Realizations of a religious legalist

I have come to the realization that I am a legalistic Christian, only using my pursuit of Biblical knowledge to further point out the fault of others.

I have also come to the conclusion that I need to study God's grace and what it has provided through Christ Jesus. Upon my reading of Religion Saves: and 9 other misconceptions by Mark Driscoll; it has finally been revealed to me clearly what Grace is and how it applies to my life. Although I firmly believe that the final authority is the Bible, sometimes it takes the insights of another man, chosen by God, to speak words of wisdom and Truth into our lives. Up to this point my criticisms have been met with words of you need to show more grace, but the concepts of Grace have only gone skin deep, without any really taking the time to spell it out for me,or at least at a time when I was ready to listen. I need to completely step back into a season of not seeking the correction of others, but a season of fulling understanding God grace and love for me, so that I can show this same love and grace to first my family, then to others. 

From Chapter 6 of his book:

Thirteen Experiences of Grace & How it applies to me.

1. Electing Grace: Electing grace is God's sovereign choice in eternity past to love some ill deserving sinners and save them by his grace alone.

            2 Tim. 1:8-9  Nothing I have done or will ever do will make me earn God's grace. Through his unknowable and unfathomable love he has chosen me from the beginning of time to receive his grace! God is good because God is good and delights in doing good for someone such as myself. Anything that I can do for God; the pursuit of, loving him, caring for his will, has all been done by Him for me first. His grace has caused him to love me, and nothing more.

2. Preached Grace: Preaching of the Gospel, when accompanied by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, releases the power of the gospel to transform sinners into saints by saving grace.

            Col. 1:5-6  It is not any special words or methods that will further the Gospel and the grace it affords to sinners. I am free to whole heartedly, passionately, and with fervor share the love of Christ with others without fear of Screwing things up.

3. Regenerating Grace: The powerful work of God in ill deserving sinners that causes them to be born again with new hearts as new people with new desires that are God's desires, thereby enabling a passionate life of holiness without legalism.

            Jer. 32:38-41, 1 Pet. 1:3  This is what sustains me as a Christian and to live as one humbling acknowledging the Grace that Christ has given me.  God has given me a new heart that has been fashioned after his own, and I will delight daily in the new delights, passions, and longings that come along with this new heart. It is daily putting aside the sinful passions, longings, and desires that I once had, and continually strive to pursue all that God has put into this new heart of mine.

4. Converting Grace:  Consists of the gifts of faith in Jesus and repentance of sin, which proceed from the new heart God gives us by his regenerating grace.

            Acts 18:27  God gave me his gift of Faith which has led me down a road of forgiveness, love, and joy. All good things come from God and Faith in him is a GOOD thing. Without the gift of Faith given to me I would never have become an elect of God. I never thought that belief in God, and the repentance that followed, was a gift from God itself. This was a fundamental flaw, or missing piece of my foundation, that was never revealed to me until now. It sheds a completely new, and wonderful, light on the gift of Salvation. It's preached over and over that Salvation is a gift from God, but I haven't heard that belief itself in this Gift is also a Gift. It really brings home the point that there is nothing I have done to bring about my salvation, but it was a gift from God given to me before the foundations of the world were created.

5. Justifying Grace: This grace enables me to stand before God; unholy and condemned, declared righteous because of the work of Christ Jesus on the cross. Through his death and resurrection I am made spotless.

            Romans 3:23-24  Once I received salvation through Christ Jesus the work has been done in my life. There is nothing more to be accomplished. I cannot make my righteous more "right" or be made more "blameless". These are end all words, perfection is perfection, there is no step further. While accepting this gift on the surface level I have failed to take it one step farther and apply it to how I see others in their walks of faith. Nothing they do, or don't do, will change the fact that they have been perfect and holy in God's eyes, and have faith that the grace of God will work through their new heart as I trust and pray that he will mine.

6. Adopting Grace:  God my "Daddy"

            Ephesians 1:4-6  This has never been something I have been able to view easily. Growing up there was no "daddy" in my life, so comparing God to a loving, caring, compassionate "daddy" has been hard. But I think for many who have grown up without this image of a father figure, that is there to pick us up when we fall, to play catch, to talk, laugh, and cry, we have always had a imaginary "perfect daddy" in the back of our minds. An imaginary father who picked up where the other left off, or filled in when the other missed the mark completely. A father who held us after the drunken beatings we received, or gave us gifts on our birthdays when in real life we weren't even given clothes that fit. God is this father that many of us grew up imagining. There is no misplaced trust, no longing to be comforted or heard. Growing up it is easy to lose that childlike faith that the father we have will fill all of our needs. It is far past the time that I need to look at God has my son looks towards me, with childlike wonder, amazement, awe and a constant understanding and firm faith that God will provide everything.

7. Ministry Grace: This is the spiritual gifts that God has given us as Christians that enable us to have fruitful and fulfilling kingdom service. 

            1 Peter 4:10  All things that are good and lead to fulfillment here on earth is a gift from God. My talents have been given to me for the sole purpose of living a fruitful and fulfilling life in the service of Christ. These talents are God's gift, through grace, to me and should be handled as any gift given from God. It's easy to look at the financial gains that we receive as gifts from God, the work we are given, the overtime we are able to put in just at that right moment when things are getting down to the wire, but do we look at all the talents that got us to that position in the first place as gifts? What enabled you to be the person that was called upon for overtime? Especially in times like these, paying anyone time and a half better be well worth it. I know I thank God for the work he has given me, and the paychecks that I receive (although, honestly, not enough, especially as a self employed person with a family should be) but rarely have I thanked God for the skills he has given me that allows others to trust enough in what I do and my skills to pay me for it. I need to thank God more fully for my talents, and to look at them as gifts more, not just the payment as a gift.

8. Sanctifying Grace: This is the ongoing grace that God shows me in my daily walk with him, and the power that he gives me to say no to sin and say yes to God with the purpose of becoming more like him and holy like Jesus

            Romans 6:14 There is absolutely no limit to this grace. This is the number one reason why legalism should have no place in my walk with Christ. His grace is absolute in not only my walk with him, but the walk of every other believer. If God is so willing to show me his grace in all matters, how much more should I extend this grace to others? Mark Driscoll points out very plainly that it was the legalists who crucified Jesus, a fact that is overlook as we search the Bible for more rules to add to our list to point out to others. Christ loves transforms us, and his love came first. Nothing we do, or the rules we require of others (and often don’t follow ourselves) doesn’t make Christ want to love us.

9. Empowering Grace: This is God enabling us to do the good works that he has appointed for us to do with both power and humility.

            1 Cor. 15:10 This is the work of the Holy Spirit that gives us the ability to do the supernatural work that God has appointed us to do. Just as he named us before the foundations of the Earth were formed, he predestined us to do his will. It is through the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit that we are able to complete this work. We also are able to do all that he requires of us without fear or trepidation, but can push forward with the full assurance that Christ is behind us and will sustain us in all that we do.

10. Provisional Grace: This accounts for any and every good thing in our lives, from the people who love us, our good health, and the material blessings we have in our lives.

            James 1:17 With an understanding of provisional grace we can become better stewards of what God, through his grace, has blessed us with. All good things, both on Earth and in Heaven come from God, and should be treated as such. This is another lesson that is hard to learn. I think it’s important to not only become good stewards in what our bank account balance is, where we give our money and how much, but to also become better stewards of what we have. Taking good care of our vehicles, treating all of our possessions as gifts from God will give us a better grasp on how we are to care for them. Ultimately, everything we have is a gift from God and we should be willing to use everything we have to better further Christ and his will.

11. Miraculous Grace: This is when God uses signs, wonders, and miracles to accompany his people.

            Acts 6:8 I am the first one to be a cynic when it comes to anything that would be classified as a sign, wonder or miracle. Maybe it’s my own inability to really believe that God would work a miracle in my life, or to allow me to see a miracle to happen. But miracles come from the grace of God; it isn’t based upon the credentials of any person, or is it assured for those who have enough faith. God grace is the only prerequisite for a miracle and God gives his grace freely and as he will. I need to pray that God will allow me to see miracles, but I also need to look at my life as a miracle, and what he has graciously given me as a miracle and testament to the Grace and love that God has for me.

12. Persevering Grace: This grace allows me to know that I have a persevering relationship with Christ. My relationship with him is ongoing, and I have the ability to repent of sin and return to him if and when I do go astray.

            Phil. 1:6-7 This assures me that, although I will not live a life without sin or fault, but that Christ will continually pursue me. It also tells me that with the new heart that Christ has given me, if I do stray from his path, my heart will long to return to Him. I also know, as in the story of the prodigal son, that Christ will not only welcome me home, but will with open arms and forgive all completely. It also assures me that the work that God has started in me will be completed. God will persevere and finish what he started, and I should look at any work that I feel called by God, through prayer, will be completed with behind, alongside, and at times under me the whole way.

13. Glorifying Grace: This is the grace we have been promised. When our spirits will be resurrected and will come together with our glorified bodies.

            Romans 8:30-32 This is the ultimate grace that God gives us. This isn’t something he owes to anyone. As we are all sinners we are all destined to hell. But God grace, and the promises that have been given, give us hope for the eternal lives we will have worshiping and living with God. To walk the streets with Christ will be the fulfillment of the grace that he has given to each one that accepts Him as his savior. From the beginning to the end God is in control of it all. He does everything, his grace is sufficient for me.

Stand up, Stand Firm

From November 22, 2010

Matthew 16:21 ...that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law.

Matthew 16:24-28  The Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdome."

Paraphrase v.24-28 Those who follow him will go through the same thing he did.

 

Here, as well as other places in the Bible, it mentions how we will go through the same things that Christ has gone through. I found it interesting that it only mentions the "religious" people that will be doing the persecution; the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law.

 

I think this brings up an important fact: our persecution for standing firm on what we believe, as long as it's backed by Biblical truth, won't come only from the "World" but from the "religious" as well. I believe this is the hardest type of persecution to endure. But Christ said this would happen and that eh would be with us and that we should not fear. We should not stay silent on account of our age, or how long we've been saved, but if we see unsound doctrine being taught, a brother stumbling, or any other act that could hinder the spreading of the Gospel we should ALWAYS speak up no matter what others think, whether of the World or of the Faith.

 

Lord, I pray that you give me the strength, as well as the insight to speak up when appropriate, as well as wisdom and understanding. I also pray that your words are spoken through me, and not my own ideas and "religious" thinking.

Good Fruit

From November 22, 2010

 

Matthew 12:33  "A tree is identified by it's fruit. If a tree is good, it's fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, it's fruit will be bad."

 

Just like the fig tree Jesus uses the parable to explain how our actions show the world who we are. There is no in between here, with good and bad fruit mixed together. If we are true believers, our actions will speak louder than we ever can.

 

What are my fruits telling others about me? I should be living a life full of good fruit. Even when the winds of circumstances blow, my fruit should be strong and hold fast.

 

Lord, help me to bear good fruit. I want to SHOW others your love and change.