Legalism

Hey Gerald,

Well, from Wikipedia:

Hope that makes things clear. Legalism is a blunt instrument that liberals use against anyone who dares to condemn their lack of Biblical standards when it comes to any aspect of their lives.

Anyone with standards more stringent than mine must be a legalist, especially if they are vocal about them. They are probably looking to their works for their salvation and may in fact be lost. On the other side, anyone with standards lower than mine must be a liberal, not commited to a real relationship with Christ and might even be lost.

Yep, I must be the only Christian left because nobody agrees with me.

[I hope the sarcasm is evident]

 

Here are a few statements I liked:

John Robbins

John Hendryx and Bill Baldwin

 

To me, legalism in a nut shell, is adding a bunch of "do's and don'ts" (that are not in the Bible) and insisting that you adhere to them.

 

"Legalism could be definied as any attempt to rely on self-effort to either attain or maintain our justification before God."​

I believe the above to be the truest definition of legalism as it pertains to Christianity. This word is typically used, as one of the previous posts indicated, as a pejorative but typically it is used in error for the user confuses legalism with holiness and living sanctified lives. Any one that says you have to do any work to be saved in eternity, is engaging in legalism.

 

To put it in a nutshell, a legalist is one who looks at another brother and says, "Surely, God cannot use him (or "He must not be a Christian) because he doesn't live according to MY definition of how he ought to live."

Luke 18:9-14

 

Interesting quote, in view of the fact that one or more folks on BB repeatedly insist that we are justified by our works.

 

"The doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminian, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works..." C.H. Spurgeon

 

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"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" - Romans 3:24

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." - Romans 3:28

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" - Romans 5:1​

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"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" - James 2:21

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." - James 2:24

"(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." - Romans 2:13​

 

Not sure what your point is...but I thought I would add some comments to the Scriptures for clarification.


Concerning James 2:21 - Works are not the cause of justification, because that is denied by the Scripture Romans 4:2. But this is showing the effect, or fruit of it.

It appears, or is shown, by his works that Abraham was a true believer, justified before God, by his obedience.

Concerning James 2:24 - Again, not as the cause procuring man's justification, but as the fruit declaring it. Born-again, justified persons bear fruit. The Apostle James in no wise is contradicting the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:28. They are not speaking of the same KIND of faith. James speaks of a dead, lifeless, mere profession, and the other speaks of true, saving faith.

 

MErs are by definition legalists. They need to take James 2 out of context in order to support their doctrine.

 

What is a MEer?

 

One who believes in and promotes Millennial Exclusion (Kingdom Salvation, or whatever you want to call it).

 

The stence of legalism is the worst there is.

 

From your link...

True. And although this thread is supposed to be about legalism, it is synonymous with Millenial Exclusion. The ME folks claim that there is a second (and third) salvation. The second salvation is of the soul, called Kingdom Salvation, and it is entirely by works.

They believe salvation by grace of the spirit takes but a brief moment of assenting to facts. After that, the newly saved Christian must attend to Kingdom Salvation, which occupies every moment of a Christian's life thenceforth.

So you are released from bondage to fear for a split second, after which the ME doctrine brings you right back into fear, and keeps you there from that moment forward.

It is a damnable doctrine of demons. Definitely.

 

Legalism is setting standards for others to live by and thinking of them less than godly if they do not follow them. In other words legalism is wanting people to be as you see holiness.

 

Bravo, an excellent definition.

 

I sure hope you do not intend to hijack this thread fella!

Stick to the topic!!!!