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{{Legalism}} | |||
What is legalism? Did William Branham teach a legalistic version of the Gospel? Are his followers legalistic? Are there specific rules that message believers must live by? | |||
What | =What is legalism?= | ||
'''The New Testament does not use the word “legalism”''' and, therefore, it is easy to throw around the term without defining it Biblically. But legalism is evil and the New Testament does indeed deal with it, even if it does not use the word. | |||
The | The word “legalism” can be used in at least two senses, but both have a common root problem. | ||
==God's Word as regulations== | |||
First, legalism means treating Biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to earn God’s favor. In other words, legalism is present whenever a person is trying to be ethical in his own strength, that is, without relying on the merciful help of God in Christ. Simply put, moral behavior that is not from faith is legalism (Rom. 14:23). | |||
Simply put, moral behavior that is not from faith is legalism. The legalist is always a very moral person. In fact, the majority of moral people are legalists because their behaviour does not grow out of a humble, contrite reliance on the merciful enabling of God. | |||
= | On the contrary, for the legalist, morality serves as an expression of self-reliance and self-assertion. The first meaning of legalism is the terrible mistake of treating biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to earn God’s favor. It is a danger we must guard against in our own hearts every day. And we are all prone to it.<ref>John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 153.</ref> | ||
==Erecting a code of conduct beyond scripture== | |||
The second meaning of legalism is the erecting of specific requirements of conduct beyond the teaching of Scripture and making adherence to them the means by which a person is qualified for full participation in the local family of God, the church. This is where unbiblical exclusivism arises. | |||
There is no getting around the fact that the church does not include everyone. We do exclude people from our church because we believe worship should imply commitment to the lordship of Christ, the head of the church. | |||
But exclusion of people from the church should never be taken lightly. It is a very serious matter. Schools and clubs and societies can set up any human regulations they wish in order to keep certain people out and preserve by rule a particular atmosphere. But the church is not man’s institution. It belongs to Christ. He is the head of the body, and he alone should set the entrance requirements.<ref>John Piper, Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2007).</ref> | |||
==What legalism does== | |||
*Legalism kills love for God (Revelation 3:14–22). | *Legalism kills love for God (Revelation 3:14–22). | ||
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''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> | ''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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[[Category:Doctrines]] | |||
[[Category:Legalism]] |