Are you a rebel, a follower of Christ, or a legalist?

[Lanolin]

Not all rebellion is bad Christians follow a higher calling than the Pharisees who were un able to understand forgiveness and made the Levitical laws a death trap for the spirit. And the Romans worshiped many false gods and demi gods but not the #1 and only true God in 3 manifestations, Father Son & Holy Spirit.

Many times the 1st century Christians, (or Saints if you will), were ordered to go away and stop talking about Jesus at risk of pain and death, at the hands of a sociopathic 'A'-moral system. The population got vicarious thrills out of watching people being tortured, stoned or beaten to death. They were so self rightous that they willingly joined in on the murderous activity also. Yet id did not dissuade the true messenger of the Gospel and they were willing to face pain and death for spreading the word and were outlaws according to the Pharisees, Sadducees and Romans. They are heroes to us, or at least they should be.

I think resistance, or standing up for what you believe in, is something quite different to rebellion. It can look similar but its not, civil disobedience and rebellion can be quite different. It depends on WHO is in authority, for christians, that authority is always Jesus.
He is the head of the church. Not the pope, not the president, not even the husband, the boss, elder, or prime minsiter. Although these all have authority in some manner, if these arent obeying Jesus, and not listening to Him, THEY are in rebellion.

 

[Blik]

I always get perplexed when people start talking about God's will and my will. Surely God gives us credit when our will matches His. it could actually cause the religiously scrupulous to be afraid "oh no. am I doing God's will now or my own?". people who second guess themselves already, become even more neurotic.

People who accept the new covenant often don't realize that it only has to do with how God relates to us, it does not change God in the least. All it tells us about God in the OT still is the truth, Christ is God, He did not change God.

So you can go look at what Moses explains to us to see about how God rewards us for good works. Moses never, ever said that we are saved by those works, but we are rewarded.

Even atheist know this. Look at the people in prison to see the curses, and look at the joy in the faces of the people who give out love to see the rewards.

 

[Nehemiah6]

People who accept the new covenant often don't realize that it only has to do with how God relates to us, it does not change God in the least.

So let's get this clear. Are you under the New Covenant or under the Old Covenant?

YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS (ALTHOUGH YOU WISH YOU COULD).

That is not my opinion but God's commandment.

 

[Blik]

So let's get this clear. Are you under the New Covenant or under the Old Covenant?

YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS (ALTHOUGH YOU WISH YOU COULD).

That is not my opinion but God's commandment.

What is there that I said in my post to prompt you to ask me that question?

 

[Nehemiah6]

What is there that I said in my post to prompt you to ask me that question?

This is what you said: "People who accept the new covenant often don't realize that it only has to do with how God relates to us, it does not change God in the least."

But Christians are under the New Covenant and all must accept it without wavering. So why did you refer to Moses, when Christ supersedes Moses?

HEBREWS 3
3 For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Moses was testifying of Christ, and since Christ came and accomplished what Moses could not do, you cannot go back to Moses. Only unbelieving Jews go back to Moses.

 

[Blik]

This is what you said: "People who accept the new covenant often don't realize that it only has to do with how God relates to us, it does not change God in the least."

But Christians are under the New Covenant and all must accept it without wavering. So why did you refer to Moses, when Christ supersedes Moses?

HEBREWS 3
3 For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Moses was testifying of Christ, and since Christ came and accomplished what Moses could not do, you cannot go back to Moses. Only unbelieving Jews go back to Moses.

Do you REALLY think that God was not speaking through Moses, that we must never listen to Moses because God cancelled all God spoke in the old testament? Hitler wanted to do away with the OT, but I didn't think Christians wanted to. Why would God cancel Himself because God gave something new for us besides all God had created before?

 

[Whispered]

Rebels say they can’t be perfect so they won’t follow God for God is perfect. Rebels say the Lord sees works as filthy rags, so they won’t work. Rebels say their work would not gain them entrance to heaven, only what Christ did can do that so they won’t work.

Legalist say they are pretty hot stuff and they act like it. They say they are pleasing to God only by what they do, so they follow the rules. Legalist act without the love the God in their heart but with cold calculations. A legalist would refuse to help others on a Sabbath day in order to follow the Sabbath rule, not acknowledging the love for all that Christ within would give them.

Followers of Christ say that God created them and all things, that in reality they are Christ’s and owe Christ obedience. Followers of Christ know Christ was perfect, and through His perfection their sins are forgiven. To accept Christ within is to accept a will to be perfect as the only truth for themselves. That they are righteous only through the righteousness of Christ does not stop them from giving their will to Christ.

We know that works do not save us. We cannot work our way into grace nor Heaven. However, our good works in the service God calls us to are an example of our Salvation and faith. And those will be judged come the judgment.
I think what has divided the Ekklesia of Christ is the machinations of men who, for all they say of having been reborn as a new creation, would have still to appear in the centric self when denominational dogma was created in their name. Taking the scriptures and formulating from Jesus words a autonomous branch that grafts itself by man's will onto the branch that is the pure words of Christ.
As such the world has found itself divided about Christ and what it means to be Christian, much like a stained glass panel depicting Jesus both on the cross and walking from the tomb, and the image fractured by many large and small cracks. Making the import of the depiction hard to comprehend because the mar's in the glass overcome the perfection of the artistry itself.

So to answer your question, finally , I follow Christ and grow in His word daily. I more and more labor to relax the worldly mind that must exercise itself to navigate this world and my work, so as to listen to the leading of my eternal master of love, peace, redemption and grace. And as I do that more and more I find I am pleased time and again at the results.
Let Go And Let God.
Sounds cliche' , may have even appeared on a bumper sticker or shirt here or there, but I tell you from experience, when you do that, with practice, you will learn to hear the voice of God. And then there shall come a time when it hits you. The real meaning of being in relationship with the great power and source of all things, God.
My prayer is that all who are in Christ here shall know that comfort. As I am certain for some may rightly say, I am already preaching to the choir.
God Bless.

 

[Dino246]

Do you REALLY think that God was not speaking through Moses, that we must never listen to Moses because God cancelled all God spoke in the old testament? Hitler wanted to do away with the OT, but I didn't think Christians wanted to. Why would God cancel Himself because God gave something new for us besides all God had created before?

Dear Blik, your post is another example of completely misrepresenting the words of another. Nehemiah neither implied that God was not speaking through Moses, nor that we "must never listen to Moses"... for any reason.

God did not cancel Himself or His words; that's silly. He replaced the old covenant because it was weak and useless and could not make men righteous. He did not intend it to do so.

Perhaps an analogy will help you understand...

Let's say that a man chooses to become a teacher for his profession, and he teaches high school math. He has fairly strict rules for his classroom, and does not tolerate misbehaviour because he knows that the students need to focus in order to learn the material. After teaching for several years, he marries and has a daughter, whom he loves wonderfully. As she grows, he gives her rules to govern her behaviour and teach her how to function in the family and in the world. She grows into a confident, articulate teenager, but always listens carefully to her dad and follows his direction.

One day, she walks into her high school math class to find her dad is the teacher. He goes over the rules, and she takes them to heart. That evening at supper, she is cautious and fearful, believing that the rules of math class apply at home. After all, they were given by the same man, and are an expression of him. She continues to be fearful, eventually losing her carefree confidence. After several weeks of this, her dad asks her what's going on. She explains that the rules for math class must apply at home, because they were given by the same person who gave her the house rules. Her dad explains the distinction and sets her free from her confusion.

In the same way, God gave rules to Israel for a specific purpose. Those rules were never applied to all humankind, but only to Israel. Now, we Christians are children of God by faith; the Holy Spirit within us testifies to this truth. The rules that God gave to Israel were never given to us. Even though the same God gave the rules, and to a certain extent the rules express His nature, we simply are not under them and never were.

Please, throw off the shackles that are holding you back, and that Jesus never intended for you. We Christians are not under the Law.

 

[calibob]

Matthew 12:1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (BSB)

 

[Blik]

So let's get this clear. Are you under the New Covenant or under the Old Covenant?

YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS (ALTHOUGH YOU WISH YOU COULD).

That is not my opinion but God's commandment.

Poppycock! We aren't speaking of how we have it at all, we are speaking of God giving us something new that makes something old obsolete. We don't need fleshly circumcision because we are given spiritual help with the Holy Spirit, that isn't saying you have it a certain way. God gave us a new way to relating to Him, God didn't say everything He told Moses was wrong. One truth has absolutely nothing to do with another unrelated truth.

 

[JamOn]

Matthew 12:1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (BSB)

Rebels 😜

 

[limmuwd]

Are you a rebel, a follower of Christ, or a legalist?

I've been accused of being all three!! And I am!

Indeed, as the Prophets, Apostles and Christ Jesus, Himself, I am a rebel against religion and the traditions of man, which have greatly infiltrated the churches today.

Aspiring to be called a "Christian" by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I follow His Son as a disciple, striving to "walk worthy" and "overcome" that I might inherit the promises found in Rev 2 & 3.

And if believing and striving to obey the commandments of God given through Christ Jesus and the Apostles to "Repent"; "Deny myself, pick up my cross daily and follow Jesus"; "endure til the end"; "separate myself from the world"; and "stop sinning"... is being called a "legalist", then I want to be found among the greatest legalists known and approved by God!

AMEN!

Michael
To Him Who Overcomes