Political correctness--we see it all the time. A celebrity says something insensitive and is immediately forced to apologize. A state makes a law that the left doesn't like and are immediately shunned until they change their minds. Sports teams are forced to change mascots because someone might be offended. If someone does something that is against the agenda of liberalism, he must be shamed to the point that he concedes, recanting and apologizing, even though we all know that the remorse is fake and forced. People avoid saying things just because they don't want to be seen as insensitive or backwards. It's manipulation. We all know it and it's getting ridiculous.
Thankfully the Evangelical Christian world doesn't have to deal with too much of this liberal PC nonsense, but we do have our own sort of political correctness. There is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit, especially when someone is out of valid rebuttals. That term is legalism. Similar terms are legalist and legalistic. No one really even knows what these terms mean, but we use them all the time. When someone has you backed into an ethical corner, just throw out the term legalism. That should end the conversation. No one wants to be called a legalist, after all.
Let's be very clear. Legalism is an issue. There are people out there who are legalistic and they are dangerous, both to the their own souls and to the souls of others. However, since some people cannot seem to grasp the distinction between actual legalism and "I just don't want to hear what you're saying" legalism, here is a list of things that are not legalistic:
1) Quoting Scripture to your Christian brother when an ethical issue is being discussed
2) Trying to do good things
3) Trying to avoid doing bad things
4) Telling someone that they should not do something that is clearly wrong
5) Desiring to obey God 100% of the time
6) Believing that something is wrong while failing to maintain that standard 100% of the time
7) Believing in the Regulative Principle of Worship (for the record, not an endorsement)
8) Abstaining from drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, etc.
9) Establishing fences to avoid sin
10) Being Presbyterian
None of those things are legalistic or constitute a person as a legalist. For good measure, here is a list of things that are, in fact, legalistic:
1) Attempting to save yourself by your own obedience to God's Law
2) Holding other people to your personal standards
3) Believing that you have to abstain from drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, etc. to be a Christian
4) Believing that girls wearing pants is a sign of the End Times
5) Being pretty sure that your worship is the only kind that actually glorifies God
6) Believing that you can't have "church" without an altar call
7) Believing that you can't have an altar call
8) Being absolutely sure that your view of baptism is the ticket to Heaven, without which St. Peter
will send your heretical "brethren" packing
9) Believing that enjoying NYFRB is a mortal sin (okay, that one might have some validity)
10) Accusing people of being legalists all the time (okay, maybe that just makes you a jerk)
So, there you have it. There are some examples of what does and does not constitute legalism. I hope that clears things up some and that we can avoid labeling each other as legalists anytime we can't think of something valid to say. Thank you.
Thankfully the Evangelical Christian world doesn't have to deal with too much of this liberal PC nonsense, but we do have our own sort of political correctness. There is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit, especially when someone is out of valid rebuttals. That term is legalism. Similar terms are legalist and legalistic. No one really even knows what these terms mean, but we use them all the time. When someone has you backed into an ethical corner, just throw out the term legalism. That should end the conversation. No one wants to be called a legalist, after all.
Let's be very clear. Legalism is an issue. There are people out there who are legalistic and they are dangerous, both to the their own souls and to the souls of others. However, since some people cannot seem to grasp the distinction between actual legalism and "I just don't want to hear what you're saying" legalism, here is a list of things that are not legalistic:
1) Quoting Scripture to your Christian brother when an ethical issue is being discussed
2) Trying to do good things
3) Trying to avoid doing bad things
4) Telling someone that they should not do something that is clearly wrong
5) Desiring to obey God 100% of the time
6) Believing that something is wrong while failing to maintain that standard 100% of the time
7) Believing in the Regulative Principle of Worship (for the record, not an endorsement)
8) Abstaining from drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, etc.
9) Establishing fences to avoid sin
10) Being Presbyterian
None of those things are legalistic or constitute a person as a legalist. For good measure, here is a list of things that are, in fact, legalistic:
1) Attempting to save yourself by your own obedience to God's Law
2) Holding other people to your personal standards
3) Believing that you have to abstain from drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, etc. to be a Christian
4) Believing that girls wearing pants is a sign of the End Times
5) Being pretty sure that your worship is the only kind that actually glorifies God
6) Believing that you can't have "church" without an altar call
7) Believing that you can't have an altar call
8) Being absolutely sure that your view of baptism is the ticket to Heaven, without which St. Peter
will send your heretical "brethren" packing
9) Believing that enjoying NYFRB is a mortal sin (okay, that one might have some validity)
10) Accusing people of being legalists all the time (okay, maybe that just makes you a jerk)
So, there you have it. There are some examples of what does and does not constitute legalism. I hope that clears things up some and that we can avoid labeling each other as legalists anytime we can't think of something valid to say. Thank you.
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