The reasons why [legalism] is so devastating are: 1. It ignores or underestimates the role of inner attitude and motivation. 2. It focuses upon self-effort rather than on divine enablement. 3. It encourages pride rather than humble dependence upon God. 4. It tends to “use” the Scriptures to reinforce our own preconceived ideas and preferences. 5. It tends to conceive of our acceptance with God as performance oriented. 6. It arouses the flesh and incites us to sin, rather than the avoidance of sin. 7. It tends to impose one's personal convictions on others, and to condemn them if they fail to live up to our rules. Legalism cannot save you, my friend, and neither can it sanctify. Praise God!
Robert Deffinbaugh

37 WORDS OR DEEDS

37 WORDS OR DEEDS F O O T ================================

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READING

37 WORDS OR DEEDS

PRAY I praise you, Lord, for your perfect Law, which transforms my soul. —————————————————————- READ Matthew 7:13-29. —————————————————————- THINK What are the marks of a true disciple, as described in this passage? —————————————————————- FOCUS WIDE OR NARROW (13,14). Hikers know how easy it can be to take the wrong path. The right one may look as if it’s going the wrong way … or is too steep. The road to life too, may seem narrow, limiting, difficult, but this should not prevent us taking it. TRUE OR FALSE (15-20). Some religious leaders seem so wise, so certain … but are really after money or power. One test is to notice whether what they say agrees with the Bible. But also anybody who claims to teach about Jesus should show the qualities of Jesus in his/her life. NOT JUST WORDS (21). It’s easy to say that we serve Jesus, but our actions may contradict our words. NOT EVEN ACTIONS (22,23). On the day of judgement some people will be deeply shocked. They will realise that the ‘good works’ they did in Jesus’ name were really nothing to do with him. They never had a personal relationship with him. BOTH HEARING AND OBEYING (24-27). Seasonal water channels called wadis are empty during the dry season. A lazy person might choose to build in a wadi bed. To build away from it would be more difficult since it would mean building on rock. But when the rainy season comes and the wadi becomes a river bed there would be no hope for the house built there. It’s a good thing to know the teaching of Jesus. But we need not only to hear it, we must also obey it. If we don’t we must face the consequences. —————————————————————- PRAY Help me, Lord Jesus, first to learn from you and then to do as you tell me. =========

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