Do's and Don'ts

Some of the common sayings in churches nowadays go like this:

"The bible's not a list of rules, ..."

"Jesus was anti-religion"

"The Old Testament isn't relevant to Christians anymore, that's law but now we're under grace"

"It doesn't matter what you do, God looks at you and sees the perfect righteousness of Christ" 

"God loves me so much that He'll forgive me if I slip up sometimes"

The issue here isn't that these ideas are erroneous in and of themselves, in fact within a very specific context they are true.  The problem is that most people don't know the bible well enough to discern what is being taught.  Most people are going to take these snippets and draw wrong conclusions from them. 

Speaking out against religion and rules appeals to a deep rebellious part of our nature.  It's a part of us that wants to follow the lusts of our hearts without any consequences.  It is vital to teach the whole message of scripture faithfully, not over-emphasizing one part of it. 
(Expectations - Reality = Dissappointment)

We must always keep in mind that God's Word will always bring us closer to Him, in mind, body, and spirit.