• Welcome to White Horse Forums. We ask that you would please take a moment to introduce yourself in the New Members section. Tell us a bit about yourself and dive in!

What Do I Mean By Legalist

G

Grace Accepted

Guest
When I use the term legalist, I am always using it in the theological since. It means a person who's morality is defined by keeping a set of laws. The bible says that Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench... and so does a little legalism ruin the perfect Grace of God. So it does not matter whether you believe that a little of your good works count or that your motive counts or that you desire to be good counts, all of these are dead flies in the ointment of Grace.

Legalists Can't Understand It...
To a legalist, a born again person who glories in the free Grace of God through faith alone is an antinomian, hedonist when the opposite is quite the case. They have worked so hard to construct their spiritual house of cards that they fiercely protect it against the winds of Grace. They view the freedom we enjoy in Christ as an affront to their moral efforts and indeed it does rebuke legalism just by its presence.

The Bull Pen Of Proof Texts

A legalist has a bull pen of text that they constantly trot out whilst repeating their same mantra of works over and over again but what they don't get, is that Christ has fulfilled the law in us with His death. I recently ran across this comment in one of my threads.
Studyman said:
Yes, those who are so self exalted and so self serving that they believe "I'm already saved, what more could I possibly gain in obeying God".
Click to expand...
I understand that it was rhetorical and yet it presents a great lesson for us. If Christ has already saved us, Justified us, Sanctified us, then what do we have to gain by obeying him? This is an excellent question to ponder.

If Jesus paid it all, then why obey? The answer for those humbled to the dust by the glory and goodness of Jesus and the father in contrast to their own "righteousness' and subsequently have undeservedly received the imputation of Christ's righteousness as their own, immediately know the answer to that question.

They will pursue service to their Lord and savior and their Dad in heaven as if to shoot their heart out upon it. Praise be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Your legalism is if one strives to obey God and Jesus' law or teachings, you are a legalist.

And if you claim to obey God and Jesus are requirements of salvation.

You don't have to make such a long post for your belief.

You guys have been saying it over and over and over.......

According to your definition, you guys are illegalists.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
meshak said:
Your legalism is if one strives to obey God and Jesus' law or teachings, you are a legalist.

And if you claim to obey God and Jesus are requirements of salvation.

You don't have to make such a long post for your belief.

You guys have been saying it over and over and over.......

According to your definition, you guys are illegalists.
Click to expand...
You just can't understand it. That is not what the OP says. Truly spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
 
Grace Accepted said:
You just can't understand it. That is not what the OP says. Truly spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
Click to expand...
You don't honor Jesus' word.

it is you who are deceiving, deliberately.

I say deliberate because SM has been quoting tons of verses that you are disregarding.
 
meshak said:
You don't honor Jesus' word.

it is you who are deceiving, deliberately.

I say deliberate because SM has been quoting tons of verses that you are disregarding.
Click to expand...
These are the texts trotted out by many religious legalists who actually believe that it is their ladder to heaven. I do not know if SM feels that way or not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
meshak said:
Your legalism is if one strives to obey God and Jesus' law or teachings, you are a legalist.

And if you claim to obey God and Jesus are requirements of salvation.

You don't have to make such a long post for your belief.

You guys have been saying it over and over and over.......

According to your definition, you guys are illegalists.
Click to expand...
Illegalist: Illegalists embrace a criminality either openly or secretly as a lifestyle. Illegalism does not specify the type of crime, thugh it is associated with theft and shoplifting. It is a tendency of anarchism developed primarity in France, Belgium and Switzerland during the late 1890"s and early 1900's as an outgrowth of individualist anarchism.
 
Arial said:
Illegalist: Illegalists embrace a criminality either openly or secretly as a lifestyle. Illegalism does not specify the type of crime, thugh it is associated with theft and shoplifting. It is a tendency of anarchism developed primarity in France, Belgium and Switzerland during the late 1890"s and early 1900's as an outgrowth of individualist anarchism.
Click to expand...
I just went by your definition of legalism.

You say obeying the law is legalism. So you must be illigalists.
 
meshak said:
I just went by your definition of legalism.

You say obeying the law is legalism. So you must be illigalists.
Click to expand...
Shak, you don't get it. No one has said, obeying the law is legalism. You are stuck with that in your mind and it is false. That is not nor has it ever been the case.

Legalism is not obeying Jesus. Obeying Jesus is only the privilege given to His saved saints. No person who is unsaved will or can obey Jesus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top