How to Spot a Legalist

[crossnote]

What about faith without works? as in James 2:14-26 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

That is speaking of true faith vs "I have faith" only.
True faith will produce fruit as it embraces Christ who is the fruit producer in us, while mere profession of "I believe in God" is unable to produce fruit pleasing to God. (John 15).

The legalist is the latter.

 

[atwhatcost]

Let's see here. So apparently the only two choices are "legalists" or self-appointed snobs who think they're so much better by putting down legalists.

Oh, peach keen! I'm feeling the love. Anyone have a parka?

 

[biblicalsandy]

Like the character of a narcissist? Are narcissist legalist?

 

[biblicalsandy]

What, I do not understand? Abestos suit?

 

[biblicalsandy]

The reason I ask about Narcissist is because of family members that used scripture to do things like molestation, and I was told that they had the right by God's authrority

 

[crossnote]

What, I do not understand? Abestos suit?

That's for protection against the flame throwers.

 

[crossnote]

The reason I ask about Narcissist is because of family members that used scripture to do things like molestation, and I was told that they had the right by God's authrority

Ask them where in Scripture do they have the authority to molest others.

 

[biblicalsandy]

They said to honor your father and mother...that is the written authority they gave

 

[biblicalsandy]

I hope you did not think I was throwing flames

 

[crossnote]

They said to honor your father and mother...that is the written authority they gave

IMHO That's about as twisted as it comes. A third party should have been called in (pastor, counsellor even the police).

 

[biblicalsandy]

A third party was involved, it got worse for me. Even when I tried to tell others..they would tell people I was a problem child full of deceit! I had no safety growing up, I was a slave to misery by people of the tribe of Loammi...no mercy at all

 

[vic1980]

What the Bible says

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Alive in Christ

Ephesians 2:9-10

Not of works, lest any man should boast.For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

But from what I've read,from some members on this site thee word "works" it is consider fear , bondage & religion ???

The works that belivers in Jesus Christ do in there life here on earth ,have been already ordained By God that we should walk in them. If a fellow believer in Christ feels it is legalistic way of life to follow what Messiah & The Apostles has taught by the Holyspirit, perhaps they need to re- examine themselves if they are in the faith.

Here is just one of many example of teaching upon the gentiles what they should do.

Paul testimony to Agrippa

Acts 26:19-20 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Another example we can list, clearly in revelation the 7 churches on there works.

Please do not confused works that God has clearly ordained for His people to walk in as something bad.

Shalom

 

[biblicalsandy]

So happy to hear that, because I tell others when they say "Judge not, lest you be judged!" Like if they are going to let me have it, like belt to my backside. I laugh and go "Okay, judge me..I don't care, I have nothing to hide..for I also know what is true or not..so judge away!" "Go for it!" "because I have been slandered, and judged by others my whole life!" I can never measure up to man's expectations, I'll admit sin!

 

[crossnote]

A third party was involved, it got worse for me. Even when I tried to tell others..they would tell people I was a problem child full of deceit! I had no safety growing up, I was a slave to misery by people of the tribe of Loammi...no mercy at all

Sounds to me you need a serious sit-down with your pastor and get this out to him.

 

[Cassian]

​
Legalists are tricky creatures.

They slither in the side doors of churches, sign up to lead Bible studies, and fill the minds of once joyous believers with rules and requirements of what it “really means” to become a Christian.

Ask them how a person is saved and they’ll say, “By grace of course,” and then they’ll roll out a scroll across the floor full of checklists to prove your salvation, and prerequisites you must abide by in order to receive this “free gift” of grace.

The Apostle Paul had strong words for the legalists of his time. These legalistic Judaizers wanted the Gentiles to accept God’s grace through faith, but be required to get circumcised and to keep the law of Moses as well. Paul had strong words about them in Galatians 5:12, “As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!”

Wow.

Today, nobody (as far as I know) is seeking to add circumcision to the free gift of God’s grace as a requirement for salvation. No, currently, a far more subtle and sinister movement is creeping into the church.

21st Century Pharisees have replaced circumcision and keeping of the law with a more accepted evangelicalized list of dos and don’ts.

These pious sounding party poopers are getting Christians to doubt their salvation, get discouraged in their salvation, and trying to prove, keep and/or earn their salvation. They are robbing believers of the joy that was once theirs in Christ and replacing it with the heavy yoke of legalism (Acts 15:5-11).

With this in mind, here are 10 ways to spot a legalist in your church:

1. They cheapen grace by focusing on what we must do rather than on what Christ has done.

2. They’ll say nonsensical things like, “Salvation is free, but it will cost you everything you have.”

3. They are “fruit inspectors” and hypothesize how much spiritual fruit a person must produce in order to truly be saved.

4. They focus on things like turning, trying and crying instead of faith alone in Christ alone for salvation.

5. Their “gospel” could never be falsely accused of being a license to sin (like Paul’s was in Romans 3:8!).

6. They scare others with assertions that, if you preach too much grace, people will run amok.

7. They conveniently avoid or misexegete large portions of gospel-centric New Testament books like Galatians, Romans and John.

8. They blend justification passages with sanctification passages, and then try to get us to drink a heresy smoothie.

9. They bake the same works-based righteousness cake that Mormons and Muslims do, but cover it with evangelical frosting.

10. They use the phrase, “You mean to tell me … ” a lot. Then they create worst case salvation scenarios of those who claim to be Christians, but abuse the grace of God. “You mean to tell me that someone can be saved and still … ?”

But grace that cannot be abused is no grace at all. Grace that is not free is no grace at all. Grace that is not received by simple faith is no grace at all.

I like the way Paul put it in Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” It’s either by grace or by works. It can’t be by both.

But here’s the crazy thing about grace, once you receive it through faith it begins to transform you.

Jesus changes your “wanter” and you become a new creation. Sure we can abuse it and, if we’re honest, often do. But when we let grace do its work it “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12).

God’s grace is not a license to sin, but a reason to serve Jesus with reckless abandon … not because we have to, but because we get to.

If we resist, he persists.
If we fail, he forgives.
If we lose our faith, he remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

That makes me want to serve Him all the more. Sorry legalists, but grace is a better fuel. As for you agitators, I wish you would go the whole way and... cut it out.



Greg Stier of Dare2Share Ministries in a post on ChurchLeaders.com​

Your whole treatise is meaningless because you don't even understand what you are talking about. Your very first point makes that quite manifest. The former has nothing to do with the latter.

Could you explain just what you mean by what Christ has done so that we don't need to do it?

 

[biblicalsandy]

I am 48 now, and far away from the danger of them. I have gone to pastors about it, and all they preached was forgiveness..to forgive them. It was like I was naked, and hungry..but sent away with nothing. I kept forgiving, and I kept going back to the abuse, feeling I was in the wrong. No one ever said "Flee!" No one ever said "I will help you!" I felt like too much of a burden, for them to handle!

 

[crossnote]

I am 48 now, and far away from the danger of them. I have gone to pastors about it, and all they preached was forgiveness..to forgive them. It was like I was naked, and hungry..but sent away with nothing. I kept forgiving, and I kept going back to the abuse, feeling I was in the wrong. No one ever said "Flee!" No one ever said "I will help you!" I felt like too much of a burden, for them to handle!

But it still seems like your affected by it (and who wouldn't be?) or maybe some kind of woman's support group if not a pastor or pastor's wife?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

We love them (haven't seen that yet in CC) so my suggestion would be to follow suit with Paul.

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21

Maybe we are just marking them so we can argue against them and call them names like "legalist" so others will follow our example maybe? Of course if we do that, we are not following Paul's example as he was in Christ. Ya think?

Yeah we should be like paul.

Gal 1 :
[SUP]6 [/SUP]I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, [SUP]7 [/SUP]which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. [SUP]8 [/SUP]But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. [SUP]9 [/SUP]As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Paul made it known, If He came to you, and started preaching legalism. He would be worthy of damnation.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

This is how I am seeing through the message given, or am I getting works confused with repentance? I tend to think the enemy twist what we hear, or see at times...I don't see myself as a very smart person, that is why I always ask for someone to explain. Even though a Psychologist told me I was very insightful, I know I am human..and error.

Your humble. thats the first step.

Repentance has been made a religious word. and not what it was in the days of John the Baptist. who wanted the children of Israel to change thier thinking, because the kingdom of God was at hand..

It had nothing to do with works, it had to do with the Heart

 

[eternally-gratefull]

yesiree, not only is our heart an idol factory it also is good at producing a pharisee.

Sadly I know firsthand how that can be (one of the reasons I left God and became a prodigal for 5 years) And also one of the reasons I stand against legalism and fight it with all my heart!.

Sadly, Being a human sinner, I get out of hand sometimes. And have to confess alot. But when you have experienced so much and seen so much damage come from legalism. You do not sit idly while and let it go, You stand firm against it.