|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Archive - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
"Wrong perceptions foster legalism"What fosters legalism in the body of Christ? A wrong perception of God and His purpose for His creation is what fosters a legalistic churchianity. Let's have a look at some of the commonly held perceptions of God and His purpose that continue to propagate legalism and religious bondage.
*God put human beings on earth and gave them "free wills" so they could choose to love and trust Him in this lifetime and go to heaven as a reward for so doing.
*God created human beings so they could choose where they will spend eternity either in heaven or hell.
*God's purpose is ultimately to have a human race that is forever divided between winners and losers--and most will be losers for few every will find the narrow way.
*God's ultimate purpose is to trash and burn forever those who do not perform in a wise and timely manner and to value and help those who do.
*God plans to help those who help themselves.
*God is looking for people who will trust and love Him "freely" while they also bear in mind that He plans to consign to endless torture those who fail to do so.
*God's purpose is to value and love only a few people (for his own mysterious and "holy" reasons) and to trash and burn forever the vast majority of people whom He has chosen not to love.
*God's purpose is that you trust only in His grace--while at the same time--trusting also in your free will to make wise and timely choices so that His grace can succeed in saving you.
*God's purpose is that the spiritually fittest will survive and all of the unfit will be trashed and burned forever.
*God's purpose is to save the sinners who are spiritually sensitive enough to recognize their need for Him and get rid of the worst of sinners who are too self-deluded for His power to reach and transform.
*God's purpose in sending His Son Jesus Christ into the world was so that He could beat Him to smithereens because He had to vent His fury on SOMEONE.
*God's purpose is gather up a load of souls before it's too late and thus to call out a church to take to heaven while sending the world to "hell forever."
*God's purpose is to love all of us unconditionally while trashing and burning all of those who do not meet the condition of "receiving" His unconditional love before they die.
*God's purpose was to demonstrate to earth's inhabitants that He is Love Personified that never fails--unless YOU fail.
*God's purpose was to demonstrate to earth's inhabitants that Love is unconditional--on the condition that--He has chosen to love you instead of burn you forever for the sins you inherited from Adam and thus cannot help but commit.
*God's purpose was to save a few people only by grace through faith which is not of ourselves, but send us to heaven or hell, based on our works as is demonstrated in Matthew 25. For faith without works is dead.
*God's purpose was to put us on earth demanding that we love and forgive each other UNCONDITIONALLY--70 x 7 daily--while He Himself plans to trash and burn forever all who do not meet certain requirements (including forgiving others unconditionally) before a given deadline.
*God's purpose was to show us that we are capable of loving others more than he does--if only we exercise our free wills and DO it!
*God's purpose was that we should be "holy" like Himself so we too can delight in the righteousness and justice of burning our enemies forever--that is, in the ages to come. However, at this time, His purpose is that we love and care for them UNconditionally.
*God's purpose is to demonstrate that people who have been "truly" born again WILL perform this feat, and all of the false Christians who have NOT been truly born again will fail to accomplish it and be sent to "hell forever."
*God's purpose is that we love Him with all of our heart, soul, MIND, and strength--while bearing in mind--that His REDEMPTIVE AND MEANINGFUL love toward us is conditional on whether or not we demonstrate by our deeds that we have had authentic saving faith in Him in this lifetime.
*God's purpose is that His elect rejoice in their own salvation and that of all the others in the elect--whether past, present or future elect--and be happy with His justice in His not electing their loved ones for heaven and sending them to "eternal hell." (For does not the Scripture declare that the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart?)
*God's purpose in calling out an elect people for His name is to take them to heaven to the everlasting exclusion of the rest of the human race.
*God's purpose for sending His Son into the world was NOT to save it, but instead, to give its remaining inhabitants a chance to make it to heaven.
*God's purpose in demanding that we adore and worship and praise Him is because He very much needs and enjoys being loved and affirmed by people who will "freely" do so--or else!!!
*God's purpose in bringing (or "allowing") evil and pain to last "forever and ever" is that His "holiness" and "glory" are best seen and appreciated against the inky black backdrop of these never-ending horrors.
---------------------
(sigh...)In light of all of the above stated glorious purposes of our loving Creator which are being proclaimed and embraced throughout the body of Christ...
Why, why, WHY is there so much exclusivism, legalism and spiritual pride in the church!!??
Legalism is the BANE of Christianity.
When will folks ever learn that what the gospel is all about is GRACE--and God's UNCONDITIONAL LOVE???
Love to all--
CharlieP.S. In case some missed the irony intended in the last 3 sentences...
I've actually heard those who believe that only a few will ever be saved preach, saying things like, "Why, why, why is there so much exclusivisim, legalism, judgment, joylessness and spiritual pride in the church? Legalism is the BANE of Christianity! When will folks every learn that the gospel is all about GRACE--and God's UNCONDITIONAL LOVE???" etc. I know many Christians who are constantly preaching against " performance-based religiosity" and "legalism"--and at the same time--would you believe that they INSIST on hanging on to the belief that God gets rid of billions of people who fail to perform correctly? Right now, much of "grace oriented" evangelicalism is sort of like a dog chasing it's tail, whaddayathink...
Charlie
Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff