Galatianism!?

Why is it when many people get gloriously saved, full of joy and enthusiasm, their focus eventually is directed inward unto holiness and as a result their zeal, joy and burden for the lost is replaced by such things as doubts, anguish of heart, a critical spirit, etc.?

Because they didn't work out their salvation with fear and trembling like instructed.

They didn't ask for Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ.

They started to believe the lies from the adversary instead. Were you REALLY saved? Etc... The enemies of faith come in lots of different forms.

They have replaced love with performance

Do you think also a shift of emphasis happens where their focus goes from 'the outward' of God's Word, Jesus, His work and promises to 'an inward' work of personal holiness, techniques and formulas where they encounter plenty of failure?

They've replaced God's love or love in general, with performance?

Perhaps better to state it this way

The fellowship with God is based on His love imparted to us, as soon as we try to earn that love by performance we have moved away from the love relationship.

..... or they become the lukewarm believers who rely upon their own self-righteousness (performance) and thinking they have little need for Jesus anymore, lost their first love.

Good question, I think pride is at play in someway. That and we live in a reward/performance based world.

Once "I" set a standard for myself in producing holiness the next step is to see if the rest of the faith are living up to it

Right, and we see our pride sunk at Calvary (Romans 1-3) with the proclamation, "All have sinned and fallen short of God's Glory" or "There is none righteous no not one", you'd think we'd learn after all. I guess 'getting back up and giving it the 'ol one-two' is worth a 2nd try. lol

When sin is still thought to play a role in one's eternal destiny, the result is one striving to maintain their position of grace through performance, or works. They didn't qualify to be in God's presence by their personal holiness, but now sitting before Him, they have deemed it necessary to conduct themselves in such a way as to maintain that position. The problem is, that while we strive to be holy as He is holy, we mustn't forget that it is the blood of Christ that has granted us the remission of sins and therefore, our place of justification is not on trial through our successes and failures but simply relies upon Jesus' work.

Bad doctrine is the source for such an abysmal walk with God, as people in ignorance attempt to gain through merit what God has provided freely through His Son. Reconciliation. Righteousness. Holiness. Forgiveness. Why do we seek any of these things through merit when God has graciously provided it through the sufferings of Christ? Do we trample underfoot the Son of God?

This is not to dismiss our personal walk and practical righteousness, only that because people are misinformed of their right standing with God because of Christ (and all that entails) they then go from resting in Christ to earning or maintaining it instead of relying upon the grace of God. Rather, faith in Christ, and how it is that His bloodshed has made us reconciled to God, forever.

It's interesting how one can begin their walk to lease the Lord out of a heart of thankfulness but quickly end up 'obeying' out of a legalistic duty in fear of loss of salvation.

(In the above post place a 'p' before the word 'lease' ).

It seems an essential anti-dote to spiritual Galatianism is to be built up in Scriptural assurance of already having eternal life, with such Scriptures as...

John 5:24 KJV
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Romans 8:1-2 NASB
[1] Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 5:10 NASB
[10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

1 John 5:13 NASBS
[13] These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

To be assured you presently have eternal life cuts off the 'foolish Galatian' in you that insists to add merit to the equation thus falling into pits of despondency rather than fullness of joy. It avoids the works of the flesh (Gal 5), as the fruit of the spirit flows forth.

Right, the apostle Paul basically said to use your body as a living sacrifice and that its the least you can do (Romans 12:1). Our service comes from a place of gratitude. Not only this, but we desire to walk in the will of God, into the good works He has prepared before the foundation of the world.

I recall in the letter to galatians Paul asked if who had 'bewitched them' to follow another gospel. Maybe false teachers, esp at the time, the jewish people wanting them to be circumcicsed and saying if they werent circumcised they couldnt be saved.

Maybe its because Satan doesn't care until people get gloriously saved, he then attacks in full force sowing doubt & anguish. Our adversary is a critical spirit, he's our accuser who brings our failures to light (Revelation 12:10). The best attack against a believer is self-condemnation.

I think This happens when we remove our focus off God and others, And place it on self.

Sadly many churches teach this self focused “performance” based sanctification (How good am I doing, Am I doing what needs to be done, how is my sin life) and not personal sanctification (learning to love others more and more) which would lead to more personal growth and sanctification. And less sin.

I agree

Or another way people do it is they see the flaws in their own character and the struggle of their own sins, So they gravitate to other people who sin the same sins, then judge people they deem worse sinners as a means to help them feel better about themselves (not feel so guilty)

Add to this our flesh, Our friends, Our lives..

It is like an all out assault. And the last things satan wants to see is a christian who is out there being a light in the world by working our the salvation God gave them and bringing others to the light so they can be saved..

Of course this goes for alot of areas. I remember when myself and a good friend were asked to sit in leadership meetings as disciples being groomed for future leadership. We were both warned satan would come after us, and not to take the decision lightly. I remember the next year seeing things that could only be deemed as satanic attacks, like I have never seen, It came very close to taking me out. Sadly my friend, was taken out hard (he was not ready like we thought he would be) he is now back in church, but it is hard to hear what he experienced in those days.. Satan is ruthless. For those who have never met him head on, They do not know what to expect..

There are a lot of people who come to the message of the loving salvation of Jesus by grace with great joy only to later fall under the deception of works salvation religionists.. They go from having assurance of salvation and peace of mind to ending up believing that their salvation is dependent on them becoming good enough to deserve it.. That's when they have fallen from grace and no longer have grace.. The wonderful seed has been snatched away from them and it never had time to even grow..

Yes, and the best means of 'self condemnation' is to get them hopping on the treadmill of works.