Upholding Righteousness Without Legalism

I love the way our kids’ school dances have calling cards (so everyone participates and no one gets to choose his/her dance partner) and dance callers for dances ranging from the waltz to the Virginia Reel and choreographed line dancing which keeps movements relatively controlled since there is no freestyle dancing. however, these dances can turn into high impact aerobic workouts with girls spinning, lunging, and jumping in a way that could expose far too much if the girls are not dressed appropriately.

A large number of pictures from our school’s recent dance were shared publicly on social media, so to further support the modesty principle, I asked my daughter if she was comfortable with her future coaches, college administrators, and even employers seeing those photos. 

She replied, "But Mom, I had one of the most modest dresses here." (And she did with spandex running shorts underneath as well.)  

What if she had worn a less modest dress like some of the other students?  Would she still be comfortable with those photos being published publicly to social media?

She knows she should be setting her standard based on God’s word alone, and I am pleased with most of her choices, but don’t most people of all ages consider what others are wearing or doing when evaluating their own choices to some extent? While most of us realize our culture’s standard is already in the toilet, I’ve noticed Christian schools and churches lowering their standards as well. If this continues, soon Christian organizations and churches will look no different from the world at all.

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Mathematically speaking, if the population set has sunk to rock bottom, all zeros, then the average, maximum, and minimum of zero are all still zero. At that point it would not matter if someone was the most modest at school, church, or workplace. She would still be outside of God's standard. And this of course is not just about modesty. It's about morality, character, integrity, virtue.

I realize that schools and churches want to avoid legalism, just as Jesus spent more time rebuking the Pharisees than anyone else while loving and ministering to the vilest of sinners. But we do not rid our churches and communities of legalism by lowering standards, removing rules, or failing to enforce the laws. We root out legalism the way Christ did, by training the heart and by loving unconditionally. Christ did not abolish the law. He fulfilled the law and then made a way to transform our hearts. The law exposes our hearts and our need for Christ. Upholding Biblical standards in Christian communities is protective and good.  In a school or church, these rules or guidelines help expose the heart, revealing our need for Christ and areas that need to be surrendered to Him. They open up opportunities for heart training. Then as Christ does His sanctifying work in our hearts, we find great freedom as sin strongholds no longer controls us, all thanks to Christ's work on our behalf. 

Are we as parents, teachers, and/or role-models, focused only on the rules in a legalistic way, are we compromising our standards at the other extreme such that anything goes, or are we training the hearts of upcoming generations with love and biblical truth? 

If we are lowering our standards to please men, we are not honoring God.

Galatians 1:10

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.