Ism - Distinctive doctrines, systems, or theories

Legalism

I found this great rant in my reading this morning from a Warren Wiersby commentary on Galatians 6:1-5

"The legalist is not interested in bearing burdens. Instead he adds to the burdens of others (Acts 15:10)... The legalist is always harder on other people than he is on himnself, but the Spirit-led Christian demands more of himself than he does of others that he might be able to help others. ... Nothing reveals the wickedness of legalism better than the way legalists treat those who have sinned. Call to mind the Pharisees who dragged a woman taken in adultery before Jesus (John 8). Or that Jewish mob that almost killed Paul because they thought he had defiled the temple by brining in Gentiles (Acts 21:27 ff). Legalists do not need facts and proof; they need only suspicions and rumors. Their self-righteous imaginations will do the rest..."

Phyllis 2002-09-28 06:21 109

I know, if only we had a different world to live in..LOL...but what else is when you really want to live the Godly life and the fellow Christians who are still so divided they can't really back you up...or at least remain open to the fact that no one but on one has all the answers...:)

OneGirlRevolution 2002-09-28 02:16 103

oh i have a verse bout this too but im so lazy i dont know...its something Paul wrote. lol. i just think when Jesus came He came to bring abudendent *sp* life..and its hard to live abundenttly when everything ya do say thing watch listen to is EVIL!

Phyllis 2002-09-26 18:15 60

Yeah :) its that puffedup part that got me down so badly...

Momzilla 2002-09-26 09:53 52

Today's rant from Wiersby (I love this guy!): "The spirit of legalism does not suddenly overpower a church. Like leaven, it is introduced in secret, it grows, and before long poisons the whole assembly. In most cases, the motives that encourage legalism are good ('We want to have a more spiritual church'), but the methods are not scriptural. It is not wrong to have standards in a church but we should never think that the standards will make anybody spiritual, or that the keeping of the standards is an evidence of spirituality. How easy it is for the yeast to grow. Before long, we become proud of our spirituality ('puffed up' is the way Paul puts it, 1 Cor 5:2 and that is exactly what yeast does; it puffs up), and then critical of everybody else's lack of spirituality. this, of course, only feeds the flesh and grieves the Spirit, but we go on our way thinking we are glorifying God." OUCH!

Phyllis 2002-09-25 21:01 49

well said. :)