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http://www.adrian.warnock.info/2005/10/good-news-end-of-rules-blogging.htm
Good News- the end of rules
Religions the world over have one thing in common: rules
If we are honest rules both attract us with their ability to give us certainty about what we should do and repel us because we find they put limits on us which these bodies cry out to have removed.
To many people Christianity is just another religion with its on set of ’Thou shalt nots’ Paul seems to have another view altogether........
Gal 2:16 we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
2:19. -3:5 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain’if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith
Gal 3:10-14 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ’Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ’The righteous shall live by faith.’ But the law is not of faith, rather ’The one who does them shall live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us’for it is written, ’Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’’ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
3:21-27 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
TODAYS TALK IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL AS IT IS THE SAME BATTLEGROUND ON WHICH THAT EVERY HERESY AND EVERY FALSE RELIGION FIGHTS
IN ESSENSE THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO LIVE- ONE to AIM TO PLEASE GOD BY KEEPING RULES, THE SECOND IS TO COME TO HIM WITH EMPTY HANDS WITH NOTHING TO BRING BUT OUR NEEDINESS AND SIN.
Many a person is at least partially rellying on their own ability to use our obedience to rules to impress God. We feel at times that we can say ’well done’ pat ourselves on the back and feel that God is well pleased with us.
At other times we feel condemned......
There is a bible word for this depending on our own obedience to God to make us acceptable to him- legalism
Legalism KILLs us ’ we can be legalistic towards each other only accepting people who somehow ’fit in’ and obey all the rules that we have set for ourselves.
Legalism needs to be attacked in the strongest possible terms- as it is a persistent foe.
In every man of grace there is a legalist struggling to get out. Many of us have grown up with legalism in our homes, in our churches, and most of all in our hearts. Legalism doesn’t easily let go. Old attitudes die hard ’ if we are not careful even preaching can be interpreted in such a way that it seems to be hammering the church.
Legalism can creep up on us and we do well to examine ourselves for evidence of legalism......
Legalism often starts off meaning well- placing ’Hedges’ of protection around sin to protect us-
-Thou shalt not get drunk becomes, thou shalt not drink any alcohol becomes thou shalt not go to the pub becomes thou shalt not go on the same street as a pub becomes thou shalt not talk to anyone who goes to the pub
-Many Christians of a previous generation recognised the godlessness present in many Hollywood films and said ’ watch none of them they are worldly. In fact, don’t go near a cinema- we would be in trouble!
BUT SUCH RULES DO NOT REMOVE SIN AS IT IS STILL INSIDE YOU- all too often, people can think they are protected from sin but suddenly a BIG rule gets broken- People can ’strain out a gnat and yet swallow a camel’ (Mt 23:24)
-Christianity is not a religion precisely because it actually should spell the END of petty rules
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone- NOT by works so no one can boast
In Chapter one, Paul spoke of those trying to pevert the gospel- also could be translated ’reverse’
The good news is not about what we do for God, but rather about what he has done for us
False religion always moves the focus onto what we must do for God. Rules to keep if we want to please him (and others!)
It is so easy to drift into legalism- want somehow to repay God, to somehow earn forgiveness.
Legalism is about trying to impress God. This should not be confused with discipline!
What are the signs you are a legalist?
-Legalism will always leave you swinging between feeling self righteous or condemned
-Legalism encourages you to compare yourself to others and conclude you are better or worse than them. GRACE encourages you to instead compare yourself with Christ and realise that whilst you still have a long way to go, you are also a long way from what you used to be.
-legalism leaves you worrying about what others think (see talk on rejection) if you cant be honest with others about your struggles there is something wrong.
-legalism produces heaviness, weariness and depression (happiness cannot co-exist with legalism)
-Grace exalts God, legalism exalts ourselves
-Grace makes much of God and his kindness to us. Legalism makes much of us and our ’good acts’.
’’a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ’ (Gal 2:16)
GOD JUSTIFIES US SO WE DONT HAVE TO- DONT defend yourself or explain yourself- you answer to God alone and if you have faith in Jesus he is PLEASED with you
’’if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose’ (Gal 2:21)
IF you think God isnt pleased with you because of something you have done- you are saying that Jesus death isnt enough to save you- you are saying I am bettter than God!
What do we turn into legalism?
For the non-Christian
-The immediate question many ask is ’What must I give up?’. This is kind of the wrong question as the answer is both everything and nothing. If you are asking what must I do to get into heaven- the answer is NOTHING except repent and turn to Christ in faith. If you are asking what implications will turning to Christ have to my life, the answer is probably almost everything you are thinking of and more.
Christ came to save us from our sins, not save us in our sins. He changes our hearts so we desire to follow him. The question we ask as Christians when Jesus asks us to jump is not ’Do you really mean you want me to actually leave the ground and jump?’ but rather ’how high’.
The good news is God doesn’t wait for us to get our lives sorted out before he forgives us, gives us a clean slate and takes us into his family. Instead he accepts us as we are, but loves us too much not to help us change- one step at a time.
Will you take one step towards God?
Legalism is a problem Christians struggle with also-
Often it is GOOD things that can get turned into legalism
-Daily quiet time- is it because we love God and want to learn from him or because we area frightened he wont approve or will punish us. What happens if our alarm doesn’t go off one day and we leave without doing it? I often do mine on the train or in the car- the latter I like coz it can be a noisy time! People must sometimes think I am mad if I am muttering to myself on the train (headphones help). Actually the train is often quiet a good place as no one is likely to talk to you and interrupt you! Many a sermon prepared at least in part that way!
-Cell group attendance? It is important to go, and for sure sometimes after a busy day at work and a long commute, I feel V V tired and like it’s the last thing I want to do- that process of forcing myself out of the door is an important spiritual discipline, but why do I do it? To please God? To please Dave Pask and the other leaders of the group I attend? To look spiritual? Or because I love God, and know that I will benefit from the time, in short because I need Him to help me? What about the week when I am away and cant go- am I suddenly less spiritual?
-Sat AM prayer meeting. Without compulsion we regularly have around a third of Sunday attendance there- is it because we want to please Tope? Of course not, but rather because we know that meeting is the powerhouse of the church. It may not be many of our favourite time of day (8 AM on a sat is for sleeping isn’t it?) but we meet God there, and it is no coincidence that a corner was turned in the life of the church around the time that people really started to attend that meeting and cry out to God to bless us, to bring growth to us, and to save souls’..
The issue of justification speaks to a deeply felt need the need to ’justify’ our actions. The need to prove ourselves to be in the right. All along of course we know only too well we are not. We know in our heart of hearts that God is good and we are not. Other religions give us rules and say ’try harder and you will make it’. Christianity says, in terms of trying to earn your way to heaven, stop trying at all- Jesus has done it all for you.
The wonder of the gospel is that we have done nothing to deserve Gods love and are expected to do nothing to deserve it.
Justification, and righteousness come from the same root- related to the legal process- declared not guilty Justification is one technical word you have to learn if you want to understand Christianity. ’Declared not guilty’ or ’just as if I’d never sinned’
The Law shows us the nature of sin and our powerlessness to conquer it in our lives.
PRINT ON A PAGE CAN NEVER MAKE US HOLY ON ITS OWN.
LAW TELLS US WHAT IS WRONG WITH US AND DOESNT GIVE US ANY POWER TO CHANGE.
Impossibly high ideal. Christ said ’Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect’
’The law does not come to save us but to show us our need of a Saviour. Satan wants to trick us into trying to prove ourselves holy by the law which God gave to prove us sinners. The law came to rub it in. Jesus came to rub it out’ Terry Virgo
IF YOU BREAK EVEN ONE LAW THEN YOU HAVE BROKEN THE CHAIN AND DESERVE DEATH AND ARE UNDER A CURSE.
JESUS BECAME THE CURSE FOR US ’ HE WAS ACTIVELY PUNISHED BY GOD SO THAT WE CAN BE FORGIVEN
READ GAL 2:19ff and 3:1-13 AGAIN
LAW IS FINISHED IN OUR LIVES, WE HAVE DIED TO IT.
YOUR IDENTITY IS THE FRIEND OF GOD, you are RIGHEOUS BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE.
WHEN GOD LOOKS AT YOU it is AS THOUGH YOU ARE HIDDEN IN HIS SON. YOU CAN NEVER BE MORE ACCEPTED BY GOD THAN YOU WERE WHEN YOU FIRST BELIEVED.
The end of the ’oughts’. Always stop yourself if you find yourself saying ’I ought to do’.’ or ’I have to’.’
You dont have to do anything......
This should raise a question in our minds- if God really has accepted us despite what we do, if the law is abolished for the Christian then why cant Christians just continue to live as they choose? How do I change?
This will be the subject of our next talk, but for today bask in the wonder that in one sense this is absolutely true. I think it was Augustine who said ’Love God and do as you choose’
This might seem a dangerous doctrine, but it sets us free from the slavery of the law so that we may serve Christ- we will learn next time just how we are meant to do that
