Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Red Light Green Light Yellow Light
Red Light, Green Light, Yellow Light. Sounds like a Dr. Seus book. Instead it is an oversimplification that will hopefully make a memorable and valid point.
Red Light – These are the “thou shalt not” commands. The Bible is filled with them, including in the new covenant of Christ: “put away lying” (Ephesians 4:25).
Green Light – You probably figured these are positive commands, “thou shalt” do this. “Speak the truth to one another” (Ephesians 4:25).
Yellow Light – When driving, there are two approaches to yellow lights: 1) slow down if you have time; 2) speed up even if you have time to stop. A police officer in your view will convince you to slow down if you are the second type! Yellow lights, in this biblical analogy, is when there is not a clear “thou shalt” or “thou shalt not.” What is our approach? God has spoken on this many times in various ways:
• “Be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left.” (CSB’17 Deuteronomy 5:32)
• “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, which are written about in this book.” (CSB’17 Revelation 22:18-19)
While the first reference is to the Law of Moses, and the second to the book of Revelation, we can see God’s attitude is the same. Part of the problem in Genesis 3 is Eve added and the serpent took away.
So if silence is nothing, neither permissive or prohibitive, and yet God has said do not add (to what is not written) and do not take away (from what is not written), how do we treat this “yellow light”? Jesus isn’t a police officer, but He is our judge! I want a green light into eternity.
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