Q: “What exactly is ‘Legalism’? I have been told if I go by the teaching of the Bible, instead of ‘moving in the Spirit’, I am a legalist, and legalism is wrong. If I quote Bible verses like ‘come out from among them, and be ye separate’ (11 Cor.6:17), I am told I am being legalistic, because people say I go by the ‘letter of the law’, not the Spirit. It this true?”

A: “Legalism is NOT reading and obeying the Bible, and sticking strictly to the teaching of God’s Word! This nonsense is an evil heresy of these Last Days. GOD has told us to obey His Word, and we are sinfully foolish if we do not do so. The Holy Scriptures have been ‘out-breathed’ by the very Holy Spirit which these heretics think they are following (11 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus Christ has told us that we are to ‘keep’ His ‘words’ and His ‘sayings’ - all of these are found only in the Scriptures (John 14:23-24). “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Q..What is legalism then?

A..Legalism is either working for our own salvation, or working for our own sanctification. Legalism is WORKS instead of GRACE. A legalist is one who imagines that if we do this or that, put on certain outward acts of piety, go to church regularly, try to please God in our own strength - then we are accepted of God, and godly people. A legalist does not understand that we are all fallen, and have sinful natures, and that the only answer to ungodliness is the exchanged Life of Christ. One can be saved by Grace, yet seek to live the Christian life by works! Note that God says “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Pointing us to holiness in Himself as a source of a holy life. (1 Peter 1:16).

A pastor or minister can be a legalistic preacher if he is authoritarian in his own right. Marks of this are rules and regulations delivered in a lordly manner, no room given for the individual’s conviction on certain matters as given by the Holy Spirit Himself. This is often to do with external things, such as: women must not wear make-up, jewellery, slacks or shorts; men must not drink even a glass of wine, or work in the garden on Sundays; people must not go to the theatre, films, or watch television; the only book one is allowed to read is the Bible or recommended books from the pastor or minister etc.

The problems with legalism are many. Legalistic pastors take the place of the Holy Spirit, they deny the spiritual right of every man having direct access to God and His Word, with only one Mediator, Jesus Christ. The power over other believers is a nasty trap, as the legalistic pastor or teacher becomes a law unto themselves. HIS/HER laws are paramount, the Living God and a relationship to Him is interfered with, the pastor becomes a “god”. The most serious problem is that adopting certain external acts does not make anyone holy. To be taught this leads only to self-righteousness, pride in ones’ own “righteousness”, and a “holier than thou” attitude.

The need is not outward rules, it is inward change into the image of Jesus Christ, through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Teaching on righteousness by grace, through faith, revealing Christ Jesus in all His glory, as the One who will live HIS life out through the believer, this is what is needed, not external rules (Gal.6:15; 1 Cor.1:30-31; Romans 8:29). Simple living in the Presence of the omnipresent Lord, obeying Him in a living, vibrant way, can alone bring abundant life in God. The pastor or teacher who encourages Christians to have a daily devotional time with the Lord, helps them to know the Scriptures, and teaches a Christ-centred message is the one who will bring people to holiness of life. The Holy Spirit will convict people about what they should wear and do - and this may not be exactly what the pastor does. We do not need legalistic priest-like leaders, we need Godly, humble leaders who let God be God in other people’s lives. A Christian may never smoke, drink, wear make-up, watch television etc, but be a hard, cold, unapproachable person who is too harsh to love and comfort any sad sinner. We all need exchanged lives, to be filled with the Life of Christ afresh every day - then and only then will we have the beautiful fruit of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.13; Col.2:2-3; 20-23; 3:1-10; Gal.5:13-16; 5:22-25). “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (11 Cor.3:17-18).

Q. “Liberal “Christian” churches often want to dispense with the doctrines of Christ Jesus shedding His Blood for the sin of the world. They call it ‘slaughter house’ religion. Why did Christ have to shed His Blood, and how come He had to die before God could forgive anyone’s sin? I believe this, but why, wasn’t there some other way?”

A. “The church-goers of today often stress God’s “love” without recognising His Holiness and Wrath at all! The sin of man is not a mere trivial thing, which can be passed over by a Holy God without any justice or purity entering into the equation. At the Melbourne conference of the WCRP (shown this issue) a speaker enthused on the ‘beautiful’ words in the ‘holy books’ of the world. ‘All holy books have lovely words, beautiful words’ he said. But, the Bible not only has “beautiful” words, it has shocking, horrifying, fearful words - because it is the Truth.

God’s revealed Scriptures in the Bible tell us these shocking wondrous, stupendous words:

1. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” and “the wages of sin is death” (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23). God is Sovereign in His world, He has ordained that death both physical and spiritual would be the result of a soul sinning. God is just, not a cruel despot - sin is so awful that eternal punishment is the only possible penalty.

2. God Almighty has pronounced that the sinner’s penalty can be borne by a perfect, sinless substitute. The Old Testament sacrifices were a shadow of the death of that perfect One, the Lamb of God, who was to come. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

3. The One great Sacrifice came in due time, in God’s eternal time-slot - “...the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The just, loving, Holy God, paid the penalty in the death of His Son, so that we might be saved. This death satisfied every requirement of Divine justice, there is nothing to be added to pay the penalty for sin.

4. The BLOOD of Christ is at once ghastly, horrifying, glorious, and the contemplation of that Blood fills the heart with worship! His shed Blood is the only way that the debt to the Law of God could be paid “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Gal.3:13). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “...the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).

5. Did Jesus Christ go to the Cross as an unwilling, protesting Son, who was sacrificed up by a cruel Father? This is what some “ministers” of religion say today. No, Jesus Christ willing gave His life for you and me, for the sheer joy of paying the price to save this world of lost sinners: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).

6. There was no other way to save us, but by the shed Blood of Christ. Justice demanded the Blood; Love gave the Blood; God ordained the shed Blood, it was not an optional extra; forgiveness is able to be offered to us through the Blood; cleansing is available through the Blood, for the greatest of sinners; we can come to the arms of the Father through the Blood; and will share the glory of the Lamb who was slain, through our reliance on the Blood of the Lamb. Eternity thrills with the anthem:

“...Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing... be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:12-13)

Q: “My neighbours are unbelievers, and they say that the Bible contradicts itself, so they cannot believe it, it is not the Truth at all, they say. Help me to answer them please. Some of the supposed contradictions they list are as follows:

1. The Bible says that the work of Creation was completed in one day, and then it says it was created in six days. (Gen.2:2 & 2:4).

2. The Bible says that no man has seen God (John 1:18) and then it says that “They saw the God of Israel.” (Exodus 24:10).

3. Judgement of others is forbidden in the Bible, and it is also commanded by God that we should judge. (Matt.7:1; 1 Cor.5:12-13).

4. The earth “abideth for ever” (Ecc. 1:4) and yet the Bible also says it is going to be “burnt up” or destroyed (II Peter 3:10).

5. The Bible says that people are “justified by faith” and not by works, and then it says they are “justified by works” - James and Paul contradict one another. (James 2:24 and Romans 3:28).

A...NOT contradictions!

1. The Bible does not contradict itself about how long the work of Creation took. The verse which is misunderstood is Gen.2:4. In Isaiah 2:12, Isaiah says, “The day of the Lord of hosts....” This reference indicates a period of time, not just a specific day. There are lots of similar uses of the word “day” in the Bible - the Day of the Lord as an example, which means a whole period of God’s dealings. (See also Isaiah 13:9). The Scripture tells us clearly that God took six days to create, not just one specific day. (Gen.2:2).

2. The Bible does not contradict itself about man seeing God and man not seeing God. The God of Israel in Exodus 24:10 was seen by Moses and Aaron, this was the Lord Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate appearance - a Theophany. This was a Divine person seen, but the Triune God “no man hath seen.” The Lord Jesus Christ “hath declared him”, both in the Old Testament and the New.

3. Judgement as such is not just casually pictured as both forbidden and commanded in the Bible. There are reasons why, and a proper setting in the verses. For an individual, who is filled with error and sin himself, to judge another, is to seek to take a splinter out of the eye of a brother or sister, when he has a beam in his own eye. This is seen in Romans 2:1, “... doest the same things...” But, the act of judgement is given to the Church assembly by the Lord in a most solemn, worthy way. The Church has neglected this solemn responsibility today, in many ways. Even foolishly using such passages as Matt.7:1 to justify such neglect. The presence of evil in action and doctrine within a church group is like leaven in the lump, and soon infects the whole fellowship. If the offender refuses to repent, and poses a threat to the purity of the fellowship, he/she should be judged and expelled, with great humility, with love, concern and prayer for restoration of the offender.

4. There is no contradiction in the earth abiding or being destroyed. The earth will not be utterly destroyed, or burned up, the Bible makes it clear that it will be preserved, even though it has been thoroughly purged by fire - after human history has run its full course. This purging or burning is only to allow the earth to be renewed (Rev.21:1). There will be a purifying fire that will cleanse the exterior surface of the planet, and all the results of sin, and sin itself, will be removed forever. The earth will indeed “abide” or reImages.

5. The two Apostles dealt with justification from two different viewpoints, Paul from the viewpoint of justification in the eyes of God, and James justification in the sight of men. One is man and his relationship with God, and the other is man and his relationship with man. God knows the depths of sin in man, and thus justifies anyone only because of faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. Man can look at those professing “faith” and see only hypocrisy, thus it is essential that the saved one “justify” his faith in the eyes of humanity by living an obedient life. We can have no works before salvation which will gain us favour with God, but after salvation we must yield to the Saviour to give righteousness of life that proves we are saved by faith, in the eyes of unsaved people around us.
 
 

Wendy Howard...editor of Despatch

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