The winter chill has arrived and the trees on our footpath have withdrawn their sustenance and it's leaves have fallen away for yet another year. The winter blue sky seen through the bare branches of a tree, that only a short while ago was overflowing with flowering beauty and was a shady haven underneath.
Legalism is attempting to gain God's acceptance by acheiving self-righteousness, a right standing with God. As Chrisitans we can so easily succumb to legalism , even when we know it is wrong, sometimes without knowing we are doing it. So what do we do about it? The only answer is to keep reminding ourselves what God has done for us through Christ, that is, justification by faith.
For it is by faith you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
I am finding afresh the wonder of God's grace given to me through Christ's actions. It is like breathing new life into an old tired soul who has been working hard. It is like the spring, when new growth appears on the supple branches and flowers are budding, promising great things.
"Since prayer is an aspect of our sanctification, our development or growth in godliness, it too must be understood as the fruit of what Christ has done for us " Graeme Goldsworthy "Prayer and the Knowledge of God" page 13.
Yes, prayer, studying the bible, being involved in your church and outreach are all important, but if done out of a sense of gaining God's or peoples acceptance first rather than as the fruit of what Christ has done for us, then it's time to get back to the basics of the gospel.
We are sinners who have been justified through Christ's work on the cross. We are forgiven because of Christ not because of our good deeds. Therefore, no one can boast - EVER! I pray, I study God's word, I lead Bible studies, I elder, I ring to catch up with people, not,anymore, because I should or even that it's my responsibility but because first and foremost now, I love God. And I love God because he first loved me. It is all about love. Love that God initiated and freely gave to me as an undeserving sinner. Rather than look upon myself as worthless, I look upon myself as deeply loved beyond measure and I am overwhelmed.
So please, if you catch yourself on yet another guilt trip, or condeming someone else because you perceive them as not being dedicated enough at church or in their Christian lives, then ask yourself are you succumbing to a legalistic attitude? Where is God's grace for you and others?
Remind yourself of what God has done for you and always keep that as your context. This is understanding your life from God's perspective rather than our own human perspective.
One "day" we can be growing for God and then the next "day" we realise we are like this bare tree, still connected to God, but have somehow along the way lost our zeal, vitality, and passion for the gospel and are no longer growing strong in Christ. We're confused because we appear to be doing all the right things yet are "bare".
For me, this "day" arrived when I was challenged from the book "Prayer and the Knowledge of God", by Graeme Goldsworthy, about the way I view my relationship with God. I began to see that I so often think in terms of how close or not close I am to God. I view my relationship with God from a human perspective that says I need to do more praying or study of God's word or be available more for others, rather than viewing my relationship with God through what Christ has done for me. I was gobsmacked to say the least because I desire to be a commited Christian and I know that being disciplined in prayer and studying the bible are ways to draw near to God. But as I continued reading I could see in my life that although I knew in my head that I am saved by grace, I found in practice I have slowly travelled from that point of grace to becoming a Christian who is unawares that she is being driven by legalism. To people who know me they may think I'm being hard on myself, or overdramatic but I am convicted of the sutle ways I've become about "doing" things first rather than living from the fact of God's grace.
Legalism is attempting to gain God's acceptance by acheiving self-righteousness, a right standing with God. As Chrisitans we can so easily succumb to legalism , even when we know it is wrong, sometimes without knowing we are doing it. So what do we do about it? The only answer is to keep reminding ourselves what God has done for us through Christ, that is, justification by faith.
For it is by faith you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
I am finding afresh the wonder of God's grace given to me through Christ's actions. It is like breathing new life into an old tired soul who has been working hard. It is like the spring, when new growth appears on the supple branches and flowers are budding, promising great things.
"Since prayer is an aspect of our sanctification, our development or growth in godliness, it too must be understood as the fruit of what Christ has done for us " Graeme Goldsworthy "Prayer and the Knowledge of God" page 13.
Yes, prayer, studying the bible, being involved in your church and outreach are all important, but if done out of a sense of gaining God's or peoples acceptance first rather than as the fruit of what Christ has done for us, then it's time to get back to the basics of the gospel.
We are sinners who have been justified through Christ's work on the cross. We are forgiven because of Christ not because of our good deeds. Therefore, no one can boast - EVER! I pray, I study God's word, I lead Bible studies, I elder, I ring to catch up with people, not,anymore, because I should or even that it's my responsibility but because first and foremost now, I love God. And I love God because he first loved me. It is all about love. Love that God initiated and freely gave to me as an undeserving sinner. Rather than look upon myself as worthless, I look upon myself as deeply loved beyond measure and I am overwhelmed.
So please, if you catch yourself on yet another guilt trip, or condeming someone else because you perceive them as not being dedicated enough at church or in their Christian lives, then ask yourself are you succumbing to a legalistic attitude? Where is God's grace for you and others?
Remind yourself of what God has done for you and always keep that as your context. This is understanding your life from God's perspective rather than our own human perspective.
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