Today, when you say confinement, people automatically envision being bound, chained, and locked away in a dark place. Confinement does not bring forth a sense of security and happiness. I mean one of the synonyms for confinement is imprisonment.
But if you are on a good path, confinement can be a great thing. I mean roads have guardrails to keep cars from cliffs and ditches. Roads even have rumble patches before the guardrails as an extra precaution for drivers. Even before the rumble patches, roads have lines to keep you in your lane. All of these precautions are there to protect you. These lines, rumble patches, and guardrails are all things that could be considered confining. They are there to restrict your movements after all. Like I said earlier though. Confinement can be a good thing.
Rules Are Good
Now that we have established that confinement can be a good thing. That rules and guardrails in our life can be for our protection. Not an imprisonment meant to limit us. From the beginning of time, God placed us in a good and safe place. He also gave some guidelines to keep humanity in a good and safe place.
AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, SAYING, OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT:BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY DIE.
GENESIS 2:16-17
When mankind broke these rules, we were introduced to the negative consequences of our actions. It didn’t happen immediately. It rarely ever does. Unfortunately for us, the consequences of this first act of rebellion cost us life in Eden. A life banished from God’s presence. God gave that rule to Adam and Eve for their protection. It was for their good. Not to limit them but to keep them safe.
What Are The Rules
Now when we break the rules and are unrepentant, we give up our place in the Book of Life. We are sentenced to eternity in Hell.
NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS?AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.
MATTHEW 7:21-23
In order to not break the rules. We first need to know what the rules are. Thankfully we have the Bible to tell us what the rules are. A lot of times when we are just starting our walk with God we need help understanding the rules. We also need a little reminding of the rules from time to time. We are human after all and are prone to forgetting or minimizing the rules. This is why we have pastors. To help remind us of the rules and the consequences of breaking those rules.
Rules Are Freeing
When you drive down a road you don’t feel imprisoned by the lines, rumble patches, or guardrails. You don’t even hardly think about them. You know they are there but you don’t pay them too much mind. They are there for your protection and for the protection of the other drivers. They aren’t there to hold you back or keep you from having a good time. If this is true for those “rules” why are the rules God gives us different? Why do we accept man’s rules and fight God’s?
LET EVERY SOUL BE SUBJECT UNTO THE HIGHER POWERS. FOR THERE IS NO POWER BUT OF GOD: THE POWERS THAT BE ARE ORDAINED OF GOD. WHOSOEVER THEREFORE RESISTETH THE POWER, RESISTETH THE ORDINANCE OF GOD: AND THEY THAT RESIST SHALL RECEIVE TO THEMSELVES DAMNATION.
ROMANS 13:1-2
When we break man’s law there are consequences. Whether it is a warning, a fine, or jail time. When we break God’s law there are also consequences. These consequences are far worse than any we receive from breaking man’s law though. Breaking God’s law means eternal damnation. I know a lot of times it’s hard to think about what is going to happen to us after we die. We get so busy in this life just living that we hardly ever stop to think about eternity.
Love Comes With Rules
Any time you start a relationship, you immediately start thinking of how to make the other happy. The same goes when you start your relationship with God. You start asking yourself how to make Him happy. How to show Him how much you love Him.
IF YE LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.
JOHN 14:15
To show God that we love Him, He simply asks us to keep His commandments. To show my husband, Justin, that I love him. There are some rules, covenants, that I stick to. No one questions that. Marriage comes with rules. To love each other. To forsake all others. That’s what is excepted for a man and a wife. We are the bride of Christ. We need to keep His commandments. Simply for the fact that we love Him and what to show Him our love.