It Comes From Galatians, It Really Does.
People sometimes ask me why I so loathe legalism. "Mike," they say, "why do you so loathe legalism? I mean, I know legalism is wrong, I don't like it either. But when you see legalism you get all like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. What's up with that?"
Some might think it's because I'm some kind of recovering fundamentalist reacting with bitterness against the legalism of my youth. Nope, I grew up basic pagan and ever since my conversion I've been in good gracious churches. I have no scars to show from the legalists, no personal bitterness.
Well then it must be that I'm a licentious grace abuser and I loathe legalists because they threaten my freedom. Nope, I didn't really start exercising the legs of my Christian liberty until my 30s. Never drank scotch until a few years ago, after my vitriolic rampage against legalism was already a decade old.
So where does it come from? It comes from Galatians, it really does. My pastor opened this book up for me in 1991 while I was in seminary and showed me legalism in all its lethal vileness. Then I preached it in 1999-2000 and solidified my convictions. Want a sample? Here's a sermon called "Becoming a Hypocrite: One Man's Journey" from Galatians 2:11-14.
http://www.communityefc.org/mp3/sermons/1999/CEFC_1999101700_16kbps_mono.mp3
Jesus spoke gently to prostitutes and severely to legalists. Paul told legalists to emasculate themselves and go to hell. (Gal 5:12, 1:8). Does it bother you then that so many Christians speak harshly to those who struggle with the sins of the flesh, but give legalists a pass, calling them (wrongly) weaker brothers?
Some might think it's because I'm some kind of recovering fundamentalist reacting with bitterness against the legalism of my youth. Nope, I grew up basic pagan and ever since my conversion I've been in good gracious churches. I have no scars to show from the legalists, no personal bitterness.
Well then it must be that I'm a licentious grace abuser and I loathe legalists because they threaten my freedom. Nope, I didn't really start exercising the legs of my Christian liberty until my 30s. Never drank scotch until a few years ago, after my vitriolic rampage against legalism was already a decade old.
So where does it come from? It comes from Galatians, it really does. My pastor opened this book up for me in 1991 while I was in seminary and showed me legalism in all its lethal vileness. Then I preached it in 1999-2000 and solidified my convictions. Want a sample? Here's a sermon called "Becoming a Hypocrite: One Man's Journey" from Galatians 2:11-14.
http://www.communityefc.org/mp3/sermons/1999/CEFC_1999101700_16kbps_mono.mp3
Jesus spoke gently to prostitutes and severely to legalists. Paul told legalists to emasculate themselves and go to hell. (Gal 5:12, 1:8). Does it bother you then that so many Christians speak harshly to those who struggle with the sins of the flesh, but give legalists a pass, calling them (wrongly) weaker brothers?
posted by isaiah543 at 9:18 PM
1 Comments:
Actually I made up the goodfellas bit. The "some people say to me..." thing was a rhetorical device. (So then you were lying... says the legalist. "Bite me," says the pastor.) But real people have accused me of either being a recovering fundamentalist or a grace-abuser. My rampages seem to unsettle people and they need to explain me away.
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