As we travel down life's roadway (see Chapter 6--"LIMITS"), we discover that there are numerous REGULATIONS (rules: "do this," "don't do that," "you may," "you may not," "yes," "no") and REQUIREMENTS (things that are demanded of us: "you must do this," "you must do that") which keep us on the road of rightness and in the place of safety.
Life's "DO'S AND DON'T'S" may be likened to the "Stops and Starts" which every driver confronts on the highway:
It is normal to have starts and stops, do's and don't's! Can you see some of the dangers that could result from not meeting the requirements and not obeying the regulations?
Why is there no parking next to a fire hydrant?
Why is there a speed limit?
Why should cars stop for a school bus?
Why should we not drive the wrong way on a one way street?
Are these rules for our harm or for our health? Are these requirements designed to destroy life or save life?
Note: In Mark 3:1-5. the Jewish religious leaders were all confused about the DO'S and DON'T'S connected with the Sabbath. They thought it was wrong to H__________ on the Sabbath day (verse 2). Are God's laws designed for our hurt or for our help (Deut. 6:24)? ____________ Would it be wrong for a medical ambulance to exceed the speed limit in order to save a life by bringing a person to the hospital? ______ Were the Sabbath laws intended for man's help or for man's harm (Mark 3:4)?
DO'S and DON'T'S are for our own safety and protection. They help to keep us alive. Imagine a driver who refuses to stay in his proper lane:
His irresponsible driving not only endangers his own life, but also hinders and endangers the lives of others. So also, as we travel on life's road, we do not want to hinder or harm others (by our failure to obey the rules), but we want to run straight in order to help others!
Rules and regulations (DO'S and DON'T'S) are very necessary in school. How much would you learn if everyone were allowed to talk at the same time? What would school be like if the students were allowed to come to class 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes late? Can you think of other school regulations that are needed and necessary for the benefit of all?
The Bible is filled with DO'S and DON'T'S, positives and negatives,
"Thou Shalt's" and "Thou Shalt Not's"! Consider for example the 10
Commandments in Exodus 20:3-17. Which of these commandments are positive ("Thou
shalt...")?
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Which of these commandments are negative ("Thou shalt not …")?
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Negatives and Positives (DO'S and DON'T'S) are necessary even in the physical realm. To stay on the road of fitness and health, we must follow certain rules and regulations such as:
If these rules are disregarded and disobeyed, who suffers and pays for it?
Look up the following commandments, and decide which are positive and which are negative:
| A. "THOU SHALT" (positive) | B. "THOU SHALT NOT" (negative) | ||||
| 1. | _____ | Leviticus 19:18 (the second part of the verse) | 6. | _____ | Colossians 3:9 |
| 2. | _____ | Deuteronomy 6:5 | 7. | _____ | Colossians 3:13-17 |
| 3. | _____ | 1 John 2:15 | 8. | _____ | 1 Thessalonians 5:16 |
| 4. | _____ | Ephesians 4:30 | 9. | _____ | 1 Thessalonians 5:19 |
| 5. | _____ | Ephesians 4:32 | 10. | _____ | James 4:11 |
Can you think of other negative and positive commands in the Bible?
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Obedience to God's rules and regulations is the way of life: "...for to do them, that ye may ____________" Deuteronomy 4:1). Disobedience ("If thou wilt not observe to D___ all the words of this law that are written in this book"--Deut. 28:58) is the way of’ death resulting in God's judgment (Deut. 28:59-68).
The negatives (DON'T's) are needed to get a person to the positives (DO’s):
| THE WAY OF CURSES AND DEATH (Deuteronomy 28:15 and following) |
 |
THE WAY OF BLESSINGS AND LIFE (Deuteronomy 28:1 and following) |
Often in the Bible God gives both the negative and the positive so that He might get us out of danger and bring us into safety. Look up the following verses and fill in the DO's and DON'T's:
Compare also Romans 13:12,13,14.
DO's and DON'T's demand a response from me. DO's and DON'T's are followed my WILL's and my WON'T's!
| WRONG RESPONSE | RIGHT RESPONSE | ||
"DO" "I WON'T!" |
"DON'T "I WILL!" |
"DO" "I WILL!" |
"DON'T" "I WON'T!" |
  |
NO PROGRESS |
|
|
I must live by and follow the house rules (see page 34):
These rules and requirements are for my own personal good. Life gives us numerous examples of how DO’s and DON’T’s can save our life:
Follow directions! The facts do not change! God is the great Physician who knows what is best for my sick soul. His remedy is found in the Bible which is filled with directions (DO’s and DON’T’s).
1) "I did not know what the directions were!"
The facts do not change just because you do not know them. Ignorance is no excuse.
Parents must keep harmful things out of reach of children. If an innocent, ignorant child drinks poison, will he (or she) be harmed or will ignorance save the child?
We are responsible (chapter 5) to get to know what God’s directions are. Sins of ignorance are still sins and Christ had to die for them (see Leviticus 5:14-19 and especially verse 17: "if a soul or person sin, and commit any of these things which are _____________________ to be done by the ________________________ of the LORD; though he knew it not (he was IGNORANT), yet he is ___________________ and shall bear his ______________").
2) "I don’t like the rules!"
Why would you dislike rules that are designed for your own safety and welfare? Are you interested in your own self destruction?
3) "I’m just going to ignore the rules!"
Ignoring rules does not make them go away! You can ignore the "thin ice" sign on the frozen lake, but does this help to lessen the danger?
4) "I’ll get others to join me and we will all gang up against those who have made the rules! We will all gang up to get a large group to do what I want to do and so if everybody is doing it, it cannot be all that bad."
Examples: "Everyone is speeding and driving recklessly, so why should not I?"
"None of my other friends read this book, so why should I do this assignment?"
Remember, even if a multitude should do evil, this does not make it right. Every person is personally responsible before the Great Rule-Giver (Romans 14:12)! God may someday say, "The others must answer TO ME too, but now, what about YOU?" They will be caught and so will you!
It should also be kept in mind that DO’s and DON’T’s may change and probably will change if the parents (or persons responsible to make rules) are growing (putting into practice the truth that they learn). This is illustrated in the fourth diagram in Chapter 6. The parents may start off with their first child at position E. The parents may then get saved and be at position D as the second child comes along. By the third child the growing parents may be very close to position C, as truth is being translated into the present here and now. The parents are putting what they learn to work!
Thus, the third child may complain, "Why can’t I do the things my brother did when he was my age? If he could, why can’t I?" The parents were somewhat loose at first, but in time they have been getting some things straightened out and they are teaching their child to do likewise (to grow and to practice what you learn)! The parents and the children all learn and grow and the third child has the (underline the correct word: ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE) of the family's learning and growing.
Remember, rules and regulations are given FOR YOUR _____________ (Deuteronomy 10:13; see also Jeremiah 32:39)!
(Additional illustration: Suppose a baseball, game were played without any rules. Would you enjoy playing in that game?)
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