"You're intolerant, legalistic, and narrow-minded."

Whether it's the rebellious teenager of a conservative family or a college professor, you've probably heard this statement said about Christians in the modern world. One of the most commonly held views of Christians is that they are too strict and the Bible is too narrow-minded to adapt to the modern world or to accept our lives.

What if I told you that life following Jesus is filled with more freedom than this world could ever know?

Hear me out. Please, read the rest of this article and hear me out. I just want you to see that where you might see legalism, I see Jesus.

Jesus intended for us to live a lifestyle and not practice a religion. Religion is full of legalism and obligations. Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees in his day were full of these rules and rituals instead of adoring God. A lifestyle is a way of living. No, that doesn't take away from the fact that God gave us commandments, but why does any good parent have rules for their child? They love them and they want to protect them from the dangers of the world. They want what is best for us.

See, God wants what is best for us and he knows exactly what is best for us because he designed us! He knows the in's and out's of humanity, so don't you think it would be best to accept instruction from him?

I've found the most peaceful times in my life are when I find myself walking with the Lord and following his commands because I love him, not because I feel obligated. I'm sorry we live in a broken world where Christianity looks so narrow-minded and intolerant; a world where you might just see rules. Please, let me tell you, it should not be this way.

God gave us these rules so we would honor our parents,

so we would have committed marriages,

so we would help the needy,

so we would love God,

so we would not harm others,

and so we wouldn't focus on ourselves but on others.

That doesn't sound like legalism...does it? That sounds like a pretty good plan even looking in from outside of Christianity.

Maybe where you see legalism is in our choices of movies, music, and abstinence.

God calls us to live pure lives marked by holiness. Most of the things our culture puts out there for us just aren't healthy for us anyways, so why would we want to watch them? Pornography distorts love. Sex before marriage leaves brokenness. Crude music twists our mindset. Cursing ruins our witness.

Maybe you see legalism in abortion and homosexuality.

Please try, just try to see this from our perspective, from God's perspective.

We believe that God created man and women in his image and they are made for each other. This was his original design. As Christians, we want to live by God's design for us, which is why anything outside of this design God deems as sin. It's not because we are being intolerant when we disagree with homosexuality. We are simply trying to follow God's plan for our lives and help others see this plan.

We also believe that our bodies aren't our own. It says it in the Bible that our bodies are God's temple because we have the Holy Spirit inside of us (1 Corinthians 6:19). We also believe all life is sacred. A mother's and a child's from the moment of conception. I understand there are circumstances when a woman has been abused and is forced with this decision, but God has a plan for all life, even those we might deem "accidental." We are playing god when we decide who gets to live and who doesn't.

Aside from all of the controversial issues, here is what I really want to say to you if you don't read anything else. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We are able to live our lives to their fullest when we follow Christ. I can't argue my way into your heart, but I can just tell you that in my life, I have tasted this freedom and it is amazing. It's a better feeling than anything in this world could possibly give.

I know if you don't know Jesus you feel that void and it is God-shaped. It is meant to be filled with freedom. You've been striving to fill it with everything else and you're finding it's not working. Run to Jesus. You will find exactly what you are looking for.

You can live free.