Tag: legalism
Crucified with Christ
Scripture reading for November 28: Galatians 1-6
I hate legalism! Some people, calling themselves Christians, make rules for how we must live and judge others by them. Some think that they are right to condemn others for the length of their hair, wearing make-up, or certain clothes. Some judge others for having tattoos or body piercing . Others are thrown out if they don’t believe in eternal security or baptism in the name of Jesus only. The religious police are always out enforcing their version of “true” Christianity!
The Apostle Paul dealt with some people who tried to add the Old Testament Law to faith in Christ. His approach to that subject is laid out in this letter to the Galatians. He wasted no time setting this group of believers straight. Paul taught that any addition to the simple Gospel of salvation by grace through faith was a perversion that was no Gospel at all! (Galatians 1:6-7) Paul warned these believers that anyone, even if it was an angel from heaven or himself, who tried to preach another Gospel should be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9) That is very strong language because no false Gospel can save.
This mixing of law and grace affected Peter and Barnabas some fourteen years after Paul’s conversion. Paul found Peter withdrawing from the Gentiles and eating only with the Jewish believers who were teaching that circumcision was needed as well as faith. (Galatians 2:11-16) Paul rebuked Peter in front of them all for their hypocrisy! They had given in to peer pressure and moved away from the Gospel given them by the Lord Jesus. If it could happen to Peter the Apostle and Barnabas, it could happen to us!
Paul made a statement as he tried to counter these false teachers. I used to sing it in a Scripture song including Galatians and Colossians that has stuck with me even today. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” (Galatians 2:20-21) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not earthly things. for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-3
Sunday Rest and Reflection
Scripture reading for November 30th: Galatians 1-6
Some people, calling themselves Christians, make rules to define holiness and judge others by how they keep their rules. Some are condemned for the length of their hair, their make up, or certain types of clothes. Some judge people having tattoos or body piercing. Other groups of Christians claim a person must be baptized in a certain way or worship on a certain day to be right with God. These rules become a perversion of the true Gospel.
The Apostle Paul dealt with some people who tried to add the Old Testament Law to faith in Christ. Paul taught that any addition to the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith was no Gospel at all! (Galatians 1:6-7) Paul warned these believers that anyone, even an angel from heaven, who tried to preach another Gospel should be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9) It is very serious business to pervert the Gospel!
This mixing of law and grace affected Peter and Barnabas some 14 years after Paul’s conversion. Paul found Peter withdrawing from the Gentiles and eating only with the Jewish believers who were teaching circumcision. (Galatians 2:11-16) Paul rebuked Peter in front of them for their hypocrisy! They had given in to peer pressure and moved away from the Gospel given them by the Lord Jesus. If it could happen to Peter, it could happen to us!
Paul wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” (Galatians 2:20-21)
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not earthly things. for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-3
Our new identity is found in Christ! We were crucified with Him and raised with Him to a new life! No set of rules or regulations can make us holy.
Grace? or added law?
Scripture reading for June 23rd: Acts 15:1-31
The church today is sometimes affected by legalism. Well-meaning Christians, pastors, and leaders try to define holiness by developing rules or traditions that help them summarize what pleases God. In early days, this confused people and often caused conflict and division. Most of the early church members were Jews and had a history of keeping the Law of God. These new believers struggled to know how to balance keeping the law with salvation by faith through grace!
“Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1) This teaching brought sharp debate in the early church and Paul and Barnabas were appointed to go to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders to discuss this question. They had seen God pour out His Spirit on uncircumcised Gentiles in many places where they were sent by the Holy Spirit to preach and disagreed with this teaching.
At Jerusalem, this conflict was found to be simmering as well. There were believers who came from the party of the Pharisees who agreed that the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses. (Acts 15:5) The apostles and elders gathered for discussion and Paul got up and addressed them. He noted that God accepted the Gentiles and poured out the Holy Spirit on them without their keeping of the Law. God purified their hearts by faith, not by law-keeping! In fact, no Jew was ever able to keep the Law and be justified by that work! (Acts 15:8-12)
James spoke up in agreement, citing the Old Testament prophet Amos as confirming Paul’s word to them. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.” (Acts 15:19-20) This seemed good to the elders and apostles and the Holy Spirit, so they sent Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch to share the ruling.
Salvation by grace alone was then taught by the early church. Adding law would not be allowed to hinder people from coming to Christ from a Gentile background. Are you trusting in Christ alone for salvation?
Crucified and Risen with Christ!
Scripture reading for November 30th: Galatians 1-6
I hate legalism! Some people, calling themselves Christians, make rules for how we must live and judge others by how they do or do not keep their rules. Some think that they are right to condemn others for the length of their hair, wearing make-up, or certain clothes. Some judge others for having tattoos or body piercing . Others are thrown out if they don’t believe in eternal security or baptism in the name of Jesus only. The religious police are always out enforcing their version of “true” Christianity!
The Apostle Paul dealt with some people who tried to add the Old Testament Law to faith in Christ. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul taught that any addition to the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith was no Gospel at all! (Galatians 1:6-7) Paul warned these believers that anyone, even an angel from heaven, who preached another Gospel should be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9) It was serious business because it affected eternal salvation!
This mixing of law and grace even affected Peter and Barnabas some 14 years after Paul’s conversion. Paul found Peter withdrawing from the Gentiles and eating only with the Jewish believers who were teaching that circumcision was needed as well as faith. (Galatians 2:11-16) Paul rebuked Peter in front of them all for their hypocrisy! They had given in to peer pressure and false teaching and moved away from the Gospel given them by Christ. If it could happen to Peter the Apostle and Barnabas, it could happen to us!
Paul made a declaration of faith as he tried to counter these false teachers. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” (Galatians 2:20-21)
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not earthly things. for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-3