Let me start by clarifying buffet Christianity. Buffet Christianity is what my sister calls it when people choose the parts of the Bible they like and ignore the rest. And that’s a problem.
I’ve actually gotten on to my niece for this very thing. She has trouble following directions, and one day I told her, “You can’t listen to what you like and ignore the rest.” But then I realize that I’ve done that, too. With God. Which makes it worse.
I don’t think any of us are innocent of this. If you are, let me know. I want to know how you manage it. Because the Bible clearly says not to lie, but I’ve excused it many times. But lying isn’t the only thing Christians excuse. Premarital sex. Not going to church. Taking the Lord’s name in vain. And most of these things we excuse because we’ve put sins on a spectrum. (Read more in my post Just a Thought: The Sin Spectrum.)
Following God was never supposed to be a little here and a little there. We’re supposed to serve God with all of us (Matt. 22:37). Instead of picking and choosing the parts we like, we should endeavor to follow all of His teachings. Buffet Christianity will never allow us to fully surrender ourselves to God and enjoy the best relationship with Him we can have. Most of the commands we choose not to follow are due to our flesh, the very thing we’re supposed to work to separate ourselves from. We struggle to set these things aside because we know it’ll be hard. Or because we’re worried what others will think. Sometimes we even try to convince ourselves that it doesn’t apply to us today.
But unless God clearly states that we no longer must follow it (such as making sacrifices, since Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins), it still applies to us today. We still must follow it. Even if we don’t like it.
