sunday morning

This mornings sermon was all about legalism. Unfortunately it hits close to home for me after living in Peru and even dealing with some American churches.

All too often, we lose the perspective of the Biblical standards and begin to create our own standards. I really liked the explanation that the pastor gave of that this morning. Legalism comes from UNBELIEF. As in, one does not trust God enough, so one creates rules to not need to trust God. Interesting and I think, all too true.

When we remember that there really is nothing we can do to earn God's favor and no rules we can place on others to measure them up as spiritual or not, it does sort of bring things back to Christ living through us. You know, the whole point of Christianity?

Something hit me though, churches are defined by their rules and regulations. Denominations are defined by the way they do things or the things they find acceptable or not acceptable. Christians are known or are supposed to be known by their love for one another and their love for God. Unfortunately many Christians are instead known by their own personal rules & regulations or those they enforce with the people around them. Infrequently do we truly find people that serve Christ and others because that is what truly springs from their heart. What are you defined by? Are you defined by Christ or by the rules you claim to follow?

Anyway, there are some things I want to touch on further, such as the difference between legalism & discipline; the Do-To-Be Tree; Jesus + something = idolatry; legalism as I have seen it in Peru & the US. Those are all for a later time.