subllibrm said:
Liberty is a biblical principle. Church enforced "standards" violate this principle.
I love what you had to say about the schooling choices. But on a scriptural basis, personal liberty is modified by consideration of others. We are not to take personal liberty to an excess, disregarding our brethren.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
but by love serve one another.
1Cor 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours
become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
A selfish view of certain liberties leads to ungodliness. Above in Galatians 5:13, Paul directly warns of using such claims of freedom as opportunities to wicked practices.
Peter especially addresses this issue, making mention of it in both his epistles. In the first, he cautions about using liberty to hide hatred of others instead of serving one another.
1Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
In the second, he warns of licentiousness being used as a bait. Lack of restraint does not lead to true freedom, it takes you to the bondage of sin.
2Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
When this subject comes up, invariably a lot is said by those who detest the idea of holiness or godliness about how little they actually care about what others may think. That is a very selfish view.
Paul states that we should not be so much about our own pleasures, but endure the constraints on our liberties placed by those who are weaker.
Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
I suppose one of the most obnoxious "standards" to us is hair style. Yet everyone who wants to cry, "foul!" when such issues are brought up ignore the fact that the Bible does have many things to say about hair, dress, what we eat or drink, and whom we marry. In 1Cor 11, dealing with hair particularly, Paul's admonishment to those believers about their unusual hair style was based, in part, upon his own customs and that of other churches. (1Cor 11:16)
Since the Bible does deal with these subjects, it cannot be rightly claimed that they are in any way, "unbiblical." Instead, we should be more interested in a proper understanding of what God expects of each of us through His word instead of a selfish attitude of "doing what I want." It does not take much study to realize that the basis for convictions is to liberate the Christian from the bondage of the world and the power of sin, instead of granting us total freedom from the judgments or expectations of godly brethren.
Satan is a master at reversing perceptions, so that what is good becomes evil to us, or what is evil appears to be good. When we appear more like the world so that there is no difference -- no separation can be detected between what is Christian and what is the ungodly, non-Christian society around us -- then Satan has succeeded, again. Fussing and fighting about the specific details of separation, like a pharisee arguing about just exactly how many steps could be taken on the Sabbath day, is ignorant if you lose sight of the purpose.
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
