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Cigar lovers will LOVE this podcast. Legalists, on the other hand, will hate it. Enjoy and share with your cigar loving friends. What do you think about the episode? Comment below or email us: http://waw.fm/hello
What really is legalism? In this sermon on Romans 14:1–4 titled “God Has Received Him,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles this important subject by asking what it is, how it can be fought, and the consequences that it carries within the church. Legalism is what happens when people take principles in Scripture, interpret them wrongly, and make them absolute rules that everyone is required to follow. Legalists tend to make indifferent things central. Mainly it means that issues not core to Christianity are elevated to make-or-break issues that are used as standards for measuring the depth of someone's relationship with Christ. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, what matters is that people have been received by God— it is not up to others to determine this. People frequently set up their own standards for determining if people are Christians, but from where do they derive their authority? Dr. Lloyd-Jones also addresses if Paul was contradicting his stance against legalism when he said that he acts certain ways around certain people. Ultimately, this was to keep them from stumbling and as Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, Paul did not see these issues as central doctrines of Christianity. He closes with a charge— Christians are not to reject someone whom God has received, and ultimately, only God can make the call on whether or not this is the case. They are to trust Him with this and simply be obedient.
I interview Canadian political scientist Daniel A. Bell (University of Hong Kong) about his latest book Why Ancient Chinese Political Thought Matters and how Chinese political theory broadens a West-centric Anglophone canon. Bell explains major pre-unification traditions—Confucianism (graded love, harmony, ritual, soft power, political meritocracy), Legalism (state-strengthening through uniform, ruthless law and fear), Mohism (populist focus on material welfare and opposition to state-funded ritual/music), and Taoism (skepticism of social engineering and preference for limited state action)—and notes their modern revival after 20th-century anti-traditionalism and the Cultural Revolution. We discuss timeless debates on corruption, family law, culture funding, just war, and idealism vs. realism (including Xunzi vs. Legalists), Bell's argument in The China Model for legitimate variation beyond "one person, one vote," sources of legitimacy in China, Xi's role versus structural pressures, and the need for more people-to-people engagement to reduce demonization and improve US–China understanding.(02:43) West Centric Theory(04:29) Writing The Book(05:59) Schools Of Thought(06:49) Confucians Explained(08:35) Legalists And Power(10:07) Mohists And Populism(10:56) Taoism And Withdrawal(11:56) Ancient Debates Today(15:08) Idealism Versus Realism(18:49) Confucianism Endures(23:02) Traditions In The 1900s(29:29) Lessons For Western Leaders(30:18) Ritual Music And Order(31:40) Just War And Intervention(32:55) Harmony Not Conformity(33:56) Confucian Harmony Not Sameness(35:44) Just War and Tyranny(37:04) Questioning One Person One Vote(39:17) Why Meritocracy Fits China(43:03) Cultural Fit and Export Failures(46:42) Western Thinkers in China(48:03) Censorship and Reform Prospects(49:38) Xi Versus Structural Forces(52:54) Legitimacy Performance and Trust(56:03) Taiwan Prosperity and AI Optimism(58:30) More Participation Not Elections(59:46) Meritocracy Weak Spots and DialogueRead Daniel A. Bell's books
What really is legalism? In this sermon on Romans 14:1–4 titled “God Has Received Him,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles this important subject by asking what it is, how it can be fought, and the consequences that it carries within the church. Legalism is what happens when people take principles in Scripture, interpret them wrongly, and make them absolute rules that everyone is required to follow. Legalists tend to make indifferent things central. Mainly it means that issues not core to Christianity are elevated to make-or-break issues that are used as standards for measuring the depth of someone's relationship with Christ. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, what matters is that people have been received by God— it is not up to others to determine this. People frequently set up their own standards for determining if people are Christians, but from where do they derive their authority? Dr. Lloyd-Jones also addresses if Paul was contradicting his stance against legalism when he said that he acts certain ways around certain people. Ultimately, this was to keep them from stumbling and as Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, Paul did not see these issues as central doctrines of Christianity. He closes with a charge— Christians are not to reject someone whom God has received, and ultimately, only God can make the call on whether or not this is the case. They are to trust Him with this and simply be obedient. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111
Did the fa-thinkers recognize that human beings natural have moral capacities or dispositions? How did they try to manipulate human nature?
Lisa and I discuss the strength of character and the courage of Jehosheba in II Kings 11. Plus, how long will the American Empire stand? A ministry update, including info on my health and finally, how we all fall prey to legalism.
Struggling with doubt, loss, or questions about God? This honest look at faith explores why belief can feel hard, how pain shapes what we believe, and where lasting joy can be found—even when life doesn't make sense.
From the series "According to Luke"
Legalists smother you in rules and religious duty, in order to make you more "holy" and to be like Jesus. But what they don't know and never tell you is that their rules not only lead right back into spiritual slavery again, but also that they have zero effect on your spiritual progress towards godliness. Dr. Jeff explains in this week's program. Bonus: Jeff answers the question, "What are the 'birth pangs' of the last days?
The Legalists and Confucians still run the show in today's China, argues a scholar of classical Chinese thought — but the Mohists and Daoists still have a voice in the debate.The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to info@chinabooksreview.com.
Paul drops a theological bomb: Jesus plus anything equals nothing—your identity is a son, your family is promise, and your life is freedom. Who you are determines where you belong and how you live, so stand firm in grace and refuse to go back to slavery.
Paul drops a theological bomb: Jesus plus anything equals nothing—your identity is a son, your family is promise, and your life is freedom. Who you are determines where you belong and how you live, so stand firm in grace and refuse to go back to slavery.
Sunday Evening Service - 22.02.26 Passage: Galatians 4:21 - 5:1
“We do not celebrate Christmas that way.” “We do not read those kinds of books.” “We ‘do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.'” We know our world is full of rebellion against God's law. But many people overreact to moral license with a strict imposing of out-of-context or made-up laws. Faithful saints call this legalism, and Christian fantasy fans know plenty about this. When that influencer or relative rebukes your fantastical interest, how you can respond with grace and truth? Mission update New at Lorehaven: reviews of Ruthless and Shadowcast Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Quotes and notes What Is Fiction Legalism?, E. Stephen Burnett Even If We Like Fantasy and Sci-Fi, We Can Still Practice Accidental Legalism, Marian A. Jacobs 50. Do Christians Really Need Fiction? | Fiction's Chief End, part 1, Fantastical Truth podcast 1. Legalism denies the word of God itself. We've heard and experienced many stories of judgy legalists. Some are worse than others. Some comments are snide asides. I heard one author's work dismissed as “not in the real world.” And yes, I've had people challenge Lewis, Tolkien, other stories. Others rail more on social media against metal music or pageants. But don't confuse these false teachers with people they deceive. Your family members may be confused and repeating memes. In either case, work to overcome defensiveness or bad feelings. Your firm foundation: legalism is anti-gospel; the Bible rejects it. So study the word of God. Don't let legalists ruin that for you! Get into the gospel with the epistles, Romans, and other epistles. Focus on texts like Romans 14, 1 Cor. 8-10, and all of Galatians. 2. Legalism denies the good of God's gifts. Moving to legalistic teachers, they often escape to fantasy worlds. They like alternative realities where people don't like/need stories. You can (kindly) hit ’em with that little rejoinder, see how it works. In either case, be sure you study up on God's creative purpose. Start in Genesis and take this text seriously: it's history in poetry! Pay special heed to the “cultural mandate” in Gen. 1:27-28. Any ignorance of this call also overthrow God's call to family. So no one gets to do preaching or “ministry” minimization here! From this text, learned theologians discern that God is and loves three virtues in no particular order: beauty, goodness, and truth. God also loves to give good gifts to evil men and His children. We get this truth directly from texts like Matt. 7:11 and James 1:17. Sin ruin gifts? Not for studying, praying believers (1 Tim. 4:1-5). 3. And legalism denies God's real world. It is not Christianity, but gnosticism, to despise God's creation. Get your eschatology right, after all the charts and controversies. It's simply flawed to suggest we're bound for a bodiless world. Scripture constantly hints, then promises, a renewed planet Earth. Heaven will come down here, rather than replacing all of our world. Let's get the end of Revelation right about New Heavens and New Earth, Christ's eternal and holy kingdom that restores paradise! For Stephen, this doctrine was key to debunking fiction legalism. It helps me avoid the responses of depression or deconstruction. On good days I feel sympathy and love for sincere fiction legalists. With this solid foundation we can “swashbuckle” them with smiles. We can affirm the need for truth and holiness, but show how it is in fact made-up laws, not God's actual word, that forbid good gifts. And we can show how these stories help us grow to be like Jesus. Com station Top question for listeners When did you confront a fiction legalist? How did you respond? tallgrant liked ep. 290 on YouTube: Happy to see this covered, and even happier to get the other half in the Abolition of Man at least touched on! The position Lewis takes about a very small ruling class who make decisions about all of morality for everyone who comes after very much aligns with the ultimate revealed mission of the N.I.C.E. Not to mention the issues being raised about where a potential soul can come from. I find his look at the outworking and consequences of post-modern thought and reasoning really intriguing, considering that this was all put to paper before the conclusion of the second world war and the mass dissemination of those ideas outside the academic world. Next on Fantastical Truth “In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the world disappear.” Jesus returned thirty years ago. Or rather, He sort of pre-returned, the warm-up act, if you will. Many faithful Christians believe in this kind of “rapture.” And in December 1995, two authors teamed up and used this idea to create the most successful biblical end-times thriller we've yet seen. Last summer, we looked back on the Left Behind series legacy. Yet now we'll ask how that first Left Behind novel has aged, thirty years after its release.
What a joy it is to witness lives transformed by Christ, as we saw in last week's baptisms. There's nothing quite like seeing someone profess faith and begin a new journey with Jesus. But as we walk this gospel-centered life, we must be aware of the saboteurs that threaten our faith. Often, we look outward—at the world, the flesh, or the devil—but the greatest saboteur is often the person staring back at us in the mirror. We sabotage our own faith when we add anything to Christ, rely on our religious resume, or allow our past to define us.Paul's words in Philippians 3 challenge us to examine what we truly value. He counted all his achievements, heritage, and religious credentials as garbage compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ. The language he uses is intentionally strong—everything else is not just less important, but utterly worthless, like refuse, when compared to Jesus. This is a call to radical reorientation: to let go of anything we think commends us to God, and to cling to Christ alone.There are those who would try to add requirements to the gospel—Christ plus baptism, Christ plus tongues, Christ plus church attendance or giving. Paul calls these “dogs,” not as a term of endearment, but as a warning against those who would mutilate the gospel and burden believers with legalism. Salvation is not Christ plus anything; it is Christ alone. Even our best efforts, our spiritual resumes, and our good deeds cannot earn us favor with God. They are, as Isaiah says, like filthy rags.But perhaps you don't struggle with legalism or spiritual pride. Maybe your saboteur is your past—shame, regret, or a sense of unworthiness. Paul, who persecuted the church and carried deep scars from his past, reminds us that God's love is greater than our failures. The call is to forget what is behind and press on toward what lies ahead, knowing that our citizenship is in heaven, secured by Christ alone. Our past is not a barrier; it is garbage, discarded in light of the resurrection power of Jesus.In the end, our only passport to heaven is Jesus. Everything else—our achievements, our failures, our attempts to add to the gospel—is worthless. Let go of the garbage, and hold fast to Christ, who alone is of infinite value.Youtube Chapters[00:00] - Welcome[01:07] - Celebrating Baptisms and New Life[01:57] - The Saboteurs of Faith: An Introduction[03:26] - A Story of Sabotaged Projects[06:16] - Who Really Sabotages Our Faith?[07:06] - The Parable of the Soils: The Role of the Heart[09:17] - What Do We Value? Paul's Radical Reassessment[13:36] - Christ Plus Anything: The Danger of Legalism[16:21] - The Story of Philippi: Paul's Deep Connection[21:11] - Watch Out for the “Dogs”: False Teachers and Legalists[32:02] - The Trap of Our Religious Resume[40:16] - The Futility of Good Deeds Without Christ[44:10] - The Problem of Our Past[50:14] - Two Sides of Pride[51:33] - Our True Citizenship: Home is Where Jesus Is[54:32] - The Infinite Value of Christ Alone[55:06] - Closing Prayer and InvitationBeyond Sunday Devotional: https://eaglesview.church/devotionalSunday Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49509872
Send us a textThis podcast is a continuation of Paul's plea for the Galatians to choose grace over law. The Judaizers had mesmerized them to believe they were spaces to the law. Paul tells them they are sons of God and uses the Old Testament to convince them. Listen to hear Paul's defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ Support the show
These messages are from Ocean City Baptist Church in Ocean City, NJ. Visit oceancitybaptist.org for more information.
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words repent, repenting, and repentance? When someone from ChurchLand says people need to repent, they are usually communicating that the person who sins needs to stop sinning. But the messenger stating this hasn't stopped ... in spite of whatever sin reduction they may boast. So where does that leave them if God requires humans to stop committing sinful actions? Of course, a change in behavior and avoiding sin is going to be beneficial in multiple ways. But repentance goes much deeper than that. New Covenant repentance simply means to have a change of mind or to think differently (than we previously thought). In addition, we who have crossed over from legalistic mindsets into a better understanding of the gospel of grace may have a hard time changing our minds about various doctrinal beliefs about the Bible or what it contains. Sure, it was easy to declare we moved from works to faith and from religious law to grace. But when we've been teaching or proclaiming things for a while under the banner of "grace people," it's easier for some to double-down rather than to allow God's Spirit to reveal new perspectives that we previously missed. We'll never stop learning ... and it will free us from feeling the need to be right all the time. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
If you've never fit in with the legalists you'll love this podcast. Enjoy and share. What do you think about the episode? Comment below or email us: http://waw.fm/hello
Pharisees were recognized by their phylacteries. Levites were recognized by their garments. John's disciples were recognized by their baptism. Stoics were recognized by their ascetic lifestyle. Legalists are recognized by what they do not do. What is a Christian to be recognized by? Join us for this episode of Wisdom from Above as Jesus reveals the badge of discipleship.
Historically Thinking: Conversations about historical knowledge and how we achieve it
While Islam has often been characterized as unitary and unchanging, by both Muslims and Westerners for their own particular reasons, that has never been the case–and today's world is no exception. Legalists and mystics debate, and radical groups exist at the same time as Muslim feminists who advocate new interpretations of the Koran. This is the core argument of my guest John Tolan's new book Islam: A New History, from Muhammad to the Present. Ranging from new historical research on the first decades of the origins of the Muslim faith, he moves across centuries and millennia capturing the diversity and debate which characterized the history of the youngest of the three great monotheistic religions. Its diversity was fueled not just by religious debate, but by the great cultures which it assimilated, engaged, or had continual contact over the vast territory across which it spread. John Tolan is professor emeritus of history at the University of Nantes. His books include England's Jews, Faces of Muhammad, Saint Francis and the Sultan, and Saracens.
CCLI Streaming License CSPL069208
CCLI Streaming License CSPL069208
Today, Pastor Dion will challenge you to continue in God's grace and not allow legalism to creep into your walk with the Lord. Legalists believe in and demand strict literal adherence to rules and regulations in order to earn salvation. Doctrinally, it's a position that's opposed to grace. Those who hold a legalistic position often fail to see the real purpose of the law, especially the purpose of the Old Testament law of Moses, which is to be our “schoolmaster” or “tutor” to bring us to Christ.
Because man-centered "show" religion is hypocritical and powerless to save, our only hope and our only boast must be in the finished work of Jesus on the crossI. Paul's Passionate Warning to his friends in Galatia v 11II. Paul warns them to Watch Out for the Empty, "Show Religion" of the Legalists vv 12-13 (1) This kind of religion is all for show (2) This kind of "show religion" is motivated by a desire to avoid persecution (3) This kind of "show religion" leads to boasting in self, and yet brings no change of heart III. The Christian's Only Boast and Only Hope is in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross! v 14 (1) The cross is the only thing worth boasting about for the Christian! (2) The Cross has changed everything, bringing new life in union with Christ!
Legalism is a systematic process of defending self, explaining self, exalting self, and justifying self. Legalists are obsessed with self,...
If anything, the religious rulers of Jesus' day were Antinomians, not Legalists. They did not “stretch” the Law of God, they “shrunk” it.
A new MP3 sermon from Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: 670: Sneaky Legalists: Beware! Subtitle: Logan's Devotions Speaker: Logan Hagoort Broadcaster: Covenant Presbyterian Church Event: Devotional Date: 8/27/2024 Bible: Galatians 2:3-5 Length: 9 min.
Everyone knows that Shang Yang reformed the laws and institutions of the State of Qin, setting it up for superpower status and paving the way to the Qin Dynasty. But a number of earlier reformers prefigured Shang Yang. Here are two of them.Support the Show.
Early Chinese philosophers were deeply aware of a world that is constantly changing: we look at how Confucians, Legalists, and Daoists responded to this challenge.
Hey there! Welcome to another super awesome episode of the Unrefined Podcast! Today, your hosts Brandon with guest Tim Holloway are diving deep into the wild world of legalism in Christianity. Get ready for some personal stories, mind-blowing insights, and a whole lot of fun! So, legalism, huh? It's like this crazy mindset where people think they're all high and mighty because they follow every single rule in the book. But guess what? Legalism can actually hinder our understanding of what it means to be holy and have a real relationship with God. Brandon and Tim share their own experiences with legalism, and let me tell you, it's a rollercoaster ride. They talk about how legalism can make us feel superior to others, like we're the holiest of holies. But here's the thing - that's not what it's all about. It's about embracing God's grace, which sets us free from this performance-oriented mindset. Oh, and let's not forget about religiosity! Legalism and pursuing good works are totally different things. Legalism is all about following rules for the sake of following rules, while pursuing good works is about genuinely wanting to make a positive impact in the world. It's like the difference between eating broccoli because you have to and eating ice cream because it's delicious. You feel me? But wait, there's more! Brandon and Tim also talk about the importance of getting up close and personal with God. It's not just about following a bunch of religious rituals - it's about building a deep, meaningful relationship with our Father. It's like having a best friend who's always got your back, except this friend is the creator of the universe. Pretty cool, right? To wrap things up, our hosts discuss the importance of putting our faith into action and breaking free from the chains of legalism. It's all about living out our beliefs and making a real difference in the world. So, let's ditch legalism and embrace a faith that's all about love, grace, and being the best versions of ourselves. Thanks for tuning in to this totally rad episode! Stay awesome, my friends! Tim FB- https://www.facebook.com/tim.theimpactchallengesBand of Brothers Group- https://bit.ly/BofBgrouphttps://unrefinedpodcast.comTimestamps:The roller coaster of legalism (00:00:07) Discussion about personal experiences with legalism and the constant struggle of trying to meet the standards set by legalistic beliefs.Introduction to the topic of legalism (00:01:17) Brandon introduces the topic of legalism, its prevalence in the body of Christ, and its reaction to grace teaching.Different perspectives on sin and holiness (00:04:38) Exploration of the different views on sin and holiness, including the redefinition of sin in order to maintain a standard of holiness and the concept of sin consciousness in legalistic beliefs.Legalism and its Detrimental Effects (00:11:26) The speakers discuss the meaning of legalism and how it can be detrimental, leading to captivity and being bound to something other than God. They also touch on the subtle manipulation that can occur in religiosity.The Pharisees and the Performance Orientation of Legalism (00:13:31) The conversation focuses on the religious people that Jesus encountered, who created rules that emphasized outward appearance rather than the ones that truly mattered. They highlight the hypocrisy of focusing on minor rules while neglecting important aspects of faith.Differentiating Legalism from Good Works (00:20:25) The speakers differentiate legalism from the pursuit of good works through discipline. They explain the importance of grace and faith as the foundation for producing good fruit in one's life, rather than relying on works to earn God's favor.The image of pushing the cart with the horse behind (00:22:17) Brandon discusses the expectation he had of living a merit-based life and the need to divorce ourselves from that mindset.The importance of spiritual disciplines (00:23:13) Brandon explains how spiritual disciplines are essential for allowing Jesus to live the Christian life through us.The difference between standing in power and legalism (00:24:07) Tim discusses the mindset of legalism and how it leads to a sense of not measuring up and deserving punishment. He contrasts this with the truth of who we are in Christ.The Intimacy with God (00:32:45) Discussion on the importance of pursuing intimacy with God and how it naturally leads to holiness and transformation in our lives.Prescription for Getting Out of Legalism (00:34:59) Brandon asks Tim for advice on how to transition from legalism to relational grace, and Tim shares steps such as relying on God's grace instead of trying to earn salvation.Faith Righteousness vs. Works Righteousness (00:38:44) Exploration of the difference between walking in faith righteousness and works righteousness, and the importance of understanding God's righteousness apart from merit.The legalists claim (00:43:13) Legalists claim to follow the book, but they don't model Jesus Christ's ministry and mentorship.The cycle of trying (00:44:17) The cycle of trying to earn what God wants leads to a rat race and an expectation of meeting certain standards.False humility as pride (00:50:14) Disregarding what God says about our identity and calling it humility is actually pride.The power of allegiance (00:54:14) Discussion on the importance of allegiance in faith and the willingness to die for one's beliefs.Faith in action (00:55:08) Exploration of how allegiance leads to obedience and the active expression of faith.Reigning in life (00:55:22) Encouragement to receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness to experience a royal identity and all that God has available.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4656375/advertisement
A new MP3 sermon from Redeemer Bible Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Why Legalists Hate Jesus Speaker: Pastor Jon Benzinger Broadcaster: Redeemer Bible Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 11/12/2023 Bible: John 7:19-24 Length: 41 min.
Thirst | John 7:19-24 | Jon Benzinger
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Christ's righteousness is the sole ground of our acceptance into God's favor, but our new life of holiness is necessary to demonstrate that we are truly in him.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3279340/advertisement
Christ's righteousness is the sole ground of our acceptance into God's favor, but our new life of holiness is necessary to demonstrate that we are truly in him.
Cigar lovers will LOVE this podcast. Legalists, on the other hand, will hate it. Enjoy and share with your cigar-loving friends. What do you think about the episode? Comment below or email us: http://waw.fm/hello
One of the dangers of legalism is that a person is spiritually dead, but they don't know it, perhaps the church around them doesn't know it, and it wreaks havoc on everyone. Why wouldn't they know it? Because the headstone has been removed (Legalists don't hold to the truth of scripture about the life that is from above). Join us for a sermon from Luke 11:44.
In this episode Piper continues to share a few questions that often arise for Christians and provides some help with answers. Questions like, are Christian always legalists, are they all just Pharisees, and more. Ready to join The Rebellion? Become a patreon member and enjoy some great extras while supporting our efforts to speak the Truth into our culture. Learn more at patreon.com/dreverettpiper. Find more resources and info at dreverettpiper.com
Some critics accuse Apostolic Pentecostals of being "legalistic" because of our insistence on water baptism in Jesus' name and our pursuit of personal holiness. Is this accusation warranted? UPCI General Superintendent Dr. David K. Bernard responds to this charge with a defense of Apostolic Pentecostal teachings on both salvation and holiness.For further study, see Dr. Bernard's book Practical Holiness: A Second Look, available at PentecostalPublishing.com.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.
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Antifa is back, with their determination to burn the world away and replace it with their Millennium, their utopia. Their Anarchism, as the Legalism of other Leftists, has and can never produce anything other than pain. These ideas of eliminating the rule of law or of legislating away our human frailties is their justification for killing, burning, and destroying. They can be stopped. Each of us should take part in doing so.Would you like to share your thoughts with Ralph? Please email your comments to hello@idahospeaks.com or post your comments on @IdahoSpeaks on Twitter.Idaho Speaks is a listener supported production. Please visit idahospeaks.com/support to learn more.Do you have something so say? Interested in learning more about publishing on the Idaho Speaks Network? Our nation was built on ideas and your idea could be the next political advancement for Idaho. Call Ed at (208) 209-7170 or email hello@idahospeaks.com to start the conversation.
Creekside Bible Church Podcast
Romans 14:1-4 — What really is legalism? In this sermon on Romans 14:1–4 titled “God Has Received Him,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles this important subject by asking what it is, how it can be fought, and the consequences that it carries within the church. Legalism is what happens when people take principles in Scripture, interpret them wrongly, and make them absolute rules that everyone is required to follow. Legalists tend to make indifferent things central. Mainly it means that issues not core to Christianity are elevated to make-or-break issues that are used as standards for measuring the depth of someone's relationship with Christ. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, what matters is that people have been received by God— it is not up to others to determine this. People frequently set up their own standards for determining if people are Christians, but from where do they derive their authority? Dr. Lloyd-Jones also addresses if Paul was contradicting his stance against legalism when he said that he acts certain ways around certain people. Ultimately, this was to keep them from stumbling and as Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, Paul did not see these issues as central doctrines of Christianity. He closes with a charge— Christians are not to reject someone whom God has received, and ultimately, only God can make the call on whether or not this is the case. They are to trust Him with this and simply be obedient.
Legalists make rules to try to get people to act righteously, thinking that it is good to create more and more rules that restrict human behavior. This session shows Jesus angry response to the leaders who make religious rules that make people's lives more difficult. Jesus has little patience for fundamentalists who “tie up heavy loads and lay them on men's shoulders.” This session also has Jesus angrily forcing the Pharisees to deal with Him, thereby choosing the time that He will die. Support the show
In the last episode we saw that the Apostle Paul had introduced the believers in Galatia to the concept of freedom in Christ. Paul knew once he had introduced this idea the legalists would show up in force, and they did! Legalists came to Galatia to challenge this concept, and when Paul journeyed to Jerusalem they showed up again.Anytime freedom in Christ is championed, whether it be now or then, legalists will always voice an abjection. However, the Apostle Paul was ready for the legalists. When Paul left Antioch for Jerusalem he brought with them what Pastor Harris calls a secret weapon. And he brought the secret weapon to the private meeting with the Jerusalem church. The apostle would need this secret weapon because the word of the meeting had leaked out to the Pharisee Christians in Jerusalem and they immediately crashed the meeting.The secret weapon that Paul had brought was actually a young believer named Titus, and this man Titus had never been circumcised. In other words he was a full blown gentile, meaning that his body bore no external sign of righteous standing with God. This young man was special. He enjoyed such a deep intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that everyone at this meeting could see Christ in him. Especially when he was compared to those narrow minded legalists who suddenly burst into the meeting room.Oddly enough, there is no record that Titus ever spoke a word in that meeting. Apparently he just sat there dead to himself and alive in Christ and preached a silent sermon of Grace.Those in the room could see that this Christian faith is based on a relationship with the living Christ, not rules, it always had, and it always will, and Titus was living evidence of that relationship. And he did this without him ever having obeyed a single rule, Jesus had come to dwell in his heart and every apostle there could see it. He was living proof that salvation is based upon faith, and faith alone. In fact salvation has always involved Jesus plus nothing, and is not Jesus plus the law.It had better not ever be Jesus plus the law because none of us can keep that law. We have fallen to a sinful nature and that nature will not allow us to keep that law. The only human being that had ever been able to keep that law was Jesus Christ and he kept it perfectly.In this message Pastor Harris will examine the concept of the law and will examine why we cannot keep it and why struggling to keep the law will never save us.
The High Cost of Legalism: Many Christians insist on putting themselves under the Law. Bob shows us the devastating consequences that often follow when they don't choose to live in God's grace. Today's Resource: Gospel of Mark Bible Study DVD set or HD Video Download. We Christians might assume that the Lord's favorite title for Himself, being God the Son, would be, the Son of God. Indeed, the Gospel of Mark begins by identifying Jesus in that way. However, five times more frequently, Mark uses Jesus own favorite title for Himself, the Son of Man. Throughout all of eternity past, He had always been the Son of God. However, to become the Son of Man, He would need to lower Himself. Indeed, the Lord lowered Himself in so many ways, as He would need to do even to have the evangelist Mark write this amazing account of His life, death and resurrection. * Lying and Legalism: This seems like as good a place as any to list the places in the Bible where, with God's approval, the righteous lied to the wicked. In the process, they received God's blessing. This is a legalism issue. Legalists tend to struggle with the Lord's teaching that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man. Thus, even though God prohibited Israel from doing work on the Sabbath, because of the nature of the Sabbath law, of course there would be exceptions. For example, even though the prohibition extended even to the gathering of sticks, if an Israelite came upon a child freezing in the wilderness, if lighting a fire to save the boy required the man to pick up sticks, of course he should do so even if it were the Sabbath. The actual sin against God would be in letting the child die to avoid working on Saturday. Using actual historical examples, legalistic Christians get confused about the morality of lying to a German Gestapo agent who asked whether or not you were hiding Jews. Lying to the wicked to save the innocent does not violate God's prohibition against bearing false witness against your neighbor. As a general rule, of course, it is a sin to tell countless kinds of lies. But there are plenty of examples in the Bible of God's servants, and even of God Himself, deceiving the wicked by lying to them. For example, when the Syrian army came to arrest Elisha, by the power of God the prophet blinded them and told them that they had arrived at the wrong house, and that he would lead them to the man they were searching for, yet instead, he led them into a trap, at which time at the request of Elisha God restored their sight, and then they saw that they had been deceived. The Hebrew midwives not only disobeyed the government's command that they kill the male infants, but they also lied to the king, and God blessed them by giving them children of their own. Rahab lied to the government to protect the Jews who were hiding nearby, and God then included her in the geneaology of Jesus Christ. God deceives the wicked in the Scriptures, and instructs His people on how to decieve them, for example, by laying a trap in the ambush of Ai. In World War II the allies created a fake cardboard army to deceive the Germans regarding the location of the invasion at Normandy. Praise God! * Biblical Civil Disobedience: Half of those listed in Hebrews Hall of Faith were arrested for disobeying the government, and the New Testament tells us that, "We must obey God rather than men." For a discussion of the scriptural material on this, and how it justifies those who lied to and even disobeyed the governing authorities, like Rahab, Corrie Ten Boom, the Hebrew midwives, etc., listen to Bob's God's Criminal Justice System seminar! * Brady Campaign Marching in the Memorial Day Parade: Come on out and march in the Memorial Day Parade with Bob & the Brady Campaign! If you are in Colorado, then Bob invites you to march with us on Monday, and it's only about a mile. So come on out! See more at ColoradoRTL.org... UPDATE: Brady's mom Heather and grandmother Terri carried the a huge banner to lead the way! We had about 50 people marching in campaign t-shirts, and we handed out thousands of Brady post cards to introduce the Brady Amendment 67 to the crowds lining the parade route! Post-show note: If you stay alert, you'll notice that Christians who have bad theology will tend to put Old Testament Israel under grace, and New Testament believers under law. Ironic!
On this episode of the podcast Chris and Jesse discuss Legalism Legalism in the Christian Theology is best said by American Scholar Thomas R. Schreiner who says “Legalism exists when people attempt to secure righteousness in God's sight by good works. Legalists believe that they can earn or merit God's approval by performing the requirements of the law,” From Chrisitanity.com - A legalist believes that their good works and obedience to God affects their salvation. Legalism focuses on God's laws more than relationship with God. It keeps external laws without a truly submitted heart. And legalism adds human rules to divine laws and treats them as divine. Find out more on this episode