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Legalism to me means extending a principle or law to the extent it was never intended.
This tends to be either to stop the possibility of breaking the rules, or creating an ethic
that is even more strict than the previous law.
The reason for being legalistic is because conforming is more important than anything else.
So a legalistic mindset says everything must conform to the rules as laid down or you are
not part of the group. In religious groups this becomes saved or lost.
My take on the failure of legalism, are the rules are only there to show you failed not to
show you why. So trying to keep them changes nothing, because you simply fail again.
If you are addicted to something, finding out you are addicted to it a lot of times does
not set you free.
Jesus showed His challenge to this mindset, by healing on the sabbath, by not washing His
hands, by speaking and sharing with sinners, by letting the disciples eat corn when walking
through it.
So how does love conquer legalism?
By empowering actions that fulfill the law. The law is there to show damage is being done,
but love is confirmed as from the Lord, because it brings the believer into obedience to the
law, because they have been changed.
It makes me wonder how many have actually experienced this in their lives.
After sharing on cc I know for some they do not know what I am saying, at all.
This tends to be either to stop the possibility of breaking the rules, or creating an ethic
that is even more strict than the previous law.
The reason for being legalistic is because conforming is more important than anything else.
So a legalistic mindset says everything must conform to the rules as laid down or you are
not part of the group. In religious groups this becomes saved or lost.
My take on the failure of legalism, are the rules are only there to show you failed not to
show you why. So trying to keep them changes nothing, because you simply fail again.
If you are addicted to something, finding out you are addicted to it a lot of times does
not set you free.
Jesus showed His challenge to this mindset, by healing on the sabbath, by not washing His
hands, by speaking and sharing with sinners, by letting the disciples eat corn when walking
through it.
So how does love conquer legalism?
By empowering actions that fulfill the law. The law is there to show damage is being done,
but love is confirmed as from the Lord, because it brings the believer into obedience to the
law, because they have been changed.
It makes me wonder how many have actually experienced this in their lives.
After sharing on cc I know for some they do not know what I am saying, at all.
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Ariel82
Guest
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Ariel82
Guest
What is our first love, our first works?
I believe it's faith in Christ and His redemption of us.
Our first love is God. He wants the church of Ephesus to spend time with Him, in prayer and fellowship.
I believe it's faith in Christ and His redemption of us.
Our first love is God. He wants the church of Ephesus to spend time with Him, in prayer and fellowship.
Yes, legalism can be extending a law beyond any reasonable bounds, as with the Pharisees, of whom Jesus said, you place heavy burdens on men and won't lift one finger off of them with your demands.
Legalism also can be meticulousness as to the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law for your inside - outside looks great but inside, dead bones.
Man was not made for the law. The law was made for man.
Man was not made for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man.
Ephesus has always sounded to me like us (Protestantism) in many ways. They sound very doctrine oriented, to the point where doctrine wins over walking in love.
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eternally-gratefull
Guest
yes, I agree, our first love is the mild. the gospel. Sometimes we have to revist that. and remember where we came from.
I think it is related to that but I think that is having the cart before the horse.
The first works are to believe the love that God has for us. John 3:16. That is the gospel message - the first work is to believe in Christ and His love for us.
It's in knowing the love that the Father and our Lord has for us that is the first love. Without this knowledge we will not have the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19 (NASB)
[SUP]19 [/SUP] and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
We love because He first loved us. If we get that wrong - then we try to produce our own love for the Lord and that is a losing battle every time. Religion dwells in this area and is created which can bring bondage from some thing that is good - knowing the love of our Father and Lord for us.
I do agree 100% that as we grow in the knowledge of His love for us - we too respond back by "being with Him" - the One we love deeply but it all starts with Him and what He has done.
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eternally-gratefull
Guest
timothy was sent there to correct the false teachers by Paul, it seems by Johns letter. that by this time, Timothy either failed. or passed away, and the false teachers again got a stronghold.
I think this has happened to many a church.
No , not legalistic. He was showing that our focus was to be on the inside because that's where the problem starts, and once it starts, it overflows to the outside. If the problem is fixed inside, the outside is fixed as well. He was teaching that the law is not for the outside but for the inside, since all of these things (murder, adultery, etc.) come from the heart to defile us.
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eternally-gratefull
Guest
Amen,
I think Jesus was also telling us how just because we do not do the act of breaking the law. does not mean we fulfilled the law.. It is easy to see the letter, and actually obey it, but the spirit of the law is much harder.. in fact impossible. That's why jesus said LOVE is what fulfills the law.
Ya' think?? It has happened to us in here even. Doctrine and bitter arguing over it makes us convince ourselves that we can stop walking in the Spirit, in love, and that we aren't doing anything wrong in it. That description of Ephesus sounds like it could be superimposed over us.
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FreeNChrist
Guest
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eternally-gratefull
Guest
Impossible...?
With God, all things are possible.
So you can be sinless from now till death?
sorry, I disagree. Unless maybe you die in a few hours.
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eternally-gratefull
Guest
Most of the bitter arguing is over the gospel.. and those who appose it and try to replace it with works..
ie the nonstop hypergrace vs legalism discussions..
Is this an attempt at defining legalism? To me it is completely unclear.
It appears to me to be defining trying to follow morality without Christ.
Is this your intention?
Well...that's not the focus!
We are in a race.
Sure we can stumble, but a righteous man can stumble 70 times and the Lord gets Him back up.
So we focus on the finish line, not sin.
We know so much!
We know that IF we sin, we have an advocate, and that Gods' mercies begin anew each morning.
We know that IF we trust/abide, we don't sin.
So it is the trust/abide that we should focus on!
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FreeNChrist
Guest
Legalism is any system in which a person seeks to gain God's acceptance or blessings by what he does. Any approach to Christian living that focuses on keeping rules as a means of experiencing victory or growing spiritually is legalism.