Untitled Sermon (2)

Legalism

Introduction

Conversation with Pastor Steve

Conversation about legalism

Expressions of legalism in sermon

Some months ago, I heard Pastor Steve in the context of exhortation or instruction use the expression: "not to sound legalistic", or to "fall into legalism", or give cause for an accusation of legalism. I expressed that I had written some thoughts on the subject and talked about the opportunity of preaching about the subject sometime.

Use of the term legalism

I myself at different times have heard christians use that label of legalism: one occasion I heard someone say: No, lets not invite that preacher because he is legalistic or he is a legalist. Occasionally I myself or my family have heard such criticism.

The Way the term is used

Know I must confess, that the times when I've heard that the people using it seem to use it more as a reaction, rather than as a carefully analized thought. OFTEN I get a sense, that whenever people express an opinion of some conviction of abstention they may have which happens to step on a liberty that the other person indulged on, the comes out flying the term, legalism. At other times I see the term properly used use to describe an inappropriate use of the law or commandments in the Christians life.

Definition of legalism difficult

Is really not easy to provide a good definition of philosophy of legalism, particularly, because no matter what version you choose, if you run a search with parallel bibles you will not come out with the term legalistic or legalism in the Bible

The importance of this subject

Relation between law and grace/justification sanctification

Now it is important to talk about this topic, since this deals with an underlying subject or the relation of law and grace | Faith and works which has been alive pretty much in every epoch of Church history, and has occasioned spirited debates.

justification sanctification

It is in turn is a crucial subject in order to understand correctly the two foundational doctrines that is justification: how are we saved. and sanctification: how do we develop spiritually

The distortions of justification and sanctification

Justification sanctification/sanctification justification

Now, to make things easier from the start. Most of the distortions or unbalances of these two doctrines occur when either Justification is absorbed into sanctification, and viceversa when sanctification is absorbed into justification.

Justification into sanctification: gradual justification

When justification is absorbed into sanctification, we have an individual that is justified progressively not instantaneously. To the extent that he sanctifies himself, to the extent that he obeys the commandments he is gradually justified, he is gradually made right before God.

Origin of term: legalism

This kind of approach by the way is apparently the theological origin of the term legalism. Edward Fisher, theologian of the puritan era, in his The Marrow of Modern Divinity, 1645. Speaks of: “one who bringeth the Law into the case of Justification”.

Sanctification into justification:instantaneous sanctification

WHen on the other hand sanctification is absorbed into justification, it means that at the moment that I am justified, pronounced righteous, then I am also sanctified by that pronouncement, and therefore there is really no need for me to make an effort to grow, to concern myself with maturing: It's done!!! My daily, practical walk has no relevance in regard to my standing with Christ

Teachers: modern grace/Hypergrace

The most extreme of the cases of this distortion are what are called teachers of the modern grace movement, or hyper-grace like John Crowder who believe that the reformers like Luther, were not reformed enough. In the sense that the cross united us to Christ not only positionally but effectively, by not only covering our sins, but also eradicating sinfulness from us

Clash zone: two motivations

Now, most evangelical christians don't fall into this extreme, and they fall in what I call, the "Crash zone" of two motivations. On the one hand Christians who truly are zelous to filter the grace of God from all particles of merit and thus fight legalism. And on the other hand Christians that are trying to keep the grace of God from from becoming a license to sin from a lifestyle of self-indulgence and permissiveness and fight what is called antinomianism. That is anti-law.

Impossible to resolve distortions/concerns

Now it would be absolutely absurd for me to claim that in one message, we are clear the decks and resolve this distortions and these concerns that have some locked in battle. However, something that we can attempt to do, is to talk about 5 forms of legalism, that we need to guard from, to preserve the grace of God free from human merit, while guarding from becoming a license to flesh indulgence.

5 forms of legalism

1-The Christian falls into legalism when his attempts to earn his salvation by the obedience to the law of God

The law could earn us salvation

Law demands flawless obedience

Now we must understand that the law, obedience to the law, could actually earn us heaven IF, we were able to keep it flawlessly.

But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”

Question. Is anyone able to do it:

YES.

What a heretic. And yes there was one man, that was able to achieve this. The man God Jesus Christ. The perfect obedience to the law preserved his innocence (spotless lamb), that is lack of transgression of the law. (John says that the sin is the transgression of the law) and on the other hand it would yield full holiness.

Christ born under the law

So that Christ, was born not free of the law, fulfilled God's law, was sinless, so when he went to the cross, he was seen by God's Absolutely holy scrutiny innocent, that is no guilt, and holy. Because of that Death could not hold him, because it would have been an unjust verdict. Because the wages of sin are death, but he was blameless. And because of that Christ is able for those who believe do, the double transfer, take the dirty life that we lived and give us the holy life that we could not live.

The Christian and the law

Now what Christ was able to do with the law, (if no Adam imputation. the Christian CANNOT. And thus Paul in Galatians continues to say:

For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

The law has no capability to give life, to change a heart, to regenerate, therefore when the law is applied to the human heart. It only steers and awakens his corruption, and actually the good law of God provoques his flesh to sin more.

Human nature sick beyond medicine

That is human nature is so sick, that instead of being inspired to holiness by the law, the law stirred up rebelion and resulted in sin:

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Children you have experience this, you go to vacation and then Dady says, do not go to that room, soon enough you see the kids getting curious, getting close to the room, peeking through, touching the door handle. Why, because commandments stir up the corruption of the flesh, So that man without Christ is so sick, that the medicine (law of Gof), getts him sicker.

Blind to corrupt nature

Therefore he who thinks that by keeping his commandments they will be able to earn heaven, is totally blind to his own corrupt nature.

The deadly error of the Pharisees

Champions of the law

Now at the time of Jesus, the pharisees, were champions of the law, guardians, doctors of the law.

Parable of the Pharisee and the publican

The heart of their system can be seen in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, where "the law keeping of the Pharisee" was definitely reckoned he was immensely meritorious before God. however, it only lead them to hell, not to heaven.

. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in

Merit staircase: lethal

Utilizing the law as a merit staircase to heaven is not only unadvisable, it's lethal for the Scripture categorically states "by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. .

2-The Christian falls into legalism when his attempts to add supplements to the work of Christ

Creatures of Habit

Know someone correctly remarked that we are more creatures of habit, than creatures of knowledge. Now in my own line of business, there are pastors to whom we can show the advantages of using Bible software, how easy is to find relevant information, understand and work with biblical languages, the amazing time savings, but many would say, no, even though what you are saying is true information, I would rather continue to do my work the way I am used to doing it.

Mother catholic church

I remember my mother, when she became a Christian and turned from the catholic faith to the scriptures, the evangelical faith. For the first six months she would go in the morning to listen to John MacArthur, and then at noon go to mass. She was used to that practice for over 50 years, and felt that somehow a token of the old religion would be a good additive to her new found faith.

Galatianism

The jewish habits

Well welcome to Galatianism. The first round of converts in the Christian church were jewish. They well understood that Christ was, the Messía, that Moses pointed to Christ. However due to religious habit and millenarian tradition they thought: You know, definitely you do not have to be pure jew to inherit salvation, however, a light coat of Moses is necessary. A supplement to Christ from Moses, like circumcision accessory should be the minimum gentiles should be required.

Christ is good insufficient

Paul fights the Judaizers

This is the version of legalism that Paul fought. This one was more subtle, It did not reject Christ's as the Pharisees had done but would actually take Christ, but add but add Moses as a factory accessory.

Timothy to be circumcised

In practical terms, the judaizers would want Timothy to be circumcised to conform to Moses as well as Christ. Christ by Faith, Moses by circumcision.

Error/heresy

Now Paul did not think of this view as error, he classified it as Heresy with the strongest of language:

Gl 1.8. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you (as adding, Moses to Christ on equal footing, or as a necessary accessory), let him be accursed.

Reconnect Judaizm through Christ

All or nothing/needed is Christ

Paul Is extremely jealous that the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of the gospel, has to be all or nothing. Similar to what Christ said, he who is not for me is against me. Paul, in all his writings States categorically, the sufficiency of Christ. Which is similar to the sufficiency of the Scriptures. The same way that we reject all claims that the Bible need to be suplemented, by it by the book of mormon, or the writings of the watchtower society, or the Church magisterium of the Roman catholic church, or the dictates of the pope. So we must be jealous to say, there is absolutely nothing that we need to add to Christ. Paul in Colossians says that we are complete in Christ for in Him the fullness of divinity dwells in him bodily.

Add anything from: Christian experience,doctrine

Therefore anytime, that we take any aspect of the christian experience, or the Christian practice and added to our faith to be really saved, we are taking away fro Christ.

Anything added to Christ, take away from Christ | anything added to Christ, takes away Christ

Financial terms

In financial terms, you go to the bank, the teller tells you. Your balance is 50k. You deposit an additional 25k. The teller tells you, know you have $0 balance. Yu would probably get red, and say, what do you mean. WORSE you add 25k and she tells you. You now owe the bank a MILLION DOLLARS How your debt, not even in a lifetime you would repay. That is what happen if you add to Christ for salvation, and you are consciously doing that, you become really indebted

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law;

Galatianism Examples

Puritan Era

Believe it or not, not all puritan es to be taken. Richard Baxter whom many of us admire for his Christian directory. Believed on a justification by faith, but that A Christian’s obedience is necessary to remain justified. To add our faith righteousness as an annex, or supplement to Christ, is a form of Galatianism.

Seventh Day adventism, view view of the sabbath at least borders on Galatianism. Particularly Ellen D White's statement:

I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question, to unite the hearts of God's dear waiting saints. And if one believed, and kept the Sabbath, and received the blessing attending it, and then gave it up, and broke the holy commandment, they would shut the gates of the Holy City against themselves, as sure as there was a God that rules in heaven above

Subtle forms of galatianism

But among evangelical there are subtle forms of Galatianism, that might not entirely doubt a Christian's salvation but certainly categorize Christian as a lower level Christian. For instance when in the reformed world some raises his eyebrows upon finding out that another believer is not a calvinist. What, you are not a calvinist. Or people who say, what. You do not hold to the standards of the Westminster confession of faith. I remember a pastor once asked me: "Do you hold to the 1689 Baptist confession of faith (as some sign of orthodoxy), almost getting the sense that if not, I were to go down to a second category, of cuestionable. Or the classic denomination question when we meet another Christian, what denomination are you. Like in my case thinking oas super doctrinal. This categorization of Christians is subtle for of Galatianism.

Whitefield/Wesley

I like the spirit of George Whitefield on this. You know that there was quite a difference between him and Charles Wesley and strong tension between George was calvinist, and Wesley Armenian. At one time his disciples came to him to ask him: Mr. Whitefield, do you think that when we get to heaven we are hoping to see Wesley there? To which he answered, No I don't think so, they received the answer with glee. Whitefield added. You see Weasley will be so far above us in heaven that we won't be able to see him.

3-The Christian falls into legalism when his external works are not accompanied by a corresponding internal attitude.

The obedience in the sermon of the mount

Kingdom living in the sermon on the mount

When we open one of the most important sermons of Jesus, the sermon on the mount. We don't find just "new CHristian doctrine by Christ", we find a description of different living, What MacArthur calls "kingdom living here and now". But substantially we find and exposition of the spirituality of the law, or law spirituality, the spiritual dimension of the law

Christ description of his teaching

He introduced it aby saying. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." draws the implication by saying: "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven".

Not demeaning or supplanting the law

That is to say, my doctrine is not about demeaning or supplanting the law, there is a new righteousness, but this new righteousness does not expire the commandments of God. This righteousness takes into account the original, full interpretation of the law of God which was eclipsed by traditional interpretations. Is a spirituality for the inside out

Donald Hagner’s

"Jesus clearly calls his disciples to a way of righteousness, but it is a new way that rests upon the true meaning of the Torah now delivered by the Messiah. To follow that teaching is to follow the path that leads to perfection"

Sermon on the mount is not: "lawless grace", it is "the grace of law" "The grace that operates behind the law"

Attitudes for each commandment

To the commandment "you shall not murder", he adds the internal component which is not to hate -from the inside out

To the commandment "not to commit adultery", he ads not lust internally in the heart. From the inside out

The obedience of the believer

Not morality | spirituality

And so the believer must understand that what Christ did not called us to Christian morality, but to Christian spirituality. Christian morality is satisfied with a "good behavior", a respectable "social label". Christian spirituality, begins with the new birth, a heart transplant inpeled by the Spirit. An obedience that is prompted by the spirit in our heart from the inside out, and not an external conformity to the commandments of God.

"The law just tries to express what God really wants which is Sanctified motions from the heart"

Careful with mechanized obedience

Church attendance

So, any time, that our attendance to church is mechanized, we come because we are supposed to come, we come because we are expected to come, we keep our status by coming then we fall into legalism.

Good works

Any time that we so something good: like helping someone at work, but we do it from the wrong motivation: so that I would look good, so that I improve my public image, it is an external act, and we fall into legalism.

Help mother/father

Children, anytime that we help my mother, or my father, but on the inside we are saying I just do it not to get in trouble: that is legalism. If our internal life differs from our external conduct, we become legalists.

Singing during worship

Every time that we during worship, sing to the sheet music, but do not sign to worship, engaged with the words, reflecting on the words we fall in legalism like the jews to whom Jesus said:

"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me"

Obedience: not a moral trick

What this means is that er are not trained animals at a circus can be trained to do certains things, for a reward, but not because of their own initiative but external pressure.

Prepare the heart

..: where David does not show up to the throne of grace, before he starts talking to god he begins by talking to himself--etc….

4-The Christian falls into legalism when he turns into a commandment what should be treated as preference

The grey ink on the scriptures

Red parts of the gospel

All parts equally inspired

I always get a kick from christians that make a distinction of what in the gospels is Black ink and what is red ink. The say, what counts are the words of Christ that are in red, those are inspired. The rest, well are not as inspired. Obviously this is a false distinction because of the Bible says all of Scripture is inspired by God, and did not say, all that is Scripture is inspired by God as though there were some portions what were not.

Not all parts equal weight

However although all scripture is equally inspired, no all parts should hold the same weight in our conscience. For the Scripture itself says makes a distinction between some commandments that should be taken with black ink (black and whites) and other principles, precedents, so to speak are in grey. What we call preferences of conscience.

Differences of conscience and knowledge

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Paul's teaching on differences of conscience

Paul stops the arguing

Now Paul aims to ease tension, end the polemics over differences of opinions, or reasonings. One person's believes, that, as Gods has made everything good for all of us to eat. : he made clear to Peter on a rooftop, he can eat anything, even pork enchiladas. While another argues that we should abstain and not stain our conscience and eats a strict Kosher diets.

Not two truths | only one

Now notice, that Paul does not claim that both perspective are the truth. Logic teaches us that two statements that contradict each other cannot both be true. No, he underscores the truth of our liberty to eat everything v. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, , As Paul puts it in another epistle, to partake of everything that God has created and we should partake of with thanksgivings.

The anatomy of truth

Two compartments

Now let's dissect the truth. Truth is made of two compartments: truth eternal and truth applied The commandment to worship God is eternal, absolute. Is not subject to application and -non-application. But life throws at us more than just ten choices corresponding to the ten commandments.

100 desitions

Everyday we make hundreds of decisions that involve a compound of commandments, precepts, principles and precedents mixed on the palette of our minds by our conscience. That truth applied can results on a diversity of decisions from different christians. Some of those decisions might not be right for me, but they are right for another Christian.

Decisions: war movies

So for instance there might be a Christian that decides, who likes to see war movies, and martial arts movies etc...Because he thinks they are manly, and shows that kind of man like David who was no wimp. In fact this Christian's dad was in the military so to him is almost a way to honor his tradition. On the other corner we have a lady Christian, who has a gift of mercy, and compassion, when someone suffers the least trouble she is moved by mercy and compassion. She abstains from seeing such movies, because they are just plainly violent, brutal and most of all insensitive. Both persons know the Bible but when it comes to decisions. He has read all the verses concerning compassion and mercy, and she has read the battles of David. But when it come to processing that info. Well there are Subjective filters of the conscience, and their culture, and temperament etc….that mix different principles in a way that their conscience is satisfied. In those instances we should follow our conscience before God, but should not argue or impose our view as an appendix to the ten commandments.

Examples of this differences

Truths that are open to different interpretations

Systematically developed

There are some truths ins the scriptures that are systematically and repeatedly explained as the doctrine of justification, as the doctrine of the church, as to whether a church should exist, as the sacrificial system in the old testament.

No systematic development

Some other truths, Don not have a tight systematic treatment are more like pieces of a puzzle that need to be gather from differents parts of the scriptures and stitched together whos conclusions need be held more tentatively instead of dogmatically

Eschatology

An example of that is eschatology. Now when I first came to Christ I was taught Scofields dispensationalism as absolute truths, I even thought the scofield notes where somehow part of the Bible. Since then I have learned that throughout history there has been at least three main postures on eschatology, Premillenianism, Amillenialism, Postmillelialism and guess what that Godly and mighty theologians have held each view.

Westminster confession

The interesting Part, is that the Westminster of faith considered by many a very orthodox documents of the era of the Puritans, and not a three page pamphlet that says "what we believe". with no light treatment of doctrine leaves the question as to chronology of details of the Lords Coming: Rapture, resurrection and judgement out. It just mentions his second coming and rein in general terms.

Differences in subjective grids

We all have the same brain, but different minds, made up by Objective information: natural and special revelation: but also differences in dna, differences in culture, differences in experiences, differences in upbringing. All this creates in us a different subjective grid which applies truth differently

Engage | abstain facebook

So in this very room, we have people that do not engage with Facebook, and others that engage with Facebook. Now they both know that Facebook is a social network produced by programmers for the web, nothing wrong with that. The abstainers see a problem with privacy, is just to open where are the principles of keeping private certain aspect of my life for intimate friends, they also see a problem of gossip, many bussy buddies, sharing things about others that should not be shared on an open forum. etc….The participants, say, this is an excellent tool to keep-up with friends without facing to call each one and be able to rejoice and pray for them, It's an amazing tool to find and find people of the past that were not for facebook I would never have found. It is also a great platform to share Bible truth, both to believers and unbelievers. Is an excellent platform to archive memories etc...And I am sure that when the phone was invented, there were messages from pastor's about beware with gossip, and most christian use the phone. etc….. So both groups can go, and on, and on according to their own subjective grid of a composite of truth and their conscience come to different conclusions.

Legalist | Wordly

In such cases one should refrain from to label the one who abstains a legalist, and the abstainer should not label the participant "worldly".

Differences in degree of light

I always get a kick when I see some calvinist engage vigorously with a non-calvinist, pressuring with different arguments, almost like the convincing was up to him, when in reality, if a real calvinist you know that God is the one that opens the ears to hear and the eyes to see, things not seen before.

SHould Not label legalist

Why is it that we knows better to have liberty in some areas should not label, the one who abstains a legalist, because God has not decided to send a mental note to my mind to tell me: "This guy should no better, I've given him light to understand this but he is just stubborn so is time to ram him with arguments.

True to amount of light | greater obedience

No, Like in the case of the persons that abstain from certain food in . That person, might be one who even though he is wrong, he is being true to the amount of light God has given him. In fact: We might have a person with partial or incomplete information that might be rendering greater obedience to Christ than one that understand the full truth, but that the liberty that he is taken goes beyond what his conscience allows:

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

5-The Christian falls into legalism when he requires or demands obedience to the law of God with the same rigidity of the civil law.

The old covenant economy

Now it is important for us to understand that the law in the Old Covenant had an aspect, a modality which has expired in the New Testament covenant: the civil aspect. When the law was given, it was given to Israel as a nation. Therefore many of the derivatives, the implications of the ten commandments had civil enforcement. You transgress, you pay for it.

No three strikes and you're out

That law was given absolute rigidity, immediate enforcement. So that if a man had committed adultery, if found guilty he would be stoned. If a man had a rebellious son who was a drunkard if found true he would be brought to be stoned. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth...

The new covenant economy

Not a theocracy | Spiritual community

The new covenant economy the church is not a theocracy, it is a spiritual community that rather than being ruled by law, is moved by the Spirit, who applies the principles of the law to the heart, to effect growth.

Not show up Sunday | knock on the door

Therefore when people are absent on a given Sunday, Pastor Steve with the Elders do not show up at the transgressors house to say, you are under arrest, or summoned to appear in the Spring creek tribunal. , or even, you have been dismissed from the membership. Now if the person keeps being absent there would be exhortations and teaching to move the heart, but there is no

Tithe: Penalty: Garnishment of wages

So when the offering is taken, people who did not tithe, are not send a penalty notice, with a surcharge.

The implication to our exhortations

Do not be stuck on exhortation mode

THere was someone in my life, who was a confirmed legalist. That person would exhort me an average of three exhortations per week. As soon as he saw something there was a private talk to be exhorted and made to feel guilty. THis leader was stuck in exhortation mode.

Exhort others as adults, not as children

Now good upbringing begins with ensuring that our children obey, our directives. Our orders. As our children transition into teenagers and young adults we change the tone, from orders, and we reason with them, and try to persuade the mind and the heart.

Law enforcement agents/Censors/bretheren

When we go on just picking up weaknesses and deficiencies in other brothers and reacting to them , we become censors. etc…..

Calvin

You know Calvin himself had to grow in this regard. When he was a youth, he earned the nick name of "the accusative case". Because he was a strong censor of anything wrong he saw in his companions".

6-The Christian fall into legalism when he creates traditions that morph into commandments

The traditions of the pharisees

‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Now the point that Jesus is trying to teach here. Is that the elders had come up with a tradition to hide diversions of funds that should normally go towards the sustenance of the elderly in the family to them, by the children telling their parents: The money destined for you, will go to worship. So, for you I have "nada"

Now we need to understand the weight of a "tradition"ry the pharisees

The Pharisaic theory of tradition was that these additions to the written law and interpretations of it had been given by Moses to the elders and by them had been transmitted orally down through the ages. The classical passage in the Mish is to be found in Pirḳē’ Ābhōlh: “Moses received the [oral] Law from Sinai and delivered it to Joshua and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets and the prophets to the men of the great synagogue.”

J. E. H. Thomson, The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, 1915, 1–5, 2363.

Amendments to the constitution

So in their way of thinking, traditions were not just preferences of religious culture, they were an extension, an "amendment to the constitution" and "amendment to the law of God".

Crystallized traditions

Traditions are not wrong

Now there is nothing wrong with having traditions, which are nothing but a practiced preference that with time becomes part of our personal, family, church, national culture.

The problem of crystallization

these traditions are part of our family culture, our church culture, our national culture etc...The problem is that the older the tradition is the more it crystallizes, and the more it crystallizes, the more turns into a law that we expect people to honor as the rest of the commandments.

7-Legalism is majoring on the minors

8-Legalism is to live to comply with the law rather than to develop a relationship to Christ: law and mercy personified.

The law is a glimpse of God

We must understand that the law is is a glimpse of God. law is the transcript of God's image. A written sample of God's essence, but is not God himself. The law is an image of God, to lead us to God, but is not God.

Law teaching tool | memorial service

Moises gave the children of Israel the law, to teach them about God, to lead them to God, not as and end itself. Anything that has the motivation of dry obedience to law, becomes legalism, anything that references law as an expression of honor God and desire to grow in intimacy with God is not legalism. Let me give you an example, I once was at a memorial service of a Christian lady. Among the speaker was her daughter. She had real differences with her mother during her life. She obeyed her mother's commands, but had no appetite whatsoever to be like her. In fact whenever people identified her with her mother she disliked it. . Now, she testified, she could not think of a higher honor than to be identified with her mother and be like her mother. Then things that to her once were her mothers impositions, now where instinctive desires in her why. Because now she wanted to feel ever so close to her mother. "the best way to feel she got close to her mother, was to be like her mother"

Christian relates to law

And that is how the Christian relates to law. He does not ignore it, he doesn't only live by "sanctified impulses of grace, the law is a reference, but not and end in itself. It is an aid for the image to grow in the image of God to be more like him, because this, above the rest is what makes him feel closest to Christ.

Anytime that the law draws you away from Christ: you fall into legalism

Finishing balancing remarks

We should not be christians without convictions (spineless, or academic entertainment)

Christians without convictions

Different reasons

Don't know whether it is because of the postmodernist atmosphere which is highly pluralistic and sees every truth as a view and opinion, or because of a disregard for anything that smells like law, or because of an academic mentality that renders different opinions of the truth as just different perspectives to analize without attempting to land on the right one.but there are many christians that go about without convictions.

Society of entitlement demanding their rights

THere is an overabundance of Christians demanding the exercise of their freedom in Christ, interestingly enough living in a society of entitlement that is constantly demanding their rights.

Cardinal | preferencial

THe fact that we do not want to be legalists, does not mean in the least, that we do not want to have convictions, It means that we form convictions in our hearts, but we learn to catalog those that are cardinal convictions from those that are preferencial convictions. Those that are preferencial convictions that we do not impose on the rest as law, "Do you have faith? Have it with you before God. Blessed is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves and those cardinal convictions which we are willing to exhort/confront others and suffer rejection. with since they are life or death, or if not held, vey harmful to them and their family.

Christian only conviction Freedom

I hope that you are not a Christian whose only conviction is Liberty, freedom. Because there is an overabundance of those in this day an age.

The Christian does not want to avoid legalist by becoming an antinomialist

Against the law of God

Now. one important warning is that we should not, should not avoid falling into legalism, by becoming anti-law, against law, and leaving only by the impulses of the heart.

Desires not 100 sanctified

We live by grace, led buy the Spirit however this does not mean that our desires and impulses are all sanctified to the point where fleshly desires do not meangle in. In fact Paul in Galatians speaks of For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. In this verse Paul describe, our desires, what we want to do almost as though it is the regular mode. It is true that when we get glorified our desires will be 100% pure and untainted by flesh and sin, but for now they are laced with sin. Pastor Martin said. There is enough sin in our holiests acts to condemn us to hell. THe raw impulses of our soul are not 100% Jesus.

Disregard of the law of God

Not a museum piece

Nor should we treat the as a piece that belongs in the Museum of the history of redemption. It still belongs to new covenant daily living.

For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

Conviction to consciences by the ten commandments

James here specifies that Christians, can become transgressors of the law. That is that law of liberty -which some have come to mean the law of grace, the law of no law, but in the context is very clear that James is convicting the consciences of these brethren, by using the law, the law of the ten commandments.

Faithless law

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Problem of law motivation

Paul speaks here about the problem with the law among the Jews, is their motivation. They did not pursue it by faith, but base on human merit, human performance, having the law as an end so that when Christ came, who is the personification of the law of righteousness and the law of mercy, and instead of saying of the law of righteouness that is what I want, and that is what I need because I see the law in my members that does not allow me to leave righteously, and they ignored, and rejected. They were not pursuing the law by faith.

Now David, to me is an example of the perfect balance. Paul proves, that David look to God's mercy for his justification in . And yet David was one who delighted in the law of God:

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure,making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Sal 19.7–11.

Neither faithless law nor lawless faith can save

Faith-full law leads to Christ | Faith that references law

, leads to sanctification, different degress, 30%60%90% no all equal sanctifications without which no-one shall see the Lord.