“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1

In 1983 two streams of Presbyterianism merged to form what is now the PC(USA): the Southern Presbyterian Church (PCUS) and the Northern Church (UPCUSA). Alongside debates about theology, property, and leadership, something quieter proved surprisingly revealing—how hard it was to merge their polity manuals.

The Northern church brought beautiful historic buildings, deep endowments and a dense, highly technical rulebook that tried to anticipate every possible problem. The Southern church arrived with fewer resources but more energetic ministries. They were using a thin “guidebook” that trusted relationships and discernment more than regulations.

That contrast exposes something true about human nature: when fear enters a system, whether it is an organization, a family, or a heart, our instinct is to multiply rules. Over time, structure meant to protect life can begin to suffocate it.

If you’ve raised kids, you know this. A child runs into the street and suddenly you’re creating a new rule or buying a leash. After one mistake, we tighten control. As the children grow and our physical restraints won’t work, we seek other modes of control. A parent who uses rules as their main mode of parenting will often shout – “While you live under my roof, you’ll do…” But when rules become the driving force, the relationship quietly erodes.

Robert Lupton tells of a shelter that began by giving away free coats. Over time, layers of policy crept in: one coat per person; you must be present to receive it; pockets must be checked before leaving. What began as mercy gradually became suspicion. People who wanted to help now formed an adversarial relationship with the very people they wanted to help.

Scripture tells a similar story. After the Fall, God gave the Law, not as a ladder to earn righteousness, but as a mirror to reveal our inability to live rightly on our own. The Old Testament shows how quickly humans turn commands into either self-justification or rebellion.

Many of us were formed by the version of faith where God felt like a cosmic rule-enforcer. Parents would invoke Him only as the moral police to redirect our behavior. The result is that it has bred distance, not devotion.

This distance and adversarial relationship is precisely why Jesus Christ showed up to reveal to us a new mode of relating to God and one another. Where grace becomes the new covenant – instead of obeying a rigid set of laws. We are given an invitation to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This should transform our posture from “Have To” to “Get To.” A response motivated by passion, opportunity and freedom rather than moral obligation.