Legalism

C

Caleb

Member
Galatians 5:2-4

Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves
to be circumcised, it means that Christ is on no use
to you at all. Once more I warn any man who allows
himself to be circumcised that he is obliged to obey
the whole Law. Those of you who try to be put right
with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off
from Christ. You are outside God's grace.

What I think this verse is telling me is if I try
to please God by Obeying the Law of God, Example:

OOH, Don't get Harry Potter Movie, witchcraft

Mum telling me Clean the Bathroom and I clean
the Bathroom as a way of Honour thy Mother and
Father

as a way of trying to obey the law of God then
I cut myself off from Christ and His wonderfull
Kindness. I don't want to do that. I think a
tiny legalism is too much because it sound's
like Legalism separate's me from Christ.

one of the way's I tryed avoiding Legalism is Hiring
Harry Potter from the Video store.

Do you Christian's think I'm right in what I'm talking
about and doing?
 
What Paul is saying is a little more complicated than that.  He is speaking to Jewish Christians who believed you need to be circumcised to become a Christian.  They were still following Jewish tradition, rather than following what Christ wanted.  What they didn't understand was with Christ, it is a circumcision of the heart.  We need to break/snip off our old self and desires.  By saying, "You need to be circumsided", they were essentially disobeying Christ and saying the Law is more important than Christ.

Being circumcised meant you were bound to the Law.  You had to follow the Law.  But with Christ, we are no longer bound to the Law.  We are bound to Christ.

One thing that tripped up the Jews was they believed Abraham's circumcision was the beginning of his faith.  This is not true.  Abraham showed his faith much earlier than the point of circumcision.  Paul talks about it, and Genesis talks about it.

I've got both my youngens tugging and pulling me right now...it's morning here.  Gotta go.  Sorry if this sounds quick.  Perhaps someone else can fill in more.
 
Basically what it's saying is that there are no "special handshakes" to become a Christain.

We don't (and can't) do anything to achieve salvation for ourselves, it is a gift from God to us, and to tell people that they HAVE to do something other than accept Jesus is what constitutes legalism. Yet once we become saved, we should strive to live a life that is as close to Christ's as possible. He lived within the law, without breaking the law. THat is what we should strive to do. CAn we accomplish it? Probably not, but with God's grace, we achieve it.
 
Ummm, forget what I said. Well, don't forget it, but Kidan's explaination was much simpler, straight forward, and easier to understand.
 
Interestingly enough, you must also note that Paul frequently brings up circumcision in his letters, the first four to six chapters of Romans, for instance. Circumision this and Circumcision that.
"If the Gentile who is not circumcised follows the law that comes to the circumcised, then is that not a law unto him?" or something like that. "For without the law there is no trangression." Laws, circumcision and comparisons/contrasts between Joos and their hated pagans: the Gentiles.
I think what the verse is saying, is umm, basically: if you think by showing your faith bny taking a mark of the law is your ticket to showing your faith, you are dead wrong.
Perhaps Paul meant verbatim what he said in his letters, perhaps he exaggerated. People do that. "If you do this, then surely you aren't doing this or will do this."
That's my say so far...
 
Paul often brings up circumcision in his letters because Jewish Christians often told Gentile Christians that they HAD to be circumcised to worship Abraham's God.

This concept flies in the face of the doctrine of salvation by grace, by saying that our salvation is dependent upon a work of man.
 
Paul, a strange man, thought deep about these things. Im sitll a bit confused everytime I read something he wrote but I eventually understand it after reading it serveral hundred times.
 
That's the only way to read Paul, I suppose.
And he's really blessed: he got to see heaven. But he's not allowed to write about it. How cool is that?
I feel like saying this all of a sudden: "PRAISE THE LORD!"
Okay. I'm done.
 
Legalism (DO THIS AND YOU'RE SCREWED) is why I like Common Law (Do this and maybe you're screwed) better.

This is what I think: The drug laws in the US simply don't work, becasue of the harshness of the penalties. You got your cartels, gangstas, etc and what are they doing? still trading drugs. The DEA doesn't seem to go after them. Instead, I see a lot more punishment on people who use drugs. Smoke a joint and your student loans are gone. That sort of thing.

To me, I like Canada's stance on it. In Canada, there is no DARE thing, no anti-marijuana ad campaigns sponsored by any level of government. Yet, is the marijuana rampant in Canada? no. People just don't want to do it.

Just an example on how legalism doesn't work.
 
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