Did you know that if you are a legalist you are separated from Christ? This is what Paul said to Galatians. Some tried to be saved by the law and Paul said they were preaching a false gospel, that they were separated from Jesus.
Did you know that if you are a legalist, you are proud and you believe that there are good things in you? These are lies that must be removed to become a true Christian Find out the 5 ways not to be a legalist
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates this point well. Was Paul a Pharisee, he was in name but Paul was the ultimate example of a non-legalist. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector We see that the Pharisee thinks he is good, the tax collector knows he is a bad person. Which side are you on?
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Luke 18 9 To some who were convinced of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, criminals, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of everything I get.'
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said: 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home righteous before God. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
1 Accept that you are not good
The only way you can cleanse yourself of legalism is to realize that you are not good and that only God is good. If you don't, there is no hope for you. If you ask the question to a hundred people on the street
Are you a good person
How many will say that I am a good person? Almost everyone
It shows that legalism is almost everywhere in society. Some countries are more legalistic than others.
The Pharisee and the tax collector show that you can be a Christian and be a bad person. The name Christian means nothing. The Bible says there is none good, not even one, they are all gone astray, there is none that seeketh God
The Bible also says that if we are not connected to the root, the branch has no spiritual life in it. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We accept the fact that there is not a good person on earth, not even one
All our good deeds are like filthy rags. You can do your best and without God it is still bad because the intentions are evil, selfish, corrupt. When Jesus was taken, all the apostles fled. We are only men, we are dust, we are clay, men are not God. There has never been a good man since the creation of the world.
Some people are less evil than others, but they are still evil because there is no good inside people. Paul said I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. When I want to do good, there is evil in me.
If Paul, the best Christian that ever lived, can say how much more are you and I wicked? Was Paul a Pharisee yes but God changed Paul to realize his sinfulness and receive the righteousness of Jesus. Paul killed Christians and in his legalism he thought he was doing a good deed.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows that some Christians realize that they are wicked and can receive Jesus' righteousness by faith. If you don't ask Jesus for His righteousness every day, you will fail.
2 Accept that you are a sinner
Have you ever sinned? Then you are not a good person. Some churches teach that your good deeds eliminate the bad deeds. No Adam and Eve did not sin and they died. The same for you and me for one sin, only you and I deserve to die.
The wages of sin is death
Sin is transgression of the law. Not human law sin is transgression of God's law. We must also keep human laws because God said so. We are sinners and all people have sinned, interesting to know that Jesus never sinned when he was on earth. That is why Jesus could pay our price on the cross.
The Pharisee and the tax collector show that the Pharisee beat his chest and said God, I am a god person I do this and that. Interesting to see that legalists believe that when they do things they get righteousness. This shows their evil heart as they try to buy God's favor, they try to receive righteousness by doing .
So it shows that legalists and Pharisees are not good because being good would be something we are and if we were good we wouldn't have to do things to claim our goodness. Our goodness would already be in us. Just by saying I'm doing this I'm a good person proves that legalists are evil.
Was Paul a Pharisee yes but in Galatians Paul said so
That no one is justified by the law in the eyes of God is obvious. Here we see that people can be seen as good men in the eyes of men. But what is important to be accepted by God or accepted by men? James 4 4 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Accept that you are a sinner
3 Accept that only Jesus is good
When the young rich men came to Jesus he said Good men said Jesus
No one is good except God
Here we see another legalist whom Jesus is trying to get to see that he was trying to earn salvation by works. The Bible is clear only God is good, when people do good deeds through God's power then people were just a channel. God did the work. Men are just a conduit for good or for evil
Revelation 19 says that Jesus is
True and righteous and in righteousness he judges and makes war
To the Pharisee Jesus said Who can convict me of sin. But in the eyes of the world, Jesus was evil, because the Pharisees said he has a devil. It shows how corrupt and faulty the judgment of men is.
4 Accept that only Jesus has righteousness
The good news is that Jesus has the solution. Jesus wants you to see that you are not good and you never will be and only in Jesus is a power called righteousness by faith that can help you receive His righteousness.
It will not mean that you will never sin again but you get up after a fall and walk again, yet we do not walk in our own power but in God's power and righteousness. Yet it is possible to never sin again.
The Pharisee and the tax collector show how many people who claim to be religious are wicked, selfish, proud and blind to their own spiritual condition. In different countries we see the same thing, religious and atheists all over the world think they are good.
They do not realize that only God has the solution, the righteousness by faith that gives power to do and be good.
Was Paul a Pharisee before his blind encounter yes we see that God blinded Paul because legalists see themselves as good in their own eyes. We see that God sees things completely differently than humans see things.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows that human principles and righteousness are useless in changing the heart. Human dogmas are useless in making anyone good. Human edicts are powerless to change their citizens into good, honest, kind people
5 Accept that if you don't, you can't get to heaven
This is such a serious topic because many religious people believe that by accepting Jesus they will automatically go to heaven. It's not true
Jesus said to the foolish virgins
I know not whence ye depart from me, ye that work iniquity
Is this the same loving Jesus who took children in his arms telling fifty percent of Christianity Go away? Yes The five virgins represent half of all Christianity.
Many come in my name and say we did it
Prophesied
Cast out devils
Many wonderful works
It is possible that this fifty percent of Christianity with today's numbers is about a billion people. They helped the poor, they went to church every week, they fed the hungry. Yet Jesus will tell them that you do not have the garment of weeding, the works you thought you did yourself, and to receive the glory of men.
Jesus said how can you believe you who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from God alone. Jesus also said
Not the one who praises himself is accepted, but the one whom the Lord praises.
The men came into the wedding feast with their own righteousness and their own works. He was sure he could go in because he was a Christian and never did much harm. But he had his own righteousness and robbed God of his glory, and thought that he was God as all men who are legalists believe themselves to be God.
If you don't ask for Jesus' righteousness you will have your own, you cannot have borh at the same time. Earthly corrupt works of God's perfect holiness and righteousness. Which will you choose. Choose this day that you will receive
your humanly flawed works or the perfect righteousness of Jesus?
Repeat after me Father God, I see myself as a sinner now I ask you to forgive me
Place your righteousness upon me and help me walk with you until Jesus comes in Jesus name amen Read amazing prophecy books EARTHLASTDAY.COM
