Did you know that if you are a legalist you are separated from Christ ? This is what Paul said to Galatians. Some were trying to be saved by the law and Paul said that they are preaching a false gospel, that they were separated from Jesus .
Did you know that if you are a legalist you are proud and you think that there are good things in you? These are lies that need to be removed become you become a true christian Find out the 5 ways not to be a legalist
The pharisee and the tax collector parable illustrates this point well Was Paul a pharisee , he was by name but Paul was the ultimate example of a non legalist . The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector We see the pharisee thinks he is good, the tax collector knows he is a bad person On which side are you ?
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Luke 18 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
1 Accept you are not good
The only way that you can cleanse yourself from legalism is to recognize that you are not good and only God is good . Unless you do so there is no hope for you . If you ask the question to one hundred persons on the street
Are you a good person
How many will say I am a good person ? Almost everybody
It shows that legalism is almost everywhere in society . Some countries are more legalist than others.
The pharisee and the tax collector show that you can be a christian and be a bad person . The name christian does not mean anything . The bible says there is none good not even one they are all gone astray there is none that seeks God
The bible says also that unless we are conected to the root the branch has no spiritual life in it .The bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God . Le us accept the fact that there is not one good person on earth not even one
All our good works arelike filthy rags . You can do your best and without God it is still bad as the intentions are wicked , selfish, corrupt. When Jesus was taken all the apostles fled . We are but men , we are dust, we are clay , humans are not God . There has never been a good human being since the creation of the world .
Some humans are less evil than others , but they are still evil as inside human beings there is nothing good . Paul said I know that in me that is in my flesh nothing good dwells. When i want to do good, evil is present in me .
If Paul the best christian that even lived can say that how much more you and me are evil? Was Paul a pharisee yes but God changed Paul to realize his sinfulness and to receive the righteousness of Jesus . Paul killed christians and in his legalism he thought he was doing a good deed.
The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector show that some christians do recognize that they are evil and cna receive the righteousness of Jesus by faith . Unless you ask Jesus for his righteousness every day you will fail .
2 Accept you are a sinner
Have you ever sinned ? Then you are not a good person. Some churches teach that your good works eliminate the bad works. No Adam and Eve sinnedont time and they died . Same for you and me for one sin only you and me deserve to die .
The wages of sin is death
Sin is the transgression of the law. Not human law sin is the transgression of God's law. We need to keep human laws too because God said so . We are sinners and all humans have sinned, interesting to know that Jesus never sinned while on earth . This is why Jesus could pay our price on the cross .
The pharisee and the tax collector show that the pharisee beat his breast saying God, i am a god person i do this and that . Interesting to see that legalists think that bu doing thing they receive righteousness . This show their wicked heart as they try to buy God's favour, they try to receive righteousness by doing .
So it shows that legalists and pharisees are not good as to be good would be something we are and if we were good we would not need to do things to claim our goodness. Our goodness would be in us already . Just by saying i do this i am a good person proves that legalists are evil .
Was Paul a pharisee yes but in Galatians Paul said that
That no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident Here we see that men can be seen as good men in the sight of men . But what matters to be accepted of God or accepted of men? James 4 4 Don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Accept you are a sinner
3 Accept that only Jesus is good
When the young rich men came to Jesus he said Good men Jesus said
None is good but God
We see here another legalist who Jesus is trying to make see that he was trying to gain salvation by works . The bible is clear only God is good, when men do good deeds by the power of God then men was only a channel . God did the work . Men is only a channel for good or for evil
Revelation 19 says Jesus is
True and righteous and in righteousness he does judge and makes war
To the pharisee Jesus said Who can convince Me of sin . Yet in the eyes of the world Jesus was evil as pharisees said he has a devil . It show how corrupt and amiss are men's judgment .
4 Accept that only Jesus has righteousness
The good news is that Jesus has the solution . Jesus wants you to see that you are not good and you will never be and only in Jesus is a power called righteousness by faith that can help you have His righteousness .
It will not mean that you will never sin again but you stand up after a fall and walk again , yet we do not walk in our own power but in God's power and righteousness . Yet it is possible to never sin anymore .
The pharisee and the tax collector shows how many people claim to be religious and are evil , selfish, proud, and blind to their own spirtual condition . In different countries we see the same thing , religious and atheists all over the world think they are good .
They do not realize that only God has the solution the righteousness by faith that gives power to do and be good .
Was Paul a pharisee before his blind encounter yes, we see that God put Paul blind as legalists see themselves good in their own eyes. We see that God sees things totally differently than humans see things .
The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector show that human principles and righteousness is worthless to change the heart. Human dogmas are worthless to make someone good. Human edicts are powerless to change their citizens into good, honest, kind human beings
5 Accept that unless you do so you cannot go to heaven
This is such a serious topic as many religious people think that by accepting Jesus they will automatically go to heaven . It is not true
Jesus said to the foolish virgins
I do not know from whence your are depart from Me you that work iniquity
Is it the same loving Jesus that took childrens in his arms that is saying to fifty percent of christianity Go away ? Yes The five virgins represent half of all christianity .
Many shall come in my name saying we did
Prophesied
Cast out devils
Many wonderful works
It is possible that this fifty percent of christianity with today's numbers it is about one billion persons . They helped the poor, they went to church every week, they fed the hungry . Yet Jesus will tell them you do not have the weeding garment ;, those works you thought you did by yourself and to receive glory of men .
Jesus said how can you believe you that receive honour one from another and do not seek the glory that comes from God only . Jesus also said
Not he that commends himself is accepted but he that the Lord commends.
The men came in at the wedding feast having his own righteousness and his own works. He was sure he could go in as he was a christian and never did much evil . But he had his own righteousness and robbed God of his glory and thought himself to be God as all people who are legalist think themselves to be God .
Unless you ask the righteousness of Jesus you will have your own, you cannot have borh at the same time . Earthly corrupt works of God's perfect holiness and righteousness . Which will you chose . Chose ye this day which you will have
your human defective works or Jesus perfect rightteousness?
Repeat after me Father God i see myself as a sinner now i ask you please to forgive me
Please put your righteousnesss on me and help me to walk with you until Jesus comes in the name of Jesus amen
many christians are very legalidts and that is a turn off for atheists who do not want to have anything to do with church
Legalistss there are. bunch in churches and outside the church . This is why Christianity has. It pleased me at all as a solution. .