The Struggle is Real: Legalism & Christian Living
Where do I even begin with this topic?
First, let me say this: living on a Christian Missionary Campus is THE PERFECT SETUP for legalistic Christianity. Many who come here are looking to the people here to see if they are 'holy' enough to be a missionary. Are they 'good' enough? Do their kids act 'right' enough? The men don't have long hair do they? Tattoos? Piercings? They don't listen to secular music, of course! Pokemon?? No way, those are little devils you know! The women aren't gossips, are they? Lazy? They don't get frustrated with their children, who are perfect and only watch G rated movies of course!
Although it's not hard to see how we get to this terrible, paralyzing place of slavery to 'right living'. I know I've been there, it's a slippery slope! It's the place where in my heart I truly want to serve and honor God, so I give up some stuff in my life. I might change the station I listen to, or start wearing more modest clothes. I might take up reading my Bible a little more often, or do any number of things to try to show my God that I am His, that I love Him, and that I want to live for Him.
Uh oh! Now I have something to be proud of don't I?? "I turned my life around because I love God so much. What did you do? I don't say that word or do that thing, but you do . . . maybe I love God more than you?"
GAG ME WITH A SPOON!
Here is the truth: I didn't turn my life around at all! Jesus turned my life around because He is so nice and good. He took pity on me because I was in dire straights, headed for destruction and He had mercy on me!
Lord, may I never forget where you brought me from . . . or think that I could have done it on my own! Forgive me for passing judgement on others!
Dare I say that the Pharisee leader's legalistic way of 'running' the church was Jesus' biggest pet peeve? Did anything else anger him so? Did anyone else (except maybe Peter "Get behind me Satan") cause him to speak so strongly?
The great burden the Pharisee leaders put on the Jews was so heavy, so burdensome, and so NOT in sync with the God that they 'served'. The Bible gives us many examples: "come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest", "cast all your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you", and "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free".
I truly believe the Lord does not want us to live burdened lives! We should be the most free, lightest, non-burdened creatures on the globe. All of our sins are forgiven and paid for. They are far away from us, and they can't find us out. How do we make God feel when we hand our burden over to him just to pick up a new one?
Please hear my heart here, I understand how tricky this is . . . the line is very, very thin.
When we become freed by Jesus, there SHOULD be a change in our lives! We SHOULD become 'better'. We SHOULD be compelled to start doing some things and stop doing others . . . out of a place of gratitude and affection for our Savior. We must, however, be so careful not to delude ourselves into the lie that we are better than someone else because of what we do or don't do. We are no better or worse than any other. Often our 'goodness' feels diminishing and demeaning to those around us . . . and that's not 'good' at all.
Legalism: Demeaning, demolishing, and diminishing by being a 'good' person.
My friend Jennifer wrote an awesome blog about the "Lure of Legalisme" here.
First, let me say this: living on a Christian Missionary Campus is THE PERFECT SETUP for legalistic Christianity. Many who come here are looking to the people here to see if they are 'holy' enough to be a missionary. Are they 'good' enough? Do their kids act 'right' enough? The men don't have long hair do they? Tattoos? Piercings? They don't listen to secular music, of course! Pokemon?? No way, those are little devils you know! The women aren't gossips, are they? Lazy? They don't get frustrated with their children, who are perfect and only watch G rated movies of course!
Although it's not hard to see how we get to this terrible, paralyzing place of slavery to 'right living'. I know I've been there, it's a slippery slope! It's the place where in my heart I truly want to serve and honor God, so I give up some stuff in my life. I might change the station I listen to, or start wearing more modest clothes. I might take up reading my Bible a little more often, or do any number of things to try to show my God that I am His, that I love Him, and that I want to live for Him.
Uh oh! Now I have something to be proud of don't I?? "I turned my life around because I love God so much. What did you do? I don't say that word or do that thing, but you do . . . maybe I love God more than you?"
GAG ME WITH A SPOON!
Here is the truth: I didn't turn my life around at all! Jesus turned my life around because He is so nice and good. He took pity on me because I was in dire straights, headed for destruction and He had mercy on me!
Lord, may I never forget where you brought me from . . . or think that I could have done it on my own! Forgive me for passing judgement on others!
Dare I say that the Pharisee leader's legalistic way of 'running' the church was Jesus' biggest pet peeve? Did anything else anger him so? Did anyone else (except maybe Peter "Get behind me Satan") cause him to speak so strongly?
The great burden the Pharisee leaders put on the Jews was so heavy, so burdensome, and so NOT in sync with the God that they 'served'. The Bible gives us many examples: "come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest", "cast all your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you", and "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free".
I truly believe the Lord does not want us to live burdened lives! We should be the most free, lightest, non-burdened creatures on the globe. All of our sins are forgiven and paid for. They are far away from us, and they can't find us out. How do we make God feel when we hand our burden over to him just to pick up a new one?
Please hear my heart here, I understand how tricky this is . . . the line is very, very thin.
When we become freed by Jesus, there SHOULD be a change in our lives! We SHOULD become 'better'. We SHOULD be compelled to start doing some things and stop doing others . . . out of a place of gratitude and affection for our Savior. We must, however, be so careful not to delude ourselves into the lie that we are better than someone else because of what we do or don't do. We are no better or worse than any other. Often our 'goodness' feels diminishing and demeaning to those around us . . . and that's not 'good' at all.
Legalism: Demeaning, demolishing, and diminishing by being a 'good' person.
My friend Jennifer wrote an awesome blog about the "Lure of Legalisme" here.
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