E
Sadly I have seen so many definitions of what the term "legalism" means lately, I think people are confused, and we have to try and learn and differentiate between all these interpretations and what the real term mean.. IE, When you hear the term, what does it really mean, and where does it come from
The term is actually a judicial term. It means that a person has been legally convicted of a crime, and must pay the debt of that crime to society. And also will or may suffer some ramifications of doing the things that he did. Like being looked down on, Not accepted into society (even after the debt was paid) he may suffer illness as a result or punishment for what he did, etc etc.
Jesus himself is a legalist. He is the most pure legalist there is, He is true righteousness (perfection) and he requires true righteousness from his creation. He gave us these requirements in the law. and said if you want to relate to me of your own power. this is how you do it, If you fail to do it even once, our relationship is severed, and your judged with the curse, which is death.
[h=1]Deuteronomy 27:26[/h] [SUP]26 [/SUP]‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
As God told Adam . In the moment you eat of this tree, you will die. SO judgment has been pronounced on all men, because as paul said, all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
There you have Jesus as the pure legalism. And there you have his demands (perfect obedience to the law.)
if you want to be a legalism. this is the type of legalism you have to be, Any other type of legalism is a watered down perversion of true legalism.
What is Jesus form of legalism?
1. I am righteous, you must be righteous also
2. The penalty of not living up to my standard of righteousness is death (spiritual)
so who in CC has lived up to this standard? And why would anyone want to water down this standard?
How do we water it down? By defining it for what it is not, a judicial term.
The judicial term states, your penalty is death, This is the ONLY penalty which can be given to make one pay the crime back in full. Nothing short will do it
Yet what do watered down legalist say?
Thats (spiritual death is only way to pay for sin) is not true.
1. You can start to pay for you sin by water baptism, that will wash your sin away
2. You can pay you sin by repenting and follow my watered down version of mosaic law.
3. You can pay for your sin by receiving Christ, as long as you maintain this standard of living, Confess your mistakes (sin) and do not stop having faith (do not fall back into sin)
4. You can pay for your sin by suffering
5. You can pay for you sin by observing these religious sacraments or traditions.
6. You can pay for your sin (if it is not to sever) by going to a priest, and confessing that sin, and doing acts of penance
7. You can pay for that sin by giving money to the church (Yes I have heard this a few times from a pastor hear in my city)
I have given just a small sample of ways people water down the judgment of sin and the payment of sin, I think we all get the idea of what it looks like when we do this.
The term is actually a judicial term. It means that a person has been legally convicted of a crime, and must pay the debt of that crime to society. And also will or may suffer some ramifications of doing the things that he did. Like being looked down on, Not accepted into society (even after the debt was paid) he may suffer illness as a result or punishment for what he did, etc etc.
Jesus himself is a legalist. He is the most pure legalist there is, He is true righteousness (perfection) and he requires true righteousness from his creation. He gave us these requirements in the law. and said if you want to relate to me of your own power. this is how you do it, If you fail to do it even once, our relationship is severed, and your judged with the curse, which is death.
[h=1]Deuteronomy 27:26[/h] [SUP]26 [/SUP]‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
As God told Adam . In the moment you eat of this tree, you will die. SO judgment has been pronounced on all men, because as paul said, all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
There you have Jesus as the pure legalism. And there you have his demands (perfect obedience to the law.)
if you want to be a legalism. this is the type of legalism you have to be, Any other type of legalism is a watered down perversion of true legalism.
What is Jesus form of legalism?
1. I am righteous, you must be righteous also
2. The penalty of not living up to my standard of righteousness is death (spiritual)
so who in CC has lived up to this standard? And why would anyone want to water down this standard?
How do we water it down? By defining it for what it is not, a judicial term.
The judicial term states, your penalty is death, This is the ONLY penalty which can be given to make one pay the crime back in full. Nothing short will do it
Yet what do watered down legalist say?
Thats (spiritual death is only way to pay for sin) is not true.
1. You can start to pay for you sin by water baptism, that will wash your sin away
2. You can pay you sin by repenting and follow my watered down version of mosaic law.
3. You can pay for your sin by receiving Christ, as long as you maintain this standard of living, Confess your mistakes (sin) and do not stop having faith (do not fall back into sin)
4. You can pay for your sin by suffering
5. You can pay for you sin by observing these religious sacraments or traditions.
6. You can pay for your sin (if it is not to sever) by going to a priest, and confessing that sin, and doing acts of penance
7. You can pay for that sin by giving money to the church (Yes I have heard this a few times from a pastor hear in my city)
I have given just a small sample of ways people water down the judgment of sin and the payment of sin, I think we all get the idea of what it looks like when we do this.