Word for Today, Fri, 25 Feb 2005: Freed From Legalism

#1 · February 25, 2005, 8:51 am

Quote from Forum Archives on February 25, 2005, 8:51 am
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Fri, 25 Feb 2005: Freed From Legalism

Dear friends,

I love the Word of God and I have read it for many years.
I have also attended church since I was young.

One thing that has often bothered me about religions and the many
different flavors of them are the ways that people try to impose
their beliefs on others. On one hand, I think it is good that we
share our faith, and it is definitely important that any genuine
Christian tell others about Jesus Christ and how He is God's One
and Only Son, that He has given us a view of God, for He is, in
His very nature God. However, in the name of religion, people
over the centuries have done all kinds of awful things.

I want to urge everyone to really get to know the God of the
Bible. Read the Bible for yourselves and make your own choices
and decisions. Faith is an important thing, but it is a personal
thing. MY faith cannot be your faith, or vice versa. Each of us
will one day give a personal account of our lives before a Holy
God. I maintain that only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will
give us any standing at all with God, for not one of us can stand
before God on our own merit.

Neil Anderson does a good job of putting spiritual principles and
their merit in their proper perspective in the message that
follows. I encourage you to read it and decide for yourselves
about matters of faith and freedom.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

February 25

FREED FROM LEGALISM

God . . . made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of
the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6).

Walking by the Spirit is not legalism, the opposite extreme from
license. Paul said: "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the Law" (Galatians 5:18). Stringently striving to obey
Christian rules and regulations doesn't enable the Spirit-filled
walk; it often kills it (2 Corinthians 3:6). We're told in
Galatians 3:13 that the law is really a curse, and in Galatians
3:21 that it is impotent, powerless to give life.

Laying down the law--telling someone that it is wrong to do this
or that--does not give them the power to stop doing it.
Christians have been notorious at trying to legislate
spirituality with don'ts: Christians don't drink, don't smoke,
don't dance, don't attend movies, don't play cards, don't wear
makeup, etc. But legalism can't curb immorality. In fact, laying
down the law merely serves to heighten the temptation. Paul said
that the law actually stimulates the desire to do what it forbids
(Romans 7:5)! When you tell your child not to cross a certain
line, where does he immediately want to go? Forbidden fruit often
seems to be the most desirable.

Neither will a Spirit-filled heart be produced by demanding that
someone conform to a religious code of behavior. We often equate
Christian disciplines such as Bible study, prayer, regular church
attendance, and witnessing with spiritual maturity. All these
activities are good and helpful for spiritual growth. But merely
performing these admirable Christian exercises does not guarantee
a Spirit-filled walk.

Does this mean that establishing rules is wrong? Of course not.
God's law is a necessary protective moral standard and guideline.
But the means by which we live a life of freedom is not the law
but grace. Within the confines of God's law, we are free to
nurture a spirit-to Spirit relationship with God, which is the
essence of walking in the Spirit.

Lord, help me encourage other believers to freedom in their walk
with You and not impose on them a religious code of behavior.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
www.crosswalkmail.com/jawwkja_frxqdq.html

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
www.crosswalkmail.com/avttouy_frxqdq.html
-----------

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less.
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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I love the Word of God and I have read it for many years.
I have also attended church since I was young.

One thing that has often bothered me about religions and the many
different flavors of them are the ways that people try to impose
their beliefs on others. On one hand, I think it is good that we
share our faith, and it is definitely important that any genuine
Christian tell others about Jesus Christ and how He is God's One
and Only Son, that He has given us a view of God, for He is, in
His very nature God. However, in the name of religion, people
over the centuries have done all kinds of awful things.

I want to urge everyone to really get to know the God of the
Bible. Read the Bible for yourselves and make your own choices
and decisions. Faith is an important thing, but it is a personal
thing. MY faith cannot be your faith, or vice versa. Each of us
will one day give a personal account of our lives before a Holy
God. I maintain that only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will
give us any standing at all with God, for not one of us can stand
before God on our own merit.

Neil Anderson does a good job of putting spiritual principles and
their merit in their proper perspective in the message that
follows. I encourage you to read it and decide for yourselves
about matters of faith and freedom.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

February 25

FREED FROM LEGALISM

God . . . made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of
the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6).

Walking by the Spirit is not legalism, the opposite extreme from
license. Paul said: "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the Law" (Galatians 5:18). Stringently striving to obey
Christian rules and regulations doesn't enable the Spirit-filled
walk; it often kills it (2 Corinthians 3:6). We're told in
Galatians 3:13 that the law is really a curse, and in Galatians
3:21 that it is impotent, powerless to give life.

Laying down the law--telling someone that it is wrong to do this
or that--does not give them the power to stop doing it.
Christians have been notorious at trying to legislate
spirituality with don'ts: Christians don't drink, don't smoke,
don't dance, don't attend movies, don't play cards, don't wear
makeup, etc. But legalism can't curb immorality. In fact, laying
down the law merely serves to heighten the temptation. Paul said
that the law actually stimulates the desire to do what it forbids
(Romans 7:5)! When you tell your child not to cross a certain
line, where does he immediately want to go? Forbidden fruit often
seems to be the most desirable.

Neither will a Spirit-filled heart be produced by demanding that
someone conform to a religious code of behavior. We often equate
Christian disciplines such as Bible study, prayer, regular church
attendance, and witnessing with spiritual maturity. All these
activities are good and helpful for spiritual growth. But merely
performing these admirable Christian exercises does not guarantee
a Spirit-filled walk.

Does this mean that establishing rules is wrong? Of course not.
God's law is a necessary protective moral standard and guideline.
But the means by which we live a life of freedom is not the law
but grace. Within the confines of God's law, we are free to
nurture a spirit-to Spirit relationship with God, which is the
essence of walking in the Spirit.

Lord, help me encourage other believers to freedom in their walk
with You and not impose on them a religious code of behavior.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
http://www.crosswalkmail.com/jawwkja_frxqdq.html

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
http://www.crosswalkmail.com/avttouy_frxqdq.html
-----------

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less.
info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250