Where Does the Bible Say,

“Don’t Do it?”

By Mike Demory

 THE common retort of most “religious” people when attempting to defend their opinion of what Christianity should be, is, “Show me where the Bible says we can’t do such and such.” While the issue before us is one of Bible authority and how to discern what acts are authorized by God and which ones are not; the true issue is our attitude towards God’s will.

     Like the Israelites before us whose attitude caused them to rebell against God by refusing to take the Promised Land that Jehovah said He would give them (Hebr. 3:12); so today we find the same rebellious heart. Solomon rightly concluded that there “is no new thing under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). Men still would rather have things their way, than to submit their will to God’s will. While most would never admit they harbor a rebellious attitude, their fruits prove otherwise. Nor would they ever so reason in private life as they do religiously.

    Take for example the man that hires a contractor to build him a new home. He produces the plans of the house showing the contractor how it is to be built and the contract is signed. Months later the contractor announces that the home is complete and hands the new owner the final bill, plus additional costs for changes made. The man is appalled because the house looks nothing like the blueprints he had given the builder. The man tells him he’s not going to pay because this was not the house he agreed to and the contractor answers, “You didn’t say that I couldn’t change anything. I thought this house would appeal to you better than the other one.”  The man would think the builder was crazy for not following the pattern he had given him. Yet, people do the same thing with the Word of God everyday! This scenario and others like it show that in everyday life people understand that specific restrictions need not be spelled out every time in order to still apply.

     Why people use such baseless arguments as “The Bible Doesn’t say we can’t,” or “The Bible Doesn’t say don’t do it,” is that their attitude and heart are not in accordance with God’s will and divine authority. They have become “will worshippers” (Col. 2:23), rather than “truth worshippers” (Jn. 4:23-24). Consider for a moment when God told Moses to speak to the rock so that it would bring forth water for the Hebrew people. We know from the text that Moses chose instead to strike the rock with his staff as he had before. Although water came forth from the rock abundantly, God was not pleased that Moses disobeyed His command to “speak to the rock” rather than “strike it.” Moses did not argue however, as many would today that God had not told him that he “couldn’t” strike the rock. He understood that he had violated God’s command (authority) (Num. 20:7-13). The same can be said of numerous Old Testament examples, yet the sin of selfishness moves people in every age to create God in their own image.

      While I understand that the majority of people do it through ignorance, which is due to their lack of Bible study, and dependence  upon what their preacher says about the Scriptures, that still gives them no excuse whatsoever. It is the duty of EVERY human being to DILIGENTLY seek God’s Will and to obey it alone. To make absolutely sure that they are not believing a lie. And that their spiritual lives are completely in line with the Bible alone (Jn. 12:48; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). Not one person will be without excuse on Judgment Day (Rom. 1:20)! While it sometimes does not seem apparent, I know that more people possess common sense than they  many times let on. Remember that God is no more required to specify restrictions in every case than we are. Please consider the following absurd and false doctrines believed and taught today because of unsound reasoning:

 · Instruments of music in worship are allowed because the Bible doesn’t specifically say we can’t.

· Women can be preachers, elders, deacons, translators, etc., because the Bible doesn’t specifically say they can’t.

· Communion is observed monthly, quarterly, yearly, on any occasion, on any day of the week, because the Bible doesn’t specifically say we can’t.

· Praying to Mary and the saints is not wrong because the Bible doesn’t say its wrong.

· Observing of “Holy Days” and/or “Religious” Holidays is not specifically condemned by the Bible.

· Missionary Societies are ok because the Bible doesn’t specifically condemn them

· Praise teams, drama, choirs, worship ministers, this minister, that minister are allowed because the Bible does not specifically spell out that they are wrong

· Divorcing ones spouse for any reason because the Bible does not specifically say that you can’t.

· Calling preachers “Reverend,” “Pastor,” “Doctor,” “Father,” “Bishop,” etc. because the Bible has nothing to say specifically against it.

· Benevolent Organizations are no where condemned by the Bible

· Reaffirmation of elders and deacons is an approved method because the Bible does not specifically tell us how to remove unqualified elders and deacons

    Using this same line of false reasoning, that the Bible must in every instance specifically state a restriction, then it must also be true that we cannot condemn abortion, illegal drugs, spousal abuse, child abuse, sex outside of marriage, no-fault divorce, baptizing babies, Homosexuality, Pornography, Pedophilia, Premillennialism, doctrine of original sin, and a host of other sins and doctrines that the Word of God implies.

     The fact remains that we can understand implied command when we want to, but when it doesn’t fit within our own preconceived subjective standard of selfishness and carnality then all common sense flies out the window. May our hearts willfully be submitted to God’s will in all things, and may our attitudes align themselves with God’s Word alone.