Author : Keith Sharp
Recently it has come to my attention that some members of other congregations accuse us of being too picky. This is nothing new. When, as a very young preacher, I studied the use of instrumental music in worship with a Baptist woman, she sarcastically charged, “You people major in minors and minor in majors.” She was just accusing us of being picky about unimportant matters. Well, let’s consider this charge.
This could be an accusation that we make laws where God made none. Now that would be a serious charge. The Pharisees were guilty of both making laws where God made none and of disregarding the laws God had made. For example, while binding ceremonial washings the law did not demand, under certain circumstances they refused to support their aged, needy parents, thus disregarding the command to “honor your father and mother.” Thus, they were hypocrites and their worship was vain (Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13).
Later, Pharisees who had infiltrated the church tried to bind circumcision on the Gentiles (Acts 15:1,5). Paul called them “false brethren” and refused to give in to their demands “even for an hour” (Galatians 2:3-5).
If we can be truthfully charged with making and binding laws unknown to the Word of God, then we must repent. If anyone will point out to me wherein we are guilty of this sin, I for one will repent and ask forgiveness of both the Lord and my brethren.
On the other hand, being accused of being “too picky” could be an accusation of being overly strict in requiring obedience to the law of Christ. Is it wrong to demand full and complete obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ?
Israel is an example to us of what it takes to please God (1 Corinthians 10:11). In order to take and retain the land the Lord God promised them, they had to keep “every commandment” of the Lord (Deuteronomy 11:8-9; 32:45-46). This meant they had to always keep all His commandments carefully and diligently (Deuteronomy 5:29,32-33; 6:24-25; 8:1; 11:22-23,32; 15:5), with their whole hearts and souls (Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 26:16).
But didn’t Jesus bring grace and make careful, complete obedience unnecessary?
In the first place, the Lord gave Israel the land of promise through His grace (Exodus 33:12-17), not because of their own righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:6). Only Moses’ intercession saved Israel from destruction (Exodus 32:11-14).
Yes, we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). But the Lord Jesus requires that we obey all things He has commanded (Matthew 7:21-27; 28:18-20). Yet, only the intercession of Jesus Christ saves us from eternal condemnation (Hebrews 7:25).
But didn’t Jesus accuse the Pharisees with being too nit picking over unimportant things? No, He did not. He charged:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone (Matthew 23:23).
They weren’t wrong for tithing of their garden herbs, though this was indeed a small thing. They sinned by neglecting the big things – justice, mercy, and faith. They should have done both.
Who gets to decide what’s too picky? To a Baptist, members of the church of Christ “major in minors” because we reject instrumental music in worship. To my institutional brethren, I’m too picky since I reject general benevolence, common meals, and entertainment as authorized works of the church. Whose subjective standard will we accept to decide what’s important and what’s unimportant? “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). The only proper standard to decide what is important is the New Testament. If the Lord Jesus Christ has not authorized a practice, it is sinful, regardless of how unimportant the matter seems to me (Colossians 3:17; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 John 9).
If I am accused of preaching it is necessary to fully and completely obey all the will of Jesus Christ, I happily plead guilty and announce my full intention to continue doing so until someone convinces me full and complete obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ is unnecessary to eternal salvation. I won’t hold my breath while I wait.
