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Legalism: Difference between revisions
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The ancient church father Tertullian is reputed to have said, “Just as Jesus was crucified between two thieves, so the gospel is ever crucified between these two errors.” What are these errors to which Tertullian was referring? The theological terms are '''legalism''' and '''antinomianism'''. Another way to describe them could be moralism and relativism (or pragmatism). | {{Top of Page}} | ||
The ancient church father Tertullian is reputed to have said, “Just as Jesus was crucified between two thieves, so the gospel is ever crucified between these two errors.” | |||
What are these errors to which Tertullian was referring? The theological terms are '''legalism''' and '''antinomianism'''. Another way to describe them could be moralism and relativism (or pragmatism). | |||
*'''Legalism''' says that we have to live a holy, good life if we want God to love us. | *'''Legalism''' says that we have to live a holy, good life if we want God to love us. | ||
*'''Antinomianism''' says that because we are saved, we don’t have to live a holy, good life. | *'''Antinomianism''' says that because we are saved, we don’t have to live a holy, good life. | ||
The | The Gospel is simply the good news that God has accomplished our salvation for us through Christ, in order to bring us into a right relationship with him and eventually to destroy all the results of sin in the world. | ||
“Moralism/legalism” stresses truth without grace, for it claims we must obey the truth to be saved. On the other hand, “relativism/antinomianism” stresses grace without truth, for it claims we are all accepted by God, and we each have to decide what is right for us. We must never forget that '''Jesus was full of grace and truth'''. (John 1:14)<ref>Timothy J. Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).</ref> | “Moralism/legalism” stresses truth without grace, for it claims we must obey the truth to be saved. On the other hand, “relativism/antinomianism” stresses grace without truth, for it claims we are all accepted by God, and we each have to decide what is right for us. We must never forget that '''Jesus was full of grace and truth'''. (John 1:14)<ref>Timothy J. Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).</ref> | ||
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The gospel neither leads us to live a guilty life (since God has lovingly accepted us), nor an unholy life (since the God who has accepted us is perfectly holy). To forget the first is to fall into legalism, and lose our freedom; to forget the second is to abuse our freedom. Both mean we lose grasp of the gospel. | The gospel neither leads us to live a guilty life (since God has lovingly accepted us), nor an unholy life (since the God who has accepted us is perfectly holy). To forget the first is to fall into legalism, and lose our freedom; to forget the second is to abuse our freedom. Both mean we lose grasp of the gospel. | ||
=Legalism= | =Legalism= | ||
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Pray before you read scripture, asking that Jesus would reveal himself to you through his word. And seek to grow in your understanding of all three of his offices and ministries. I assure you it will change everything. You’ll love him like you’ve never loved him, you’ll enjoy him like you’ve enjoyed him. And the times when you need him most, you’ll run to him, not from him because you will understand that he alone is able to help in your time of need, and he sympathizes. He sympathizes. And so he will receive you in love. <ref>Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive 2005-2009 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009).</ref> | Pray before you read scripture, asking that Jesus would reveal himself to you through his word. And seek to grow in your understanding of all three of his offices and ministries. I assure you it will change everything. You’ll love him like you’ve never loved him, you’ll enjoy him like you’ve enjoyed him. And the times when you need him most, you’ll run to him, not from him because you will understand that he alone is able to help in your time of need, and he sympathizes. He sympathizes. And so he will receive you in love. <ref>Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive 2005-2009 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009).</ref> | ||
=Quotes of William Branham= | |||
'''''I can only speak the Word. It's up to you to decide. But remember, this same message will judge you.''' It's on magnetic tape in heaven, and it'll be played over again at the day of the judgment.<ref>CONFERENCES_ BLOOMINGTON.IL 61-0410</ref> | |||
''"Oh, I swear that I never trespassed the vows of my husband." Your husband will judge you for it if you did. But God will judge you by what kind of a spirit you got in you; not judge you by your body, but by your spirit, that inner man.<ref>THE.GOD.OF.THIS.EVIL.AGE_ JEFF.IN 65-0801M</ref> | |||
''That's what's the matter with our country today. The reason we got so many loose-leaf things in the earth today, the penalties are not strong enough. If a man was caught running out with another man's wife, they should both be taken out in public and castrated, right, public, and turned loose. That's right. '''If a man is caught doing anything wrong, down the road, speeding, he oughtn't to be given less than ten years'''; he's pre-... premeditated murder. See? You put penalties like that on it, you'll slow them down.<ref>CHRIST.IS.REVEALED.IN.HIS.OWN.WORD JEFF.IN 65-0822M</ref> | |||
''A man told me not long ago, said, "I don't preach a clothes-line religion." | |||
''I said, "Then you're not preaching the Gospel." Yeah. | |||
< | ''God laid it out there, He said what to do. And you either do it... That's your natural, reasonable thing. What little thing... what... the little insignificant. '''Jesus said, "Blessed are they that would take all the little thing, do the little things.'''" And a woman to let her hair grow, that's just a... why, it's just something she can do, and she won't even do that. She won't even do that.<ref>GOD'S.ONLY.PROVIDED.PLACE.OF.WORSHIP_ SHP.LA 65-1128M</ref> | ||
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