Thought for the day: If you're a company that's selling a product and another comes selling product with your label which is far inferior to your own. What's your chief concern? To out sell them by focusing on a positive campaign? Or is it rather to viciously attack the credibility of the impostor? Legalists are impostors who need to be exposed. They're Catholics hiding behind a protestant confession, maybe worse; they are spitting on the grace of God (albeit practically) by plowing ahead on their own. And the world will never buy a "gospel" that is characterized by human effort of will. Curse that "gospel."
Matthew LaPine
p.s. the title was supposed to be a not so veiled reference to Machen's Christianity and Liberalism, but I supposed most people reading this wouldn't get it so I thought I'd explain.
3 comments:
It struck me tonight also as I was heading to bed that we should not simply assume anyone knows what "legalism" is. Legalism is not simply the making of rules, or anyone who is more strict than I. No legalism is more subtle than that. It can simply be an overemphasis or an imbalance. It provides the "do" without the "done". It makes demands without establishing the "why". It is unlike Paul who takes great pains to establish his doctrine and will hold it up as the instrument, the tangible argumentation to worship by conforming to God. He paints a portrait of God's wisdom and glory and asks, so what are you going to do? But legalism is no longer amazed by grace. Legalism is duty bound, and loves little.
The cure for legalism is the gospel and faith that the God who saves gives grace to live.
May we overflow with gratitude and faith, always remembering that the message of the gospel is one we herald, not a law to impose. And sanctification is a remembrance of past grace and an expectancy of grace to come.
is that book worth a read? christianity and legalism?
Christianity and Liberalism is well worth a read. Christianity and Legalism doesn't actually exist. I'm suggesting maybe it should.
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