proper and others are wrong?  Surely these matters cannot be left to the subjective feelings of men.  The ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ approach is a proven failure. There must be something objective and certain that will direct us as we seek God.

The objective standard we seek is the inspired Word of God.  It is a “light to our path, and a lamp to our feet” (Ps. 119:105).  God’s word is the truth (Jn. 17:17) that can make us free (Jn. 8:32).

With the divinely delivered ‘rule book’ in hand, we must respect it and comply with its regulations.  This would include ‘speaking where the Bible speaks, and being silent where the Bible is silent’ (1 Pet. 4:11), and demanding ‘book, chapter, and verse’ for everything we do (Col. 3:17).  Anything less will lead to the anarchy of ‘no rules.’

– by Greg Gwin