Suggested links
Baby Aliza
MyRedeemer.org
KoinoniaOfGrace.com
Plantation United Methodist Church
Bible Gateway
Charity Watch
Prayer Requests
The Letter Kills: a Perspective on Legalism
Interpretation of L Cruz III 2006
(Under Construction)
(2 Corinthians 3:6)
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Legalism (definition)
strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.
Please take a moment to read the 2 scenarios I typed below. In them, I will try to (somewhat humorously) explore the differences between legalism, the spirit of scripture and the why one is far better than the other...not to mention biblically mandated.
Scenario 1
John
Mark, I know you're a God-loving Christian. I have a problem. Can we talk?
Mark
Sure!
John
I don't know what to do. Lately I have been having this really strange feeling that the “Big Man upstairs” wants me to do something I don't want to do. I don't even know what or Who God is.
Mark
You had better be very careful! The same thing happened to Jonah, and he got eaten by a big fish.
John
Eaten by a what?
Mark
A fish! You don't want to end up like him, do you? Would you like to come to my church and speak to our pastor?
John
(trying to look polite) Uh, no thanks. I think Ill just read a book. What do you know about tarot cards?
Scenario 2
John
Mark, I know you're a God-loving Christian. I have a problem. Can we talk?
Mark
Sure!
John
I don't know what to do. Lately I have been having this really strange feeling that the “Big Man upstairs” wants me to do something I don't want to do. I don't even know what or Who God is.
Mark
You know, there's a wonderful lesson in the Old Testament that deals with that very issue.
In it, Jonah teaches how to determine whether or not you're following God's will, which is really just another way of saying, God's plan for your life.
Jonah equates ignoring God's will to being trapped on a boat in rough waters where you risk drowning yourself and those around you. He even goes so far as to equate it to being swallowed and then thrown up by a big, smelly fish. Whereas, following the will of God is easier, happier, compliments your talents and yields surprising success. I guess you could say that your "calling" (your gift) will never fail you as long as you keep listening to God for guidance.
John
Wow! What a wonderful lesson! I feel like I'm in a fish right now. Is that story a parable? Is that why Jesus spoke in parables?
Mark
Maybe. I hadn't thought of that. Would you like to come to my church and speak to our pastor?
John
I would love to!
What is the difference between Scenario 1 and Scenario 2?
In Scenario 1, "John" tries to council his friend, “Mark”, with a legalistic view of the Bible…a view where the letter of the scripture takes precedence over all else. The result; Mark becomes not only turned off to the Bible and Christianity as a whole, he contemplates turning to tarot cards for guidance. The result IS spiritual death!
However, in Scenario 2, John councils Mark in accordance with the spirit of the scripture and not by the letter. The result; Mark is not only helped immediately by the lesson, he also agrees to take his first steps toward Christianity. The result IS spiritual life!
I believe legalism is usually rooted in fear…a person's fear that if every bit of scripture is not believed literally, then the person will not be allowed into Heaven. Lessons intended to enlighten and make one free become a source of bondage and confusion.
Dr. J. Gresham Machen, on the other hand, wrote in his book "What is Faith" that legalism (a weak and hyper-literal understanding of the Bible) always comes when people have a faint understanding of the Moral Law.
Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians is a wonderful source of knowledge, as it covers the damaging affects of fear-based legalism.)