You Are A Legalist
You are *not* a legalist if by faith and love for the Lord you obey His law – people will tell you you are, but you are not.
You are a legalist if you keep God’s law in order to gain or keep your salvation.
You are *not* a legalist if you believe professing Christians should obey the Lord, with love & humilty.
You are a legalist if you believe that your obedience makes you more acceptable to God than others who are not on your level.
You are *not* a legalist if you have high standards, or if you are more precise in your understanding of obedience.
You are a legalist if you think your higher standards make you more righteous.
You are *not* a legalist ifyou exhort others to obey God’s word.
You are a legalist if you bind men’s consciences to man’s tradition.
You are *not* a legalist if you come to a matter that scripture does not directly address and by prayerful study reach a conclusion & implement it in life and home.
You are a legalist if another believer prayerfully considers the same matter & reaches a different conclusion & you think you’re more acceptable to God because of your conclusion.
You are *not* a legalist if you don’t watch TV, don’t listen to rock music, don’t practice birth control, homeschool, dress modestly, etc.
You are a legalist if you believe those things are the signs that you are true Christians and they are not, and you are therefore more acceptable to God.
We are getting to think like legalists if we think our difference make us superior spiritually.
We are all tainted by legalism of some sort, and if you haven’t come to grips with it, likely you are one and don’t see it.
Want to know the standard of being a Christian? Read the 5 chapters of 1 John – he nails down what a real Christian is.
This post is all my notes after listening to the CD, Holiness, Legalism, and the Sufficiency of Scripture, by Jeff Pollard. Excellent sermon.
Related Article (and great discussion over at Stacy’s McDonald’s blog):
“Legalist Hunters” and the Hypocrisy that Empowers Them
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I don't think I've ever heard this put so well!
VERY well said! Thanks!
Lori Devine´s last [type] ..Should Christians Celebrate Halloween
Lori Devine´s last [type] ..Should Christians Celebrate Halloween
This is such a great post that I read it several months ago, forgot where I found it when I wanted to share it with a friend, and have been searching ever since! It was linked at the end of one of Stacy's posts and, praise the Lord, she posted it again!
I'm going to link to it on my own blog now so I don't lose it again. Wonderful insight.
Gayle´s last [type] ..My Black Friday Man
Gayle´s last [type] ..My Black Friday Man
I am confused by someone like you. You are a founder of 'Raising Home Makers'. So do you think working outside the home is wrong as a christian woman ? And what is your position on stay at home daughter hood ? It is fine and dandy to point a finger at legalism. But you seem to be legalistic if you support those positions as the only way. Something that Mrs.Stacy McDonald seems to do too.
You do not look like or wear the 'uniform' of a legalistic person, but you seem to be from your views. And that to me is dangerous. Looking for unity is great among christians, but I see the church destroyed by legalistic people who define christianity as how they live as in what women should wear, whether they should work out side the home, using birth control or not, home school only and so on. And I see people walk away from God because it suddenly becomes too hard because of man made interpretations that are not anything like God said.
You have influence whether you like it or not. Please do not be a wolf in sheep's clothing as you are sometimes to me.
Hello, :)
I just saw your comment and thought I'd take a minute to respond.
First of all, I hope I'm not in any way a legalist – I don't ever want to be or portray that. I realize I have come off that way in the past, and I'm trying to change that. My personal belief is that the best choice for kiddos is to have mama at home, and I believe the bible supports that. I also see good things in daughters staying home (but I don't think it's mandatory). However, there are many circumstances and situations for which I can not possible speak into, nor will I try. Everyone must look to the Lord and ask Him.
The most important thing I want to convey is the love of Jesus, and that knowing Him surpasses all else. His grace is so enveloping I can hardly stand it. I want everyone to know it. Everything else (while important) is the details of walking out this life, and we all to do what we are given revelation to do.
Hallo :) and thank you for responding.
This has been something that I have mulled on for a long time. Ever since I saw calls for unity among the blogs. But how can there be unity when this is what I see.
Case in point, your 'Raising Home Maker's' contributors.
Kelly Crawford believes in quiverful, home schooling, home churching only. This is what I got from her blog. What about the rest of us who do not make her choices ?
Breezy Brookshire, influenced by 'So much more' a book by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkins. Which says SAHD is the only way for an unmarried daughter to live.
Seems very much legalistic to me.
I too believe in the Nicene Creed like you. I do not however believe what I wear, whether I work, how I school my children has any relevance to my salvation.
*Splitting comments into three due to length*
To be very honest, I know how to avoid a lot of legalistic christians because I've been told time and again, my choices are not pleasing unto the Lord. And I can identify them by their dress. But on the surface you do not seem to be like that. Until I saw you chose Kelly and Breezy as contributors. Where do you stand Sara Mae ? Are you saying those choices are not legalistic when people like the Botkins say that is the only way ? And people who support and live like that are not legalistic ? You are not just another blogger. You have a visible presence and are important.
Where do you stand ? Writing this post is very ironic to me. I too want unity, but not at the cost of people being driven out of the faith by legalistic people and bloggers who have a voice implicitly agreeing by not standing up against that.
I apologize for the tone of my post and with holding my name. You do not have to listen to anything I say. But please remember there are people like me in the shadows who have felt the brunt of legalism. You do not convey the love of Jesus by agreeing with legalistic people, instead you say I agree these are the only ways to attain salvation. That is what it seems looking in. You are an important presence. Unity is such a catch all phrase. But I'd rather stand up against people who take the name of the Lord in vain and add rules to christianity that drive people away.
Blessings in all you do and thank you.
I just found your blog today and plan to look around. This one stung though! "You are a legalist if you think your higher standards make you more righteous."