Sin and Personal conviction...

[largeli]

Im curious to get your thoughts on this...Let me just write a scenerio,

Take 3 people. All 3 are running a little late for work, and decide to drive 5 miles above the speed limit. Living in Cali where the speed limit on most hwy is 65 mph, most drivers drive 70+mph.....hwy patrol isnt likely to stop you unless youre exceeding 75mph.....so all 3 are breaking the law right? The 3 are each christians but have different personal convictions. One doesnt even realize he has sinned.....one realizes but isnt particularly "convicted" to the point of seeking forgivness or repenting....One is so broken about the fact that he has broken a law that he feels convicted to write a letter to the highway patrol office leaving his license number and other info so he can be accountable to the authorities that God has placed over him.

My question is this...is it right to say that all 3 of them are niether right or wrong? Could certain issues be left up to our own personal convictions to decide? I mean the law has been broken here, and Im sure we have all done it if not do it on a fairly normal basis....switch lanes without signaling....jay walking, etc.

If I dont feel conviction about this then am I using my freedom in Christ to sin? I know one of my pastors is notoriously known throughout our church for always driving 5mph under the speed limit, and this guy is not a legalistic man.

Now Im not talking about an "offensive" driver, cutting people off, tailgating etc.

I personally do drive above the speed limit regularly. I live in the bay area california and honestly, believe it or not, its actually more dangerous to drive the speed limit bc everyone will be wizzing past you flippling you the bird.....BUT the bible did say the world would hate us right? Anyways, I drive how I drive and I dont feel any conviction about it really....I guess if I accidentally cut someone off I would feel bad, and maybe give them a little wave and an "Im sorry". But thats it.....is this wrong? Im not trying to justify this but really asking, should I rethink my own convictions?

 

[miamited]

Hi Largeli,

What does God's word say about such an attitude? My wife and I discuss this quite often as I too have a 'heavy' foot. If we allow that God commands us to obey every law laid before us, then wouldn't Daniel have sinned before God by not bowing down to the statue of Nebedchudnzzer? It was the 'law' as handed down by the King of Babylon.

Wouldn't Peter have been sinning to tell the Jewish council that it is better to obey God's law than man's? And then continueing to preach the gospel despite the explicit command that they not.

Yes, I fully agree that obeying speed limits doesn't fit in the same category of laws that these men were standing firm against, but still these examples do seem to allow that God doesn't judge us on 'keeping the letter of man's laws'.

The commands that might apply here, and I believe there are at least three, say:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

So, I find that we are asked to submit to the authorities. I don't find that this necessarily means that we must follow every jot and tittle of man's law. Yes, certainly as the various laws apply to the commands of God's 10 commandments and are in agreement with them, we should surely obey. Do not steal, do not murder, do not bear false witness, etc.

However, as it applies to jaywalking, speeding, spitting on the sidewalk and the various and sundry other 'laws' that are laid down for us to follow I find that the submitting doesn't necessarily mean that we are sinning before God if we break these laws, but rather that we are sinning when we are confronted by those in authority to uphold these laws and we refuse to submit to them in paying the fines or whatever else is asked of us.

I just really find it difficult to believe that God sees as sin, the one who drives 66 in a 65 speed zone, after all that's as much breaking the law as driving 80 in that same 65 speed zone. I just can't seem to wrap my head around such an understanding of God. Many will say, "well, there's a limit above the posted speed that is 'allowed'". Really? Is this how we are to understand God's command and, of course, what is that 'limit'?

So, for me, speed limits can be rather arbitrary and I'm certainly not convicted that following them to the letter is necessarily God's intent in asking us to 'submit' to the authorities in place above us. However, if I am stopped for breaking the law, whether it be for going 1 mile or 10 miles over the posted limit, then I should be in an attitude of submission before that officer of authority.

Lastly, the Scriptures posted above do hold out a promise for those who do strive to keep the letter of the law and that is: That we may be free from fear of their authority by obeying them. If I maintain the posted speed limit, then I shouldn't have to be always checking my rearview mirror for those beautiful blue lights. LOL! My stomach won't turn sour when I round a curve and there sits a cruiser in the middle of the highway facing me. And by keeping to the posted speed limits, certainly as far as I am able, I am making their work an easier burden.

Just my thoughts and I'm certainly open to any others who might be able to teach on this subject what God's word instructs us.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[jcp988]

I would just say we must be careful not to become legalistic in this. A lot of drivers, like you said, don't even realize they are breaking a law. Yeah we should probably try to obey the law, the Bible does say that. But I hight doubt God is going to hold us accountable for breaking traffic laws that we rarely even realize we are doing.

Simply put I think there are a lot bigger fish to fry then driving laws... There are a lot bigger things out of place in our life, with those in sight do we really care about a few traffic laws? Not that we should just speed everywhere, but I think we should try to fix the other areas first.

 

[Jerushabelle]

I would just say we must be careful not to become legalistic in this. A lot of drivers, like you said, don't even realize they are breaking a law. Yeah we should probably try to obey the law, the Bible does say that. But I hight doubt God is going to hold us accountable for breaking traffic laws that we rarely even realize we are doing.

Simply put I think there are a lot bigger fish to fry then driving laws... There are a lot bigger things out of place in our life, with those in sight do we really care about a few traffic laws? Not that we should just speed everywhere, but I think we should try to fix the other areas first.

LOL, my Dad, Police Officer extraordinaire, would have been the first to look at you and say "ignorance of the law is no excuse!"

Jesus has been quoted similarly:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." so I guess for Christians, ignorance of God's Law is no excuse either.

Och, smack me, I'm such a legalistic literalist!

 

[jcp988]

My brother is a police sergeant, I'm not saying that from a practical stand point we should obey traffic laws. Duh, we should! I'm saying from a sin standpoint there are bigger issues to resolve.

Please do not attack like you are, assuming the worst. Try to understand the point I am making. I'm surely not saying we should ignore the traffic laws!

 

[paul1149]

We are to submit to government in all things not contradictory to the Lord, but legalism probably is a worse problem than going a few mph over the limit. As an example of the futility of the law, it's a known fact that it sometimes is impossible not to break the tax code, because the regulations are contradictory and insanely confusing. At this point I'm tempted to insert Dickens' infamous quote concerning the law, but it would be blocked out anyway.

Paul tells us that there are gray areas where each person should make up his own mind, be fully convinced, and not try to force others into his mold. He's particularly adamant about bogging young Christians down in minutiae - "doubtful disputations" - as they may be stumbled, since they lack a mature perspective (Rom 14; Col 2).

I'm not saying that's what's happening here, but I mention this to point out that there is a Biblical principle that covers relatively insignificant issues such as this. We are called to peace, and while that includes a sound conscience, we ought not submit to a tyranny of conscience.

 

[EBR]

Knowing all the laws and regulations that pertain to you is physically impossible. The most legalistic person in the world would eventually have to stop and say "I just don't care enough to study this anymore. I have more important things to do".

 

[Jerushabelle]

My brother is a police sergeant, I'm not saying that from a practical stand point we should obey traffic laws. Duh, we should! I'm saying from a sin standpoint there are bigger issues to resolve.

Please do not attack like you are, assuming the worst. Try to understand the point I am making. I'm surely not saying we should ignore the traffic laws!

Brother, I would hardly call a post that begins with "LOL" an attacking post.

 

[dewba]

If you speed, you're risking somebody feeling encouraged by your example and doing the same. It could even lead them to speeding faster than you feel comfortable driving.

 

[Nienna_Lady_of_Tears]

Going 66 MPH is technically speeding yes; but what if their speedometer says they were going 64 but it was really 66? That can happen. Also there is a bit of leeway even within the law (I think it's 2-3 mph difference), as it is recognized that speedometers are not all calibrated the exact same.