What Would Jesus Do: Discerning Which Biblical Laws Matter, and Which Don't

The basic premise of the article is undeniably correct; but some of the comments are confusing! Is it ever right in God's eyes to have a tattoo? I think not!! Your youth ministry would be much more effective if you DON'T have one. There has to be a descernible difference between a Christian and a non-Christian - would Jesus have had a tattoo? NO!! If our lives are not different than the world, we have NOTHING to offer them!

I am not saying that we are different just to be different; we need to be different because we are living our faith. We cannot ignore Biblical commands and instructions without compromising our faith - and that brings it into question as to whether it is true faith or a fake. Satan has a fake that looks right on the surface for every good thing that God has, and we need to make sure that what we are doing pleases God, not the world or ourselves. That is what taking up our cross and following Him is all about.

Staying with an abusive or addicted spouse-I agree.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not deny it; if anything, following Jesus can even be harder than some of the things that are in the old covenant. For example, the law allowed people to divorce in cases of adultery, but Jesus says that God's will is never to divorce.

So this article is not a good way to help children of God find their way, there are NO contradictions in the WORD of GOD. If something seems to be contradictory or seems like a "grey" area, the answer is to PRAY. The bible says that the word of the Lord is a lamp into our feet, so, when we pray, and study the word diligently, HE enlightens our paths and we get wisdom at His feet to discern what is pleasing unto HIM.

Turning to ourselves by asking those questions "what are my motivations" etc... is really not what God wants us to do "Do no lean on your own understanding". He wants us to turn to HIM when something is not clear, that's why He sent the Holy Spirit as a helper.

To God alone be all glory forever, AMEN.

When we try to live life by trying to figure out what laws matter and which don't we are accepting the lie of Satan. What did the Serpent say to Eve in the Garden of Eden? "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5)." When we try to decipher what is good and do it and what is evil and avoid it we are trying to be like God. We may not say it in those exact terms, but effectively, that is what we are doing. What Would Jesus Do? The Purpose Driven Life. These are just two examples of trying to find laws to live by in order to become "better" Christians.

We must realize that the Old Covenant and New Covenant address two, totally, different areas. The Old Covenant addressed issues regarding the flesh. The New Covenant addressed matters of the Spirit. The Law is to lead an individual to Christ. Grace is Christ leading the believer from that point on. The Law is for unbelievers. Grace is for believers.

The basic principle in the law of Love compared with the love of law is a good one. Jesus would definitely agree with that.
The danger comes when one doesn't understand difference in the covenants God has made with His people. If you don't understand what carries over into the New Testament, you may deceive yourself into breaking God's law because you want to. When you are the person living contrary to God's law and living in sin, you're not going to honestly evaluate whether what you're doing is loving God or others because you will be only conserned with pleasing yourself.
My fear is that this article leaves open the possibility of someone in sin reasoning themselves to stay in that sin, because none of the laws matter except "love".
When you are studying any of the commands in the Bible what's important to understand is 1) whether the covenant concerning that law has been fulfilled and replaced and 2) what thes original intent of the law was for.