“Biblically speaking, judgment is when we tell someone that his behavior is bad when he is not really bad (Romans 14:3). Yes, but in (1 Cor 5) the behavior in the Church was wrong, but it was not to be called for what it was. Both are biblical in a fixed context. Just as sin does not mean doing things we should do, but also doing things we should not do. “And that`s the definition of judgments. Contrary to what the world thinks, judging does not only mean telling someone wrong (the Bible actually asks us to distinguish between good and evil). So I`ll tell you what I mean by that and what I think in the Bible would justify this kind of use. Then you can decide whether you think it should be used this way or not. But mostly look at how people use it, and measure it against the things in the Bible to see if that`s the case. That`s pretty close to what you`d call a white fist effort. Although I would simply call it discipline, which is a good thing to have and practice. I believe there is much room for personal discipline to go hand in hand with the gospel.
Self-control is one of the fruits of spirits. I think it`s too easy to believe that the gospel allows you to escape your personal responsibility. And this is the definition of sinful judgment. There is a good form of “judgment” where we distinguish between good and evil (as opposed to what the world thinks). But biblically speaking, telling someone that their behavior is wrong when they are not really bad is sinful judgment (Romans 14:3). Jesus answers, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and bowl, but inside you are full of greed and evil. Fools, didn`t he who made the outside also do the inside? What is in our hearts is more important than what is outside. While personal preference can be a way to show others our love for Christ, it is not our right to ask others to feel the same. The solution to sin you see is the gospel, not the rules you must obey. The correct application of the law is to show people how far behind they are. Jesus used the law in the Sermon on the Mount to show people how bad their hearts really were.
But the remedy for our sin is Christ. You can aspire to preach that uses the mirror of the law to show our true despair for Christ. And then the gospel is so beautiful, because where can we turn to Jesus for His righteousness, without which no one will see God. The rebuke continues when Jesus says to the scribes, “Woe to you too, legal experts. You burden people with hard-to-carry burdens, and yet you don`t even touch those burdens with one of your fingers/”Jesus says we shouldn`t expect others to obey our laws or preferences if we circumvent them to meet our needs. Scripture is truth. We are unable to choose what we will obey or disobey. I encounter more the legalism of tone of church people, not really pastors. I met a couple who visited our church and learned that they drove an hour to be there. When I found out where they lived, I told them there was a great church in their church and a great pastor I know. They told me that the pastor was unacceptable.
It turned out that his daughter was known as a fan of the Harry Potter books. Even this pastor did not adhere to many of the teachings of a famous pastor (which should not be mentioned here). I was overwhelmed by these reasons for rejecting a very good man, but it doesn`t matter. Scholars in all fields of religious studies will attempt to justify or reject legalism in our churches. To get to the bottom of this topic, we can look at what Jesus says in Luke 11:37-54. In this passage we find that Jesus is invited to dine with the Pharisees. Jesus performed miracles on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees seem eager to talk to Him. When Jesus sits down, He does not participate in the ritual of hand washing, and the Pharisees take note of this. Joe writes and asks, “Pastor John, what is legalism?” To better understand this question, which we call legalism, we need to look at what legalism is and identify the three types of legalism that prevail today. Then we need to look at what God`s Word says about it and how we can combat the effects of legalism on our churches and lives.
To further illustrate what legalism can look like, R.C. Sproul describes three forms of legalism. Many of us have encountered this kind of misguided Christianity. Otherwise, we have probably met someone who has experienced legalism or who practices legalism in their own practices. Even Jesus met people who practiced this in His day, known as Pharisees. In this article, we will explore the definition of legalism, examples in the Bible, and what this dangerous way of thinking looks like in the modern context. Sometimes legality and obedience are merged. I have always understood that legalism tries to please God by following a set of rules instead of obeying what God teaches us in His Word. Legalism has been in our churches and in our lives since Satan convinced Eve that there is something other than God`s way. It is a word that no one wants to use. Being called a legalist usually comes with negative stigma. Legalism can tear people and churches apart.
What is shocking is that most people do not know what legalism is and how it affects our Christian path almost every hour. To avoid legalism, there must be a balance. 1. Samuel 16:7 says, “Do not look at his appearance or stature, for I have rejected him. People do not see what the Lord sees, for men see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. James 2:18 tells us that faith died without works. Our works should reflect the desire of our hearts to worship Christ. Without balance, we can create a vain state of mind. Question: Would the Pharisees be guilty of both the legalism of the rule (explicitly shown in the Gospels) and the legalism of salvation (perhaps implicitly in the Gospels among the Pharisees, but explicitly among the Galatian believers)? Second Temple Judaism was somewhat diverse, not monolithic. But would it be correct to say that all the different perspectives within Judaism had virtually the same definition of grace (i.e., the gift of grace is given only to those who deserve it)? And that the Pharisees, although they believed in God`s grace, defined it quite differently from what a Christian would do (cf. Rom 4, 4.5)? I guess there is a good legalism (legalism and grace?) in the sense that Christians are restored to do good works that come from the law.
Even if they are small steps and small beginnings. A great step in union was to realize the difference between salvation and sanctification. Which ultimately come from the Divinity. So, here too, it is out of the question to boast about what we have done and what we have not done. You are right that the “motivation” is the gospel itself. But we must continue to learn and change through the renewal of our minds. We cannot continue to try to remain ignorant. As Paul said (and this is what I mean by church seems without challenge), at some point we have to move on to some flesh and continue to have milk. So whenever someone uses the word, you have to do two things: you have to find out what they mean by that, and then you have to know if their meaning is consistent with something in the Bible, or if they use the Bible in an inappropriate way. Millard J.
Erickson goes so far as to say in Christian theology that disobeying God`s revealed commandments in the name of the non-legalist is “an abuse of Christian freedom.” He reminds us of John 14:15, where Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” and John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” So legalism is not just that belief that we get along with God by keeping the law.