Throughout history, most, if not all of the world religions there have always been some sort of strict silly rules that restrained its followers from freedom and enjoyment of basic human gratifications and laid heavy burdens on their shoulders to perform daily rituals like awaking in the early hours of dawn to pray, what to eat, how to be bathed, how to have sex, etc.
Granted that some of the things I listed above (Dietary laws, emission of semen etc.) the God of the Bible had rules for the Nation Israel at one point in time under the old testament, mostly due to the fallen sinful nature of men still present before God's eyes til Christ's blood washed sins away for good and make men faultless before God the Father to those who are in Christ. However, we are now under a new and much better covenant which is under grace and not the bondage of the old covenant. (Hebrews 8:1-13). I can keep going on and on but I digress.
God Commands You To Have Fun!
Throughout Christianity history there has been some strict legalist Christians that pretty much see everything fun and exciting as a "Sin". Playing video games= Sin. Listening to secular music= Sin. Showing a bit of cleavage= Sin. Going to the beach= Sin. Enjoying sexual activity with wife or husband= Sin. Playing family board games like Monopoly that involve fake money= Sin. Etc.
All of these things above I listed, God's word doesn't say a peep about it. Yet because of traditions of men, they are passed down as God's commands and truths. Traditions that sap the joy and excitement out of life.
God offers much liberty and desires for you to have excitement and joy especially while you're still young. Take Years Off Your life, Not Let Life Take Years Off Your Life.
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10: Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-17: Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish, Why should you die before your time.
A Little Bit Never Hurt Nobody.
God's word is clear, that getting drunk is a sin. Drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21). However, the Bible does not prohibit drinking liquor. It just says it can't be much to a point where you are drunk. Titus 2:2-3: That the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given too much wine, teachers of good things. So, yes you can get your sip on watching the game or whatever, but watch the meter. Sip, Sip, Sipping On Some...
I Dictate Your Life!
The Lord Jesus scorned and heavily criticized the Pharisees. For those of you who don't know who were the Pharisees, they were a religious sect that taught the old covenant to the Nation of Isreal. But were hypocrites in how they lived their lives. The Lord Jesus called them many times hypocrites and called them out on their evil ways. One of those things He called them out on was on the many traditions and rules they made up and taught as God's commands.
For ex. In one scene they attacked the Lord's disciples for eating with unwashed hands. Making Jesus angry and He ripped through them for making things up that God didn't command nowhere in the Old testament. (Matthew 15:1-11)
So, don't let your pastor put a leash on you and guilt trip you with rules and traditions of men. All these rules of men will drown and burden you down spiritually. Rules that they themselves don't even follow. (Matthew 23:4.) Respect Your Pastor, But Know He Is Not God.
I Heard You Been Naughty.
Believe it or not I once heard a pastor say in his sermon that sex between husband and wife was "Lust" and that they were sinning. Unbelievable! Look, God desires for husband and wife to have as much sexual pleasure as they would like. God doesn't put any restrictions on sex of any kind between husband and wife as long as no one is being forced to do something outside of their desire. Mutal consent is encouraged.
Proverbs 5:18-19: Let your fountain (Penis) be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.
Hebrews 13:4: Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
I don't like poetry, but there is a poetry love making story in the Song Of Solomon Book. On The Mark, Get Set, Get Freaky!
Liberty VS Restraint.
Obviously God prohibits certain activities because they are harmful. It's meant for our protection and well being. God isn't trying to rain on our parade with strict dull rules. He gives much freedom to enjoy life, but if your definition of "Freedom" is to have no rules at all where anything goes, than no. You can't murder people, you can't steal, you can't be a pedophile, you can't rape, you can't lie, you can't kidnap, you can't be a whoremonger and whore etc.
Mostly every parent has rules for their children to abide by for their well being. What would you think of a parent that gives candy and ice cream to their children for breakfast often? You most likely will think what a neglectful, wicked parent He or She is to destroy the health of their children by doing such harmful thing to their kids.
If you have any sense of wisdom and any shread of a good and healthy conscience than obviously you should understand the consequences of whoring around, stealing, envying, murder etc that God prohibits and set as guard rails for human safety.
2 Corinthians 3:17: Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Galatians 5:13: For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh (Sinful nature) but through love serve one another. You're Free, So Act Like It.
Are Christians Really Allowed To Have Fun And Be Free?
For the most part I agree with you. However, we should be careful not to allow our liberty to cause others to stumble. I may have liberty to drink alcohol, but if it causes my brother who goes to AA meetings to stumble, I'll give up that liberty.
I like and have quoted here, more than once... Proverbs 5:18-19: Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.
However, I never thought the fountain in v. 18 was a penis. I always saw the previous verses (water sources) as one's lineage and descendants... (i. e. don't have kids out of wedlock)
Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well.. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be yours alone and not for strangers with you.
In conclusion... Unfortunately, some legalistic folks accept and wink at actual sins like gluttony, while condemning good wholesome fun (e. g. bowling).
Haha... Yeah in the context on "Fountain" it is speaking of kids out of wedlock... In other words semen. Lol... but I choose penis. Since semen comes out of a penis.
If anything I would say that Christianity is not a very strict religion depending on the denomination. We have free will and the things we aren't allowed to do such as killing, stealing, and etc. are things no one should do anyway.
But they shouldn't. They need to keep their pride and ego in check.
1 Corinthians 4:6:
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
I love 1st John chapter 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him... And Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. ... to me that means we need to go after whats holy and the things of the Lord Jesus. live to please him. . Its good to finally talk to another christian on here :-)
So many people were controlled by Calvinistic doctrine for so long. That's ridiculous that a wife and husband should not desire each other! All of those don'ts and shoulds/should nots and shame based things are bondage which are of the Devil.
100% agree. Many Christians sadly believe that sex should only take place for reproducing children and not for pleasure. They withhold all kinds of pleasures from each other in the bedroom because of doctrinration they received. And most tell their children from an early age to feel ashamed about sex and sexual desires.
When God was the one that gave us sexual desires as a gift and blessing.
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The 10th Commandment makes it hard: "You shall not covet" means that we should banish our desires for whatever does not belong to us. Never having enough money is regarded as a symptom of the love of money. Obedience to the tenth commandment requires that envy be banished from the human heart. Thou shalt not covet - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou_shalt_not_covet
**Things we can't do** •Smoke •Drink (We can drink a LITTLE, but not much. A glass of wine, and that is all.) •Party in a worldly way •Sex before marriage
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