huuf Posted December 13, 2005 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 9 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/28/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted December 13, 2005 Simply put, legalism is applying what the Word of God tells you is the way to obey God to anyone but yourself... God's Word is alive and is spirit. It is able to speak to us in each stage of our walk with the Lord, it doesnt require anyone's supervision or guidance to do its work. The Holy Spirit is sufficient to make us understand what a verse is saying to us. I guess you could also say that thinking that obedience to God's Word justifies you (a sinner) before God rather than accepting Jesus' atoning sacrifice as the means by which you are saved as another form of legalism but in reality thats simply human pride at work. Examples of typical legalism would be disagreements over Tithing or What Holidays to keep etc. We are told to focus our scrutiny on ourselves, not another unless they are clearly out of God's will in a way that affects the entire body of their congegration. Even then we are to go to them meekly and in fear as we admonish them. If they wont hear us we are then to go them with 2 other persons (2 Elders), and if they still wont hear then the Elders will bring them before the entire congegration for the last warning. At the root of all legalism is the pridefull attitude that you know what someone needs or know better what God is working in them or how God wants them to walk in obedience to His Word. Yours in Yeshua, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted December 13, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted December 13, 2005 Legalism is trusting in the good things we do to restore our lost relationship with God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidian Posted December 14, 2005 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 22 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 12 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/06/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted December 14, 2005 Here is probably the best example of legalism in action, taken from scripture. Greetings, Since we heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillingToDie Posted December 14, 2005 Group: Senior Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 710 Content Per Day: 0.10 Reputation: 8 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/01/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/16/1984 Share Posted December 14, 2005 To me, Legalism is placing the letter of the law before the spirit of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MK202002 Posted December 16, 2005 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 286 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 7 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/23/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted December 16, 2005 legalism is when, uh.... the only way I can explain it is through example mary and sue are friends. It's mary's birthday, and sue goes over to mary's house, gives her a gift, sings happy birthday, bakes her a cake, calls the newspaper to anounce a national holiday, and writes her a 20 page long poem. At the party, jan is there, and it really listening to mary, just loving to be around her friend, ready to do whatever she can to make her day great. And she really knew that mary wanted a certain book. The 2 gifts are unwrapped, and mary makes a bigger deal out of jan's gift than sue's. Sue is very mad. She did everything, she played by all the rules! She did all the things that birthdays call for, and more! Key: Jan's friendship operates through love. It's not that she did less, it's that she was totally tuned into what Mary really wanted. Sue's friendship operated though rules. She did this for Mary, that made sue a great friend, and now mary owed her friendship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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