Practically speaking, rules are often the centerpiece of religious life. Many people think the Ten Commandments are rules that make a relationship with God possible. If you follow the rules, God will be happy. If you don’t, he won’t.
But what if a relationship with God doesn't depend on our obedience? When it comes to your relationship with God, what is the role of rules?
Starting Point: The Role of Rules
Part 4
May 17, 2015 • Forrest Jenan
More from
Starting Point
Starting Point: Something Happened
April 5, 2015 • Steve Harms
Everything that exists had a starting point . . . including you. You may have started on purpose. You may have started by accident (from your parent’s perspective). You may even have started through the magic of medical science. Whatever the circumstances, you had a starting point and it began before you were aware of it. Physical life is one of many starting points. Your formal education had a starting point. Your career had a starting point. Your romantic life had a starting point. Your experience as a parent had a starting point. Faith has a starting point as well.
Starting Point: Sea of Glass
April 26, 2015 • Forrest Jenan
The three largest faith traditions — Judaism, Islam, and Christianity —claim the same starting point: a man named Abraham. All three agree that sin made a mess of the world and God started his clean up operation with Abraham. God made a series of promises and Abraham’s response to those promises didn't just have implications for his personal starting point or the starting points of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It had implications for your starting point as well.