Christians should seek to follow all the commands put forth by the Lord. However, more than “checking the box” of Christianity, the Lord wants our hearts. Churches that neglect to focus on deepening one’s relationship with Christ miss a major opportunity. Although Jesus didn’t encourage his followers to disobey the law, He made it clear that He came to fulfill the law. It would be the Pharisees and Sadducees that would be more inclined towards the law than stewarding relationship with Jesus when He was standing right in front of them. Instead, Jesus came to draw people closer to Him. He was intentional about keeping his followers in close communion, teaching them about the Kingdom of God, and revealing who He was to those who were willing to listen.
Overall, we should seek to be a part of churches that draw us back to Jesus. One underlying thread of the legalistic church is a focus on human standards. Part of this can arise from misinterpretation of Scripture or failing to recognize the context that certain books were written in. Additionally, when church leadership start to see themselves as wielding the final say of right and wrong or heaven and hell, rules are created that place many in bondage. My prayer today is that the Lord would show you if you are part of church culture that has become unhealthy, legalistic, or that places a wedge between your relationship with other people of faith. Being a part of organizations like these can be detrimental to your spiritual growth and become a hinderance to others. May we all desire to lift one another up and be vessels of unity, hope, and love.
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)
References:
3 Types of Legalism
Why Believers Show No Grace
Related Resource: Is Christianity Just a Religion of Do’s and Don’ts?
Scripture shows how Christ is the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep who are doing the do’s to go after the one sheep being wounded by the don’ts. The Gospel of John depicts God as a passionate father who longs for his lost, don’t-doing child to come home. The list of do’s and don’ts in Scripture are an expression of God’s love for his children, his concern to protect his children, and his desire for them to thrive.If this episode helps you be a more thoughtful parent, be sure to subscribe to Christian Parent, Crazy World on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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