(August 6, 2010)
Prayer & Medication
RPM was excellent once again. It's so fulfilling for me to see a growing group of men gathering for the purpose of seeking God.
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My message this weekend is going to have an evangelist twist to it. Please be in prayer for it and ask God to help you in getting someone to the service who needs Christ.
====================================
Devotional!
A proneness to be always judging the rights and wrongs of everything can ultimately become an attitude of mind, and an obsession. With time grace is merely a theory and legalism is the only thing you pay attention to. You toe the line and you make sure everybody else toes the line. You say things like, “Yeah I know we are saved by grace – but if you were really a Christian you wouldn’t do this or you wouldn’t do that.” The simple test for legalism is how it must ultimately make salvation depend upon works.
The problem with legalism is the demand it puts on others. It’s very common for us to put certain standards on ourselves. We are saved by grace, and we understand all of that, but gradually we develop a lifestyle that we call “Christian.” Within our “Christian” lifestyle we develop certain boundaries for ourselves. All of that is fine. If you don’t want to do certain things as a Christian, that’s not a problem. Look at it this way. When the unmerciful servant was forgiven of his debt – it was erased. If after being forgiven he decides on his own to pay his master back – there is nothing wrong with that. But it doesn’t add to his salvation one bit. The problem would not have been any kind of standard he adapted for himself. The problem is the standard he adapted for someone else.
A legal spirit is an unforgiving spirit. The unmerciful servant taught us that in Matthew 18. Rather than forgiveness the legalist is prone to argument. Reasoning is the business of the Law courts. I love watching court cases. I love watching lawyers reason. The emotions of the heart have a very small place in a court of law. However, logic and the ability to argue thrive in court. The pharisaical mind can dispute every matter and prove its correctness, even from the Scriptures. It loves controversy. It is so argumentative that it can never conceive of the possibility of it being wrong because it feels it has the law on it’s side. And that is the spirit of the Pharisees. When you believe you are in line with the law you become very adamant about your position? You feel righteous. Suddenly you are exalting yourself above Christ and putting the law above grace.
The legalist imagines he knows just how and why God works as though divine activity could be reduced to mere formula. He will probe into every circumstance where the Lord’s blessing seems to be lacking, seeking the cause in some supposed breach of spiritual rules. Now while it is true that spiritual principles do apply in all God’s working, we can never confine Him to our understanding of His laws. Grace always goes beyond such limits and surprises those who live by it. The legalist, however, is never surprised, for he imagines that he knows the explanation and the cause of all that takes place. To him everything happens according to a person’s obedience to God.
Legalism has a paralyzing effect on spiritual life. Legalism really hinders love. The legalist believes that he finds favor with God through his actions. Therefore, when he encounters someone who does not follow the rules he cannot allow himself to love them for fear he will offend God.
=====================================
Medication: A Merry Heart
Girlfriends' Lunch Out
A group of 40-year-old girlfriends discussed where they
should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the waiters
there were very good looking.
Ten years later at 50 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the food there was very good, the wine selection was
good also, and the waiters were cute.
Ten years later at 60 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because they could eat there in peace and quiet, the
restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean, and the
waiters were sweet boys.
Ten years later, at 70 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the restaurant was wheelchair accessible, they even
had an elevator, and the waiters were kindly.
Ten years later, at 80 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because they had never been there before.
Prayer & Medication
RPM was excellent once again. It's so fulfilling for me to see a growing group of men gathering for the purpose of seeking God.
-----------------------------------------------------------
My message this weekend is going to have an evangelist twist to it. Please be in prayer for it and ask God to help you in getting someone to the service who needs Christ.
====================================
Devotional!
A proneness to be always judging the rights and wrongs of everything can ultimately become an attitude of mind, and an obsession. With time grace is merely a theory and legalism is the only thing you pay attention to. You toe the line and you make sure everybody else toes the line. You say things like, “Yeah I know we are saved by grace – but if you were really a Christian you wouldn’t do this or you wouldn’t do that.” The simple test for legalism is how it must ultimately make salvation depend upon works.
The problem with legalism is the demand it puts on others. It’s very common for us to put certain standards on ourselves. We are saved by grace, and we understand all of that, but gradually we develop a lifestyle that we call “Christian.” Within our “Christian” lifestyle we develop certain boundaries for ourselves. All of that is fine. If you don’t want to do certain things as a Christian, that’s not a problem. Look at it this way. When the unmerciful servant was forgiven of his debt – it was erased. If after being forgiven he decides on his own to pay his master back – there is nothing wrong with that. But it doesn’t add to his salvation one bit. The problem would not have been any kind of standard he adapted for himself. The problem is the standard he adapted for someone else.
A legal spirit is an unforgiving spirit. The unmerciful servant taught us that in Matthew 18. Rather than forgiveness the legalist is prone to argument. Reasoning is the business of the Law courts. I love watching court cases. I love watching lawyers reason. The emotions of the heart have a very small place in a court of law. However, logic and the ability to argue thrive in court. The pharisaical mind can dispute every matter and prove its correctness, even from the Scriptures. It loves controversy. It is so argumentative that it can never conceive of the possibility of it being wrong because it feels it has the law on it’s side. And that is the spirit of the Pharisees. When you believe you are in line with the law you become very adamant about your position? You feel righteous. Suddenly you are exalting yourself above Christ and putting the law above grace.
The legalist imagines he knows just how and why God works as though divine activity could be reduced to mere formula. He will probe into every circumstance where the Lord’s blessing seems to be lacking, seeking the cause in some supposed breach of spiritual rules. Now while it is true that spiritual principles do apply in all God’s working, we can never confine Him to our understanding of His laws. Grace always goes beyond such limits and surprises those who live by it. The legalist, however, is never surprised, for he imagines that he knows the explanation and the cause of all that takes place. To him everything happens according to a person’s obedience to God.
Legalism has a paralyzing effect on spiritual life. Legalism really hinders love. The legalist believes that he finds favor with God through his actions. Therefore, when he encounters someone who does not follow the rules he cannot allow himself to love them for fear he will offend God.
=====================================
Medication: A Merry Heart
Girlfriends' Lunch Out
A group of 40-year-old girlfriends discussed where they
should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the waiters
there were very good looking.
Ten years later at 50 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the food there was very good, the wine selection was
good also, and the waiters were cute.
Ten years later at 60 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because they could eat there in peace and quiet, the
restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean, and the
waiters were sweet boys.
Ten years later, at 70 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the restaurant was wheelchair accessible, they even
had an elevator, and the waiters were kindly.
Ten years later, at 80 years of age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was
agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because they had never been there before.
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