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It's confusing for sure.
What happens in some people's minds is this:
Someone makes the statement:
"What a beautiful blue sky the Lord gave us today."
Someone else responds back to the above statement:
"What? The sky is not green- everyone knows that the sky is blue ."
When people have this kind of a mindset - it is impossible to have any kind of a rational discussion with them as they continually "see" something else than what is actually said. They then proceed to talk as if this "made-up thought" is real.
Anyway - I just ignore those types of posts now. No harm done...
Back to the OP and legalism - the final frontier for the body of Christ is the battle of grace verses legalism. Two different worlds although they can look alike outwardly. I believe that is the deceptive part so it is good to talk about it..
What happens in some people's minds is this:
Someone makes the statement:
"What a beautiful blue sky the Lord gave us today."
Someone else responds back to the above statement:
"What? The sky is not green- everyone knows that the sky is blue ."
When people have this kind of a mindset - it is impossible to have any kind of a rational discussion with them as they continually "see" something else than what is actually said. They then proceed to talk as if this "made-up thought" is real.
Anyway - I just ignore those types of posts now. No harm done...
Back to the OP and legalism - the final frontier for the body of Christ is the battle of grace verses legalism. Two different worlds although they can look alike outwardly. I believe that is the deceptive part so it is good to talk about it..
I asked this because one can end up defining legalism, and Jesus is pushing things further.
The danger is always going from a healthy understanding of boundaries into continual self
condemnation. Take a simple idea. I think of someone who is beautiful. Appreciation of
various attributes arises. Now that could be called lust, or acknowledging my response to
them. Now dwelling on this emotion and using fantasy, now that is lust.
Some have a very imaginative mind, find themselves dreaming about individuals.
A cycle of condemnation and failure can then result, with suppression etc.
Rather than seeking help, they get eaten up, and leave the faith, or get so sensitive
about emotional reactions, refuse any contact with the opposite sex.
So a concept of purity is like poison, that triggers condemnation, guilt, and rejection.
So lock it all away, and hope it stays hidden. So addictions prosper, because honesty and
discussion is too dangerous, because the image is everything, and victory or balance is
no longer an issue of faith, it is just our little secret.
Legalism creates this environment, where truth of our fallen nature and lostness cannot
see the light of day.
The danger is always going from a healthy understanding of boundaries into continual self
condemnation. Take a simple idea. I think of someone who is beautiful. Appreciation of
various attributes arises. Now that could be called lust, or acknowledging my response to
them. Now dwelling on this emotion and using fantasy, now that is lust.
Some have a very imaginative mind, find themselves dreaming about individuals.
A cycle of condemnation and failure can then result, with suppression etc.
Rather than seeking help, they get eaten up, and leave the faith, or get so sensitive
about emotional reactions, refuse any contact with the opposite sex.
So a concept of purity is like poison, that triggers condemnation, guilt, and rejection.
So lock it all away, and hope it stays hidden. So addictions prosper, because honesty and
discussion is too dangerous, because the image is everything, and victory or balance is
no longer an issue of faith, it is just our little secret.
Legalism creates this environment, where truth of our fallen nature and lostness cannot
see the light of day.
It's confusing for sure.
What happens in some people's minds is this:
Someone makes the statement:
"What a beautiful blue sky the Lord gave us today."
Someone else responds back to the above statement:
"What? The sky is not green- everyone knows that the sky is blue ."
When people have this kind of a mindset - it is impossible to have any kind of a rational discussion with them as they continually "see" something else than what is actually said. They then proceed to talk as if this "made-up thought" is real.
Anyway - I just ignore those types of posts now. No harm done...
Back to the OP and legalism - the final frontier for the body of Christ is the battle of grace verses legalism. Two different worlds although they can look alike outwardly. I believe that is the deceptive part so it is good to talk about it..
What happens in some people's minds is this:
Someone makes the statement:
"What a beautiful blue sky the Lord gave us today."
Someone else responds back to the above statement:
"What? The sky is not green- everyone knows that the sky is blue ."
When people have this kind of a mindset - it is impossible to have any kind of a rational discussion with them as they continually "see" something else than what is actually said. They then proceed to talk as if this "made-up thought" is real.
Anyway - I just ignore those types of posts now. No harm done...
Back to the OP and legalism - the final frontier for the body of Christ is the battle of grace verses legalism. Two different worlds although they can look alike outwardly. I believe that is the deceptive part so it is good to talk about it..
Sounds like you already have defined both these terms in your mind.
Can you tell us what legalism is to you?
Legalism is to look only at the letter of the law but not to know the spirit of the law in your heart.
It is to be a hypocrite and think that because your outside looks good to men, that God approves of the inside.
But God doesn't judge by the outside - that's how men judge.
But God judges by the heart and its motivations.
It is to be a hypocrite and think that because your outside looks good to men, that God approves of the inside.
But God doesn't judge by the outside - that's how men judge.
But God judges by the heart and its motivations.
And yes, peter, Jesus DID push things further. God was not at all pleased with men worrying only over their outside but keeping their heart from Him. It is very easy to keep the law outside and not murder someone. But it is impossible to never get angry. This isn't something I can fix. It is something HE fixes by dealing with my inside. He is more upset if I refuse to admit the ugliness in my heart than He is if I act on the outside like I haven't murdered you. But when I admit the truth and pray for Him to give me cleaness of heart, He does it.
Define religious. How do you define that word?
The body of Christ is what we are. We have faults, but we all have one same Spirit. I think our trouble is just that we don't really know what we are and what we've been given.
And we have Holy Spirit continually correcting us in our heart. The problem as I see it on the forums is suspicion of one another. Those whose aim is to disrupt? Who really are they?