With school starting for my kiddos, it's been difficult to get on here to write. I've missed you. Plus, now Katie will stop hounding me to post a fresh thread. Man, I can't believe how much she gets paid by Gulf-Stream to read blogs. Bahhahaha
I visited a church Sunday and the sermon was awesome. It was exactly in line with everything I feel God has been showing me and growing in me this summer. It's been an amazing growth summer for me. I'll post it all one day. It will be a doozy. Right Katie?
This sermon began by the pastor, Jason Sink of Grace Fellowship PCA, showing us this imaginary line. He said, "Now over here on this end you have legalism. On the other end you have license. Legalism is the tendency to adhere to strict rules/laws in order to impress God with your goodness and loyalty. It is also the way you look at others to judge whether or not they are "doing Jesus" as well as you are. It is how you judge yourself. License is the polar opposite. You judge no one, however, you also tend to use your gift of salvation as a license to indulge in any and everything you desire. You say, 'Well, if I'm saved I can do whatever I want and I'm covered.' Often people think that the Gospel of Jesus works as a sort of balance between these two extremes, but I don't think that is the intent of the Gospel by any means."
The body of the sermon from that point on was explaining this in more detail. It was so great on every level. The best part for me was when he said this,
"Legalism does nothing except stir up and agitate the flesh, because it is based on the flesh. The more you restrict something, the more attention it can take on in your life." Okay, insert here my thoughts. I could not agree with this more. I know from experience that this can be true. When you restrict something or it is forbidden by the teaching you grew up with, then not only do you not do that certain thing, but you can hyper focus on it and not only that, but you soon begin judging others by it. Now, I'm not talking about Biblical clarity ... as in, some things are spelled out in black and white as to being wrong and as believers, we clearly are to not participate (adultery, murder, etc.) I mean the "laws" we can accumulate in our Christian lives and how we focus on them as markers to see how we are measuring up and how others are measuring up. That is not good, people.
Back to Jason's sermon.
He said, "We begin to think that these restrictions in our lives keep us from faltering ... keep up living upright. You then can say that law-keeping keeps you living for Christ. But I say that this is not so. I say that the GOSPEL is what should keep you living upright. It is not by the restrictions that you should be kept in control, it is by the Gospel of Jesus being realized in everything you do. That is what keeps you straight ... not laws."
Man that is awesome preaching. That is why he said that the Gospel is not the mid-point, or balance between legalism and license. He said that it is, rather, the realization in our lives, our heart, and our minds that we have been bought with a price. That we are children of the law-giver. That we are now Holy because HE is Holy. He said, "Man, if you will just grasp the awesomeness of that and then just go live it ... that will be the one thing that makes sure you are not being too lenient or too strict. Just go live out that truth ... go live Jesus out in the world ... and be free."
Wee-doggies peeps, that is so on target with what I believe that it makes me have goosebumps on my scalp. I can't say how much I think Jason is right on the money with everything he said.
It is so, so, so, so easy to use "laws" to keep us "in line" and "living Godly". But how about just taking your walk with the Lord so serious ... being so in tune with what He's done for you ... loving Him so much ... that, that alone is what governs your behavior all the time ... 24/7? How about being so committed to Christ that you can dare to live in total freedom knowing that's all you need to not micro-manage yourself to death?
I don't know guys, what do you think about this? Let me know your heart on it, as I am still on this journey, too. It's just some real good juicy stuff to chew on.
I visited a church Sunday and the sermon was awesome. It was exactly in line with everything I feel God has been showing me and growing in me this summer. It's been an amazing growth summer for me. I'll post it all one day. It will be a doozy. Right Katie?
This sermon began by the pastor, Jason Sink of Grace Fellowship PCA, showing us this imaginary line. He said, "Now over here on this end you have legalism. On the other end you have license. Legalism is the tendency to adhere to strict rules/laws in order to impress God with your goodness and loyalty. It is also the way you look at others to judge whether or not they are "doing Jesus" as well as you are. It is how you judge yourself. License is the polar opposite. You judge no one, however, you also tend to use your gift of salvation as a license to indulge in any and everything you desire. You say, 'Well, if I'm saved I can do whatever I want and I'm covered.' Often people think that the Gospel of Jesus works as a sort of balance between these two extremes, but I don't think that is the intent of the Gospel by any means."
The body of the sermon from that point on was explaining this in more detail. It was so great on every level. The best part for me was when he said this,
"Legalism does nothing except stir up and agitate the flesh, because it is based on the flesh. The more you restrict something, the more attention it can take on in your life." Okay, insert here my thoughts. I could not agree with this more. I know from experience that this can be true. When you restrict something or it is forbidden by the teaching you grew up with, then not only do you not do that certain thing, but you can hyper focus on it and not only that, but you soon begin judging others by it. Now, I'm not talking about Biblical clarity ... as in, some things are spelled out in black and white as to being wrong and as believers, we clearly are to not participate (adultery, murder, etc.) I mean the "laws" we can accumulate in our Christian lives and how we focus on them as markers to see how we are measuring up and how others are measuring up. That is not good, people.
Back to Jason's sermon.
He said, "We begin to think that these restrictions in our lives keep us from faltering ... keep up living upright. You then can say that law-keeping keeps you living for Christ. But I say that this is not so. I say that the GOSPEL is what should keep you living upright. It is not by the restrictions that you should be kept in control, it is by the Gospel of Jesus being realized in everything you do. That is what keeps you straight ... not laws."
Man that is awesome preaching. That is why he said that the Gospel is not the mid-point, or balance between legalism and license. He said that it is, rather, the realization in our lives, our heart, and our minds that we have been bought with a price. That we are children of the law-giver. That we are now Holy because HE is Holy. He said, "Man, if you will just grasp the awesomeness of that and then just go live it ... that will be the one thing that makes sure you are not being too lenient or too strict. Just go live out that truth ... go live Jesus out in the world ... and be free."
Wee-doggies peeps, that is so on target with what I believe that it makes me have goosebumps on my scalp. I can't say how much I think Jason is right on the money with everything he said.
It is so, so, so, so easy to use "laws" to keep us "in line" and "living Godly". But how about just taking your walk with the Lord so serious ... being so in tune with what He's done for you ... loving Him so much ... that, that alone is what governs your behavior all the time ... 24/7? How about being so committed to Christ that you can dare to live in total freedom knowing that's all you need to not micro-manage yourself to death?
I don't know guys, what do you think about this? Let me know your heart on it, as I am still on this journey, too. It's just some real good juicy stuff to chew on.
3 Comments:
if I could put into words what my hearts is feeling right now about that subject...i would.
you just have to trust that I'm working on getting down that same road...
it's pretty spectacular too!
AMEN Marlo.
Sounds like you're on the right track:)
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.
A hardy "HERE HERE" to the comments already posted, but also let me add a "PREACH IT SISTA!"
I really am looking forward to the blog about everything you've been going through. However, until then...this is a great post. SO true. The freedom we are subsequently blessed with allows us to be so much more thankful. Can you imagine how the Jews felt? Living not only under the few number of rules that you and I have talked about in our own lives...but SO MANY MORE. If anyone was raised with them, it was a post-Christ Jew! To have the Savior of the world come and say, "You are free indeed." Man...how amazing. I am so thankful! Why would anyone want to return to that? It's quite like the Israelites and Egypt thing...when we get away, we have a tendency to want to return, because it's what we know. But, man, just step OUT. It's such a wonderful feeling. We are so undeserving.
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