Legalism: But the Bible Doesnt Say We Have To do That pt3

Proposition 1: The traditions of men are hiding behind the skirt of “ but the bible doesn’t say we have to do that”

Proposition 2: "the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force." (note i will not make the case for this proposition since the bible just plain ol says it. More than once I think. To the King and his Kingdom!)

I meant to sit down and thank Marc this am and correct myself but pretty quick I shove my hand all the way up the hornets nest. Please read twice if your hair stands on end.

Marc I forgot to thank you for asking questions and poking, prodding and stirring the pot a little. I know it keeps things from sticking to the bottom of the pan and helps to clarify.

I need to correct myself. When I wrote this…. The issue is that their big argument isnt to point torwards a more biblical way, or to show how you are biblically incorrect but rather.... " but the bible doesnt say we have to do that!" I guess Im calling into question their standard!?! Or lack of it?!?

It was that last sentence…. “ I guess Im calling into question their standard!?! Or lack of it?!? To intimate that they lack a standard is to say someone has found some neutral ground. A place of no rules or standards. No such realm exists anywhere. But there are lots and lots of pretenders!!!!

As Rob taught on last Sunday in Luke….Jesus said, you are with me or against me. No fence sitting with Jesus. No innocent bystander. They couldn’t get him on the cross fast enough.

In this case the standard really is, what the rest of the culture is doing. For the believers it is what everyone in the modern church is doing. I want to call this “soft humanism.” For the most part we Christians have been doing the same thing, tagging along, trying to use Jesus to put a happy face on the pagan behavior patterns. J

I think that a motivation that puts us in error is a rampant fear of being legalistic. We think it is the unpardonable sin. We think it was a main reason Jesus came, to put those pharasee’s in their place for being legalistic. They were so judgemental!!! Gods word shows many times, that Jesus took the fire hose to the Pharasee’s, “because you make law of Gods to no effect by your traditions of men.” Was it that they were judgemental or was it the standard that they used that really ticked off God? Gods law brings us freedom!

The traditions of men is what we should be afraid of! It will be the same charge God brings against us today. Because we have not studied all of the word and worked at applying it we fall prey to “neutral” traditions of men, they seem to make sense and we don’t see alternatives and a real truth is they appeal to our flesh because WE get to make the call or we can be innocent bystanders and avoid conflict. The First church of the Manpleaser. Hey I have been very guilty.

Example of a modern tradition men. Because we had lost the old paths. For the most part the church didn’t question Dating between men and women, let alone boys and girls, the last 75 yrs in the church. We have tried to make it safer and have railed against the natural outcomes of putting men and women in these situations. We have thought, that there was no alternative… So can we find a way to minimize the casualties? Which you cannot do because the whole premise is outside of Gods design. The father abdicates his protection of his daughter is just the tip of the iceberg.

Legalism. Again this column From Doug Wilson called infinity at the top helps give another angle to look at the area of standards and not become legalistic. His "But A is not A" is just great background for this topic too.

What I wrote today could be easily misinterpreted, if you read infinity at the top and understand that I can see what he is talking about you will feel better if this has made some nervous.