Why Being Legalistic is Completely Pointless

"And how can we know the Truth? We must remember that the Truth is not merely an idea or a philosophy. The Truth is a Person - the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jesus did not point men to a religious system; He pointed them to Himself.

True freedom is found in a vital, growing relationship with the Lord Jesus (the living Word of God) has revealed Himself in the Scripture (the written Word of God).

If we want to know Him, if we want to know the Truth, we must devote ourselves to the reading, study and meditation of His Word."

- Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Author of Lies Women Believe)


Alright, so at the risk of sounding like a Biblical scholar (I'm not), I'm dipping my toes into some apologetics for a couple minutes.

Legalism: excessive and improper use of the law
  ("Law" - 10 commandments, laws about holiness found in the Bible, etc.)

In Christianity, this often shows up in three common ways:

(1) Person attempts to keep the Law in order to attain salvation

(2) Person keeps to the law in order to maintain his salvation

(3) A Christian judges other Christians for not keeping certain codes of conduct that he thinks need to be observed


Let's clarify - rules and laws and boundaries are all well and good. It's important to follow them to protect ourselves and others. But here's the basic problem with being a legalistic Christian: it's easy to get hung up thinking that the Truth is a combination of doing the right things:

- Read Bible
- Pray
- Church
- Do everything 'right'


When really, the Truth isn't a list, it is a person. Doing those things - reading your Bible, praying, fellowshipping with other believers - those are all really important to growing your relationship with Christ, but the fact is those are supporting things, not the actual Truth.  A little abstract to put together, maybe yes. But it is so vital that you understand that doing all of those things isn't 'Truth.'

If someone gets caught up in executing a checklist to achieve 'Truth,' they are simply wasting their time trying to create an idea they have of what truth is. Legalism is built off of personal conviction - this puts their faith in terms of what they do directly effecting their being saved and staying saved.

That, my friends, is not Truth.

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:31-32, 36

"Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
- John 14:5-6

**Sidenote: Don't try and pull that "This happened forever ago, the Bible can't even be considered in a contemporary society, so the whole truth thing has changed." Go look up Hebrews 13:8. Do it.


The Truth is that Jesus sets you free and gives you salvation, and He doesn't take that away. You can't do anything to earn the Truth - it is a free gift to you. And nothing you can do (or not do) can "lose" your salvation - that is the Truth. That is Jesus.

And that is also why being legalistic is completely pointless. :)

Happy Monday!


(For a little more on apologetics and legalism, you can check out this website where I got some of my definitions from. :) What is Legalism?

Also this Youtube video is an excellent investment of two minutes and fifty-seven seconds of your time. :)

Jesus Christ Offers Freedom From Legalism

Let's Say that Hypothetically My House Just Burned Down...

The last two weeks have been wrapped up in 'what am I going to do when I graduate,' in case you haven't picked up on that.

Today during church, God flipped around how I was looking at it - because as usual, I was looking at it wrong. :)

Nothing I have is mine.

Not my clothes, not my dishes, not my food, not my friends or family, not even my own talents or body. Girl say whaaaat? I worked hard to earn my money and spend it on MY THINGS.

But everything I "have," isn't mine. It's God. He's given me things to manage - that's where stewardship (something I've been thinking about all semester) comes in. All of the things I have been blessed with are for me to invest in others with for God's kingdom - my time, my talents, everything I have.

My future falls in there, too.

I want to be a therapeutic mom someday (I'll explain that in detail to y'all...someday). Sometimes kids with RAD (the kids I want to live with me) do things like...burn down buildings, hurt animals and other people, and it is a plausible possibility that the children I take into my home could sexually or physically abuse my own children (unfortunately and heartbreakingly, these things happen).

Everything I have is not mine - not even my own children (someday) or husband or home.

So I've been thinking - let's say someday one of my crazy children burns down the house.

What would I do if my house burned down and I lost all of "my things?" Would that be the end of my life?

No. I'm merely managing what God gives me, when He gives it. There is so much peace in that - knowing I don't have to create things for me to manage or worry about a job or a future because none of it is mine. I'm just a steward and manager of what God's given me.

That seemed a lot more mind blowing in my...mind, BUT I wanted to share it! Because it was pretty neat for me to think about that and it's restructured basically everything for me in 24 hours.

Also I hope you thought from the title that I actually burned my house down because I like giving people baby heart attacks. Okay byeeeeee!

Sometimes You Just Have to Suck it Up and Wear Wool Socks

This Monday came in like a wrecking ball.

Let me give you a lead in. Last night I went to Pla Mor (reluctantly, but I was enticed by some lovely friends) and was not in the best of moods - this last week has been a little bit trying. The third dance in and I got drilled in the face by my dance  partner's elbow, and I mean drilled. At this point I knew that the next week was probably going to go really  well, as my eyes were watering and I was checking to make sure I hadn't broken my nose.

Bright side, it wasn't broken, but today it is definitely swollen. These things happen, and now I have a great story and a dance partner I will never forget. Pla Mor shuts down around midnight so I headed back to my car to go in search of ice and some Advil. I was a few minutes out on the road when I saw a car make the inevitable U-turn and pull up right behind me.

At 12:07 on Monday morning I was getting pulled over. I'm pretty sure the cop could tell by the resigned way I handed over my registration and stuff that I was maybe not having the best of nights.

"No, officer, I haven't been drinking."
"My headlight is out? Wonderful. Thank you for letting me know."

I would really like to tell you I got up this morning overflowing with radiant happiness, exuding nothing but God's graciousness and love for humankind but that would be a lie. I woke up crabby, my face hurt, and I really would rather go home and watch The Carrie Diaries and Arrow all day by myself. That's the truth.

Oh. And the espresso shot in my machiatto? Burnt.

I did force myself out of bed and curled up on the floor with my Bible for a little bit because I was like, "Lord, I'm going to punch someone if I don't hear some truth from You."

Here's the truth I'm going to share with you:

- My (and your) circumstances will not last forever. They might suck, there's no denying that. But they will not last forever.  Maybe for months, years, maybe your whole life, BUT

- A lifetime is not forever. Forty years might seem like forever, but on the radar of eternity it is just a blip.

- Even if sucky circumstances last my whole lifetime, they will not last for eternity.

- No matter the circumstance, God's grace is sufficient. Always.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So as today and the rest of the week progresses, I can't guarantee I will necessarily "feel" the truths that I know. But darn it all if I'm not going to abide in those truths. And wear wool socks - because those are like hugs that last all day and sometimes that is the best you can do on your own strength.

:) Happy Monday!