Tag: Legalism

Posted on

The Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Daily Reading

Hebrews 1-6

Daily Thought

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4-6). This passage describes lovers of legalism who nibble at the edges of grace, but the freedom frightens them. The problem with grace is it requires absolutely nothing from us. It offends the pride of the religious who insist on contributing to their own salvation. One sacrifice is not enough for their sin, so they go back to the safety of rules and religion, do’s and don’ts. 

Lovers of religion who delight in legalism harken back to the Law of Moses which taught the Israelites to offer repeated sacrifices for every sin, but Jesus offers one sacrifice, himself, and “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). The writer of Hebrews compares the new to the old, the cross of Christ to the Law of Moses, and it is not even close, “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” (Hebrews 3:3). 

Ask any kid, “What is the best sandwich ever made?” It is Peanut Butter and Jelly, no competition. Unless you met a kid from my youth group, a kid who was served my wife’s Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. I run into these kids, 5, 10, 20 years after graduating. You know what they remember? The Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly. They liked the old PB&J, but they had tasted the new. One kid summed it up: there’s no going back.

There are not enough rules to cover all my sins, but one sacrifice did. It is no longer what we must do to be forgiven, but what Christ has done to save us, once for all forever. This is the grace of God and once you bite deeply into grace, you will never again be satisfied by the Law. There is no going back.

Daily Prayer

God, You are so good. To be welcomed into Your family, to experience Your warmth and love, to understand what life is all about, to really live, what more could I ever want? (The answer is nothing more. You are above and beyond my deepest desires.)

Thank You for the blessings of heaven, of Your Kingdom. There is a better life than the one this world offers. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done. I look forward to the day when Your Son reigns over the heavens and the earth in perfect peace and righteousness. There is nothing better, not even close.

Amen

Daily Question

Have you accepted God’s forgiveness if you have not forgiven yourself?

Posted on

The Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Daily Reading

Hebrews 1-6

Daily Thought

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4-6). This passage describes lovers of legalism who nibble at the edges of grace, but the freedom frightens them. The problem with grace is it requires absolutely nothing from us. It offends the pride of the religious who insist on contributing to their own salvation. One sacrifice is not enough for their sin, so they go back to the safety of rules and religion, do’s and don’ts. 

Lovers of religion who delight in legalism harken back to the Law of Moses which taught the Israelites to offer repeated sacrifices for every sin, but Jesus offered one sacrifice, himself, and “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). The writer of Hebrews compares the new to the old, the cross of Christ to the Law of Moses, and it is not even close, “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” (Hebrews 3:3). 

Ask any kid, “What is the best sandwich ever made?” It is Peanut Butter and Jelly, no competition. Unless you met a kid from my youth group, a kid who was served my wife’s Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. I run into these kids, 5, 10, 20 years after graduating. You know what they talk about? The Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly. They liked the old PB&J, but once they tasted the new, there was no going back.

It is no longer what we must do to be forgiven, but what Christ has done to save us, once for all forever. This is the grace of God and once you bite deeply into grace, you will never again be satisfied by the Law. There is no going back.

Daily Prayer

God, You are so good. To be welcomed into Your family, to experience Your warmth and love, to understand what life is all about, to really live, what more could I ever want? (The answer is nothing more. You are above and beyond my deepest desires.)

Thank You for the blessings of heaven, of Your Kingdom. There is a better life than the one this world offers. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done. I look forward to the day when Your Son reigns over the heavens and the earth in perfect peace and righteousness. There is nothing better, not even close.

Amen

Posted on

Country Dogs

Daily Reading

Galatians 1-3

Daily Thought

The Law of God is a good thing, a picture of righteousness. The problem is, our hearts are rebellious and we do not like to be told what we can and cannot do. “We were held captive under the law” (Galatians 3:23), writes Paul, and we don’t like fences.

Lucy, our basset hound, is a city dog. She stays indoors and sleeps in a kennel in the corner of my office. Lucy is a city dog and she does not roam free. She is not allowed to. She is confined, but she longs to run. Every so often, a door is open, unwatched. Lucy breaks for freedom and away she goes and does not return. Fortunately, our neighbors know Lucy and bring her home. Lucy obeys our rules until she thinks we are not looking. Unless something changes, we are like a city dog.

The Law does not and cannot make us righteous, rather, “the righteous shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:12), and through faith comes the change we need, a change of heart from rebellion to love. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20), and with faith in Christ comes freedom to live. The best obedience is doing what I should do, not because I have to, but because I want to

Faith is the life of the country dog. My cousins live in the country. Tramp, their yellow Labrador, is free to roam, and he does. Wherever he wants, whenever he wants, doing whatever he wants. Tramp is a country dog. Sometimes he leaves in the morning and returns at night. But return he does, every night. Tramp can sleep anywhere he wants, and he does. He sleeps on the back porch. That’s where he wants to be. He is happy to be home.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. ~Psalm 23:6

Daily Prayer

Father God, You have set me free from the burden and bondage of sin. Thank You so much! I am now enslaved to love, a willing servant of Your goodness and grace. Forgive me, God, when I turn my liberty into a religion of do’s and don’ts, or I turn my freedom into a license to sin.

I love You, God, not from force or fear, but because I desire You so much. I follow You, because this is where I find life, a life abundant and good. With You, I am at home.

Amen