Legalism is all about rule-following, especially in a religious sense. The undertone of the idea is, the more rules you can follow, and the harder it is to follow them, the better "Christian" you are, and the more "religious" you are (well, I can't argue that last one, actually, but just being "religious" is never a good thing).
But think about this: Christianity as a whole, the entire concept of being a Jesus-follower, is based on the Bible.
Here's a direct quote from the Bible, from the Man we all claim to follow religiously: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
Now, although a lot of people (including Christians) seem to think that Christians aren't supposed to use their brains, I assure you I've thought a lot about this. I've turned that statement on its head, inside out, and run it backwards... and you know what I've figured out?
That the converse of it is also true: If a certain belief or opinion isn't setting you free, then guess what?
It ain't the truth!
Jesus wants His people to enjoy the freedoms that He died to give us: freedom from sin, freedom from bondage to anything or anyone but Him (and he has even told us that the "burden" of following Him is easy, and the "yoke" he puts on us is light), freedom from being bound by the letter of the law. He even tells us not to allow ourselves to be bound up by the laws of others (government excepted)!
So can someone tell me WHY some people consider it their bounden duty to try and make other people follow their personal convictions as if they were laws? We're not bound to follow man-made rules--we're meant to follow Jesus alone.
To do anything else is unscriptural... just as unscriptural as their trying to impose their rules on us in the first place.
6 comments:
Interesting thoughts. I'll have to chew on that for a while.
I absolutely agree that personal convictions are that alone, especially if unsolicited, but given that we're to offer correction to one another as a part of the Body, I'm not certain that we don't have an obligation to help one another in our walks. Allowing a friend to continue in something that isn't freedom at all isn't being a very good friend at all. I think there's a healthy way to correct/teach and an unhealthy way (and all too often it's done in an unhealthy way outside of the context of a relationship), but I don't think we owe one another to seek out that relationship so that we have an opportunity to practice iron sharpening iron.
~Alise
I completely agree that a good friend doesn't allow another friend to continue in bondage... but I'm talking here about those who do not have a particular freedom that I enjoy, and who try to "convict" me that it's just as wrong for me as it is for them. Eating pork is a great example, since someone close to me has recently been trying to convince me that Christians owe it to God to do their best to follow the OT Law, to show him how much they love him. Now, Jesus summed up the entire OT Law into two commands, so my view -- even after prayer -- is that if I'm loving God and loving my neighbor with all that I have, it doesn't matter whether I eat pork or not. Another example: I've had plenty of other women try to convince me that wearing trousers is a sin, or not wearing headcoverings is a sin, or even wearing sleeveless shirts is a sin. If they do not have those freedoms themselves, fine -- but they are sinning against me by trying to enslave me to their convictions.
Okay, I see what you're saying and I agree with you.
I think friends (relationship seems to be the ultimate key to me in ANY kind of correction offered) may be able to share their own convictions with you as a means of offering their own ways they have grown closer to the Lord, but when it turns into nagging and law-making, then it's definitely legalism. The difficult thing to discern, especially in a new relationship, is if a person's heart is to lead to freedom or bondage and I think the only way one can really have that prove out is to see if they can respect boundaries.
yeah, i don't think what's being rejected here is actual, scriptural commandments and teaching (we all have to follow that)...but the nit-picky things that people use to make themselves feel 'safe' (ie holy), that God never mentions at all...
I hate it when people are pickier than God.lol
I know this isn't necessarily a "fun" blog, so to speak, but you've been tagged for this: http://bigmama247.blogspot.com/2007/06/8-things.html
A serious list would certainly be interesting!
Hello! You're "Voveo" in another life, is that right? In that case, I'm going to jump in the deep end and reveal myself. Mostlysmiling. Nice to meet you. :-)
About this post. I completely agree with you!
My mother spends most of her time making up and following new rules for herself, from obscure little pieces of scripture taken out of context. For example, sugar is a drug which destroys the temple of the holy spirit. No book should be read other than the bible (or non-fiction books about the bible / biographies of what she deems to be godly people).
I also know a man who does the same type of thing, to the extent of always wearing only white clothing, refusing to cut his beard, and wearing a band around his head and wrist with hebrew writing on it.
When I look at them, their legalism jumps out at me, and it makes me want to cry with all that is within me "Jesus came to set you FREE!" And yet, I hold my tongue unless I have something constructive to say, or if they tell/ask me something that requires a response.
Just as they have the right to bind themselves up, I have the right to be free. As does anybody else. It's not fair for me to impose my freedoms on them, or vice-versa, since we are all just doing what we feel God would have us do. He can do the judging. Romans 14:1-5 helped me a lot to understand the importance of that.
Congrats on a fantastic blog!
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