A Word About Traditions
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One of the most commonly hurled accusations against holiness Christians is that we practice “LEGALISM.” When I hear that charge, I ask, “What is LEGALISM?” I find that most people have no clear understanding of what legalism is. It is NOT a biblical term. Both Jesus and the Apostles admonished men to keep the commandments, but they often condemned extra-biblical, unbiblical traditions. If a teaching is justified by the Word of God, it is not legalism. Every true believer should carefully strive to keep all the commandments of God.
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2 Thessalonians 2:15 - “…hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”
Be Diligent To Be Found Without Spot And Blameless
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Many “grace” preachers hurl charges of legalism against every Christian who makes any emphasis of keeping Commandments and following Biblical rules. “Nothing you can do can save you!” they say. That is NOT the point. The WRONG that you do damns you. God's grace has NEVER covered unrepentant, unforsaken sin. If you carelessly defile yourself with carnality, worldliness or selfish living, you are foolish to believe that Grace will automatically give you a pass. You must be DILIGENT to be spotless and blameless.
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2 Peter 3:14 - “Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
This Is The Love Of God: Keeping His Commandments
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Many preachers and professing Christians boast about how much they love Jesus, but incessantly rail against “legalism” and plead “grace” as their defense (excuse) not to keep His commandments. Such contradictions in declaration versus deeds is hard-core hypocrisy. Jesus said, “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,” Mark 7:6. The proof or evidence of your love of God is that you keep His commandments. Keeping hundreds of New Testament commandments is not legalism.
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1 John 5:3 - “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
This Is Love, That You Walk After His Commandments
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Christianity is watered-down with easy-believism and perverted teachings about grace. Anything resembling rules and regulations is viciously assaulted as “LEGALISM!” But that is very, very wrong. The New Testament contains hundreds of commandments, many re-instituted from the Old Testament. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Bottom line? If you don't keep His commandments, you don't really love Him. Teaching and obeying Biblical commandments is not legalism.
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2 John 1:6 - “This is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”
Some Men Were Ordained To Condemnation
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Jude, in writing to encourage the brethren, wanted desperately to prevent them from backsliding, begging them to “EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints.” The same people who accuse holiness teachers of being legalistic are instead guilty of turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (lustfulness) and licentiousness (allowing sin). God ordained these ungodly men to infiltrate the Church to deceive those who do not LOVE the TRUTH. Flee from them!!
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Jude 1:4 - “Certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness.”
The Sin Of Phariseeism – Hypocrisy, Not Legalism
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Nowadays, “Phariseeism” is considered synonymous with “legalism.” But this verse clear says that the Pharisees’ TEACHING was not wrong. Jesus did NOT condemn their rules (as long as they were BIBLICAL). In fact, Jesus commanded the people to DO as the Pharisees SAID. The principal sin of Phariseeism was NOT PRACTICING what they preached - hypocrisy!
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Matthew 23:3-4 - “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”
What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?
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The legalist Pharisees constantly tried to trap Jesus in some contradiction of their extra-biblical doctrines. One asked, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus made him answer his own question. “What is written in the law? ...And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Before the New Testament New Birth message was introduced in Acts 2:38, that was the best answer.
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Luke 10:28 - “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”
I Delight In The Law Of God
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Occasionally, one of my readers will write to ask me something like this, “When will our lessons get into the New Testament? I do not get that much out of the Old Testament. You know the law has been done away with.” I am sorry that I may be perceived as legalistic, outmoded, or contentious, but the Old Testament is just as important to us today as the New Testament. The Law is the schoolmaster that led me to Christ. I love His Law.
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Romans 7:22 - “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”
Man-Made Ordinances Need Not Be Kept
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People often condemn legitimate Bible doctrines as legalism. But true legalism is based on “ordinances [and] ...commandments and doctrines of MEN,” Colossians 2:22. A scriptural teaching is NOT legalism. The legalistic Pharisees made rules based on the Talmud (oral traditions) and not the Torah (the canonized Bible). A true legalist demands compliance with rules that are contrary to the Bible. Teaching scriptural - Biblical - holiness and separation from the world is not legalism.
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Colossians 2:22 - “Why ...are you subject to ordinances. (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?"
Blessed Are They That Do His Commandments
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A disastrous phenomenon is occurring in modern Christianity. GRACE is played like a wildcard against almost every kind of Biblical rule or regulation. “We are not under the Law!” is the euphoric mantra of multitudes of professing Christians who consume GRACE preaching like taking heroin in the arm. ANYTHING that remotely sounds like “you are not supposed to do that!” is viciously branded “LEGALISM!!” and categorically dismissed. Tragically for them, however, there are hundreds of commandments in the NEW Testament, and every Christian will be judged by Christ for his compliance or non-compliance.
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Revelation 22:14 - “Blessed are they that do his commandments.”