Rules for Christian Living

The Symptom Warriors

Chances are that you will come to understand these principles of grace versus law before some of your policemen-type friends do. Most of the time these 'symptom warriors' mean well. They believe they can legislate spiritual growth. (Certainly life would be boring without someone to tell you how to dress and what movies to go see, what music to listen to, etc.)

The desire of the symptom warrior is to change your conduct so as to be more acceptable to God. Sort of like the Watchtower approach, right? Most of us have played this game at one time or another.

However, since we cannot really see the hearts of others or accurately perceive where they are in their relationship with the Lord, we often observe and react to outward symptoms. We are ever-ready to point out symptoms to our brother that indicate his walk with the Lord is 'not what it should be.' Because we lack the faith that God controls this process of perfecting his saints, we suggest to our brother that if he would only correct the symptom, his heart will change for the better. We believe that if 'Mark would only stop smoking, he would not feel so guilty and could approach the Lord easier.' 'If Joan would quit watching soap operas, she would love the Lord more and her marriage would improve.' 'If Johnny would quit watching Music Television (MTV), he could read the Bible more.' Seldom do we stop and think that we are approaching the whole thing backwards. Why not get them interested in the things of God, and let God do the work? If you can't get them interested in spiritual things, stripping them of their fun certainly won't work! Besides, we may be reading the symptoms wrong in the first place.

But wasn't Jesus very strict as to what we can and can't do? Didn't he make many statements regarding the living of a sanctified lifestyle?