No Exceptions?

Do you wish somebody would make an exception for you? When there's a one-hour wait in your favorite restaurant, wouldn't you like to be seated ahead of the crowd? When you drive in heavy traffic, do you wish you had your own private highway and nothing but green lights? Do you ever wish you were exempt from some of the more difficult demands of discipleship?

No matter how much we try to rationalize, the fact is, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Though we may wish to receive God's gift of salvation on our own terms instead of his, Scripture plainly says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus" and "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31; 2:38). Even when Jesus' instructions seem hard to follow, a servant shouldn't search for exceptions but simply do what the Master asks.

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). No exceptions. No footnotes. No excuses. No wiggle room. When the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4, "Be completely humble and gentle," he didn't exempt crotchety folks for whom crankiness comes more naturally. When he urged, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace," he offered no escape clauses for those who'd rather build walls than bridges. When Peter wrote, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" (1 Peter 4:9), he didn't leave us room to argue, "But Peter, hospitality isn't my gift!"

Of course, since the Creator makes the rules, he can make exceptions if he wants to. When God performs exceptions in nature, like parting the Red Sea or raising the dead, we call them "miracles." When he changes circumstances in response to his children's pleas, we call it "answered prayer." When he grants exceptional blessings to undeserving sinners, we call it "grace."

We should be grateful for God's exceptions, but we dare not be presumptuous. As students of Scripture, our job isn't to search for escape clauses but to accept God's Word and humbly obey his will.

So may I offer you a challenge? If a Scriptural principle clearly applies to you, don't explain it away; obey it. Don't demand miracles from God; trust him. Don't embrace faddish doctrines that distract attention from the Good Shepherd and separate you from the rest of his sheep. Don't build your theology on exceptions; follow the clear scriptural norms.

Here's a HUMBLE approach to Bible study.

When I study Scripture, I want to be Honest—with God, with myself, and with those I teach—seeing clearly what the mirror of God's Word reflects (James 1:22-25).

I want to be Unbiased. While I respect the wisdom of Bible scholars, I like to search Scripture with fresh eyes and ask myself, "If I lived on a desert island and had no book but the Bible—no commentaries or theology books—what would I think this text means?"

I want to be Mission-focused, studying the Bible not merely for my own benefit but also to make disciples for Christ.

I want to be Believing—filled with faith, not doubt and skepticism.

I want to be Loving—not just quoting verses, but developing deeper devotion to Christ and stronger love for my neighbors.

And I want to be Enthusiastic—never lapsing into boredom as my soul feasts on the world's most exciting book!

In Scripture, humble hearts hear the voice of God who longs to draw near us all—without exception.