Playing by the Rules: On Legalism

I'm tired; tired, lonely and discouraged.  I'm tired of being a minority, tired of fighting the good fight of Christianity when so many around me are giving up and giving in to compromise.  My guess is that other Christians are tired, too.  The world will hate us and mock us, but we will stand our Biblical ground.  We will not compromise our beliefs in the Bible or in the God who wrote it.  As the world continues to grow more and more intolerant of us and our beliefs, it is all the more important for us to encourage each other and strengthen each other.  It is popular to deride Christianity as just a set of rules, but the simple fact is that there are rules in Christianity; they are commands.  We are commanded to love God and our neighbor, and we are commanded to refrain from sex outside of marriage and to refrain from getting drunk, lying, and being crude.  So, yes, there are rules, and we will abide by them, even in the face of discouragement and mockery.  It is so important now to stand for absolute truth when so many around us are throwing out the rules and doing what is right in their own eyes.  Judges 17:6.