Legalism. Legalism is like horseradish. You can only have a love-hate relationship with it. It either tickles your tongue, or it makes your eyes cry. It’s so strong and pungent that it triggers various responses to those that are ‘allergic’ to it.
Here’s some reactions you can expect of those who strongly disagree with legalism.
The runners. They’ve hated so much being tied up to ridiculous man-made rules that now they yell from the top of their lungs: “Run Forest, run! Even if that means you run from God, church, and all of it together. Just run!”
The injured. Being a rule-abider brought joy to them, up until they become mature enough to realize it wasn’t Biblical all along. They don’t agree with legalism, but it’s impacted them so much, that they struggle daily not to be judgmental. And they find it hard to rely on grace, and not on self-righteousness.
The free. There’s the few that come out just right. They have found true freedom in Christ’s GRACE, and are not bound to man-made rules anymore. They find it easy to forgive and to give grace to others because they look at what Christ forgave, and it’s easy to forgive as well.
The righteous pony
I often find myself in the category of the injured. I surely don’t agree with legalism, but having grown up in that environment I have been impacted by its outcomes. (In spite of the fact that I was blessed with parents that fought all their life the insanity of legalism.)
It seems that one of our girls has turned from nine to sixteen in the last few weeks in her attitude toward adults.
I was sharing with my husband that I find it hard at times to forgive over, and over, and over, and over again…. There are days where there’s nothing accomplished except correcting the disrespect, the back-talking, the anger issues, the raising of voice to an adult, the tossing…
During that same discussion I heard my voice tell my husband in arrogance what a good kid I was to my parents, ‘causing no problems, therefore having a baffled mind to why our girls can’t do the same.
There’s so many reasons our girls struggle. But, the problem is that I saw myself as a pretty pony in a green meadow, with no stink on the ground, as my husband bluntly, but lovingly pointed out.
What a proud view of my self-righteousness. I may not be a murderer, but I often find myself as a serial hater. I may not be an evil person as society might define it, but when I am tired of forgiving over and over again a struggling young little heart, it’s surely evil in God’s righteous eyes.
The secret
My husband makes a perfect daddy to our girls and truly inspires me to become a more godly parent, so I asked him to reveal to me his secret.
He said, “Sweetheart, I see myself as a slimy slug that leaves nothing pretty behind, and it’s only Christ’s grace that came and took me out of it and forgave all my sin and brought beauty to my life. I also have to daily remind myself that my deep dark sin put Jesus on the cross. ‘Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.’ I was forgiven so much, and out of a genuinely grateful heart I am happy to forgive over and over again.”
I wish I could end this article by saying that I was a happy puppy learning new tricks.
Not really. I struggled hearing that my sin is just as bad as anyone’s.
I wrote this article one evening before bedtime. But, there was a night, and there was a morning.
The next day, God brought along with the morning sunshine, some growing opportunities as well.
The next day
I take the girls to school. I pull the car to the side to help our girls get out safely, yet a mom driver behind almost popped a vein while yelling and honking the horn calling me names, saying I should’ve hugged my kids at home. Although she had plenty of room to pass me, she chose in her anger to burst out all her frustrations on me.
My instinct would’ve been to tell myself “So, glad I am not like her.” But, when I look at how much more Christ has forgiven me, I am free from comparing, or judging. I only shook my head and prayed for that woman to find freedom in Christ.
To sum up
Only when we realize we are not a pretty-righteous pony in a green meadow with no stink on the ground, but we are a slimy slug raised up by Christ’s grace and not by our own merits. Only then, we are truly FREE to forgive seventy times seven, we are FREE from comparing, or judging others. We can then focus on the tree log stuck in our own eye, rather than point to the speck of dust in someone else’s eye. (Matthew 7:3)
Grace. Grace is just like honey. You can only have a love-love relationship with it. When God’s sweet grace fully penetrates our heart, in response, that grace will overflow in how we respond to others. When you love receiving grace, you will love to give grace. But, if you don’t think too much of your sin, and you believe not much was forgiven, then grace is nothing more than a dropped penny on the side of the road.
Meditate and Memorize: Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. “