Tag / legalism

by In Light Of The Cross

Romans 2; God’s Goodness

 

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:4

Romans is so rich in God’s grace and goodness. We see again and again how it is not works that save us, but God’s grace and goodness that save us. Even when some people preach faith and grace they still unwittingly preach legalism. For example, Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God.” Here we see that God’s grace gives us faith. Our faith does not give us grace. God gives us grace so that we will have faith. My faith is in response to God’s grace. That is the gospel. God’s grace is not in response to my faith. That would be legalism. Likewise in Romans 2:4, God’s goodness leads me to repent and turn away from sin. That is the gospel. My repentance does not lead to God’s goodness. That would be legalism.

by In Light Of The Cross

Jesus Wept;The Bible and Human Emotions, Lesson 2

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Here are my thoughts on this week’s SS lesson. You may also download the SS Lesson to your android phone.

For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  Philippians 4:11

One thing I have noticed is, anxiety is relative. The “A” student fears he may make a “B” while the “B” student fears he may make a “C”. In 2008 I was afraid the Tampa Bay Rays would lose the World Series, while the year before, I was afraid they would lose 100 games. Today I get anxious if I run off and forget my cell phone at home. 15 years ago I did not even have a cell phone to forget at home. I talk to young people who are scared they may never get married. I am 45 and have never been married while enjoying life. With thinning hair I am afraid I may go bald. Meanwhile, my bald friends go about their merry lives.

In today’s economy I worry about losing my job, while I have friends who have been out of work over a year now, but by God’s grace, have never missed a meal or lost their home. With my parents being in their mid ‘70s now I fear I may lose them one day, while I have friends my age who lost their parents long ago. By God’s grace, my friends continue making the most of their productive lives while looking forward to the resurrection. I have observed that everything I fear may happen to me, has happened to other people already, and by God’s grace they have survived and even thrived. Even if death comes my way, I have an older Brother in Jesus, who was dead and is alive again!

I have learned not to be anxious, because after all, all those wonderful things that I am afraid of losing I don’t deserve to have anyway. Who am I to have, when there are so many more worthy than myself who have not? While in Peru on a mission trip, we spent the night at the Lima airport when our flight was cancelled. It did not bother me, when I considered that there were people more worthy than myself who had no bed that night either. What had I done to deserve a bed to sleep in? Nothing!

In this life, worry, fear, and anxiety, have not earned me a single bite to eat or thing to wear. They have not put a roof over my head, but God’s grace has provided all those things.  And what’s more, when it comes to the next life, I am told by Jesus, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

Worry, fear and anxiety are legalism! They are the works of the flesh that we use to replace God’s grace. When you receive God’s grace you don’t have to worry, fear or be anxious anymore. You can be content in any and every situation. Even today, many people are content, while in a situation you fear you may be in one day. They are content by God’s grace. Grace and contentment will never be earned by worry, fear and anxiety.

by In Light Of The Cross

Sabbath Observance Myth Busters #2, Saved by Grace

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Myth Number 2: Those who observe the Sabbath are trying to be saved by their works.

I am sorry but this myth does not even make sense. People say we are trying to be saved by our works by resting on the Sabbath. So while we rest people accuse us of working? The Sabbath is a rest day not a works day, so the exact opposite of the myth is true. We rest on the Sabbath, showing our faith is in Jesus and not our works. We rest our faith in the merits, righteousness and works of Jesus and not in our own works. Fact is, Sunday observance is legalism. It is a man made day off worship and a worship system worked out by man and not God. Just like when Cain brought the fruits of his field from where he had been working, He was presenting his own works as an act of worship. God refused the works of Cain as well as all the works of men. Sunday observance is another work of man. Abel brought the lamb as a sign that he would not be saved by his works. Abel’s worship pointed towards the Lamb of God. By bringing the lamb Abel was showing that he did not trust his works to save him, but would be saved by the lamb.

 When we keep (Cherish, preserve or treasure) the Sabbath we are acknowledging the fact that only Jesus can save us. Our salvation is found in Jesus alone, so we follow His example by worshiping  on the day that kept holy. “

He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.” Luke 4:16 NIV.

Notice it was not the Jewish custom it was His custom.

“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.” Exodus 31:13 NIV.

God makes it clear. The Sabbath is not a sign that we are made holy by our works. It is a sign that He makes us holy by His grace and not our works. Think about it. Satan knows we are not saved by our works. Satan knows we are saved by grace. Satan wants us to forget the Sabbath and thus forget the God who saves us by His grace. It is not the Sabbath or the law that Satan is at war with. He is at war with God’s grace and he works to destroy any sign of God’s grace. Thus Satan has worked for years to make people forget the Sabbath which is a sign that God makes us holy by His own grace and not by our works or any man made system of worship which is legalism.

Instead of working this Sabbath to provide for you and your family, would you like to show your faith in God’s amazing grace, by resting on this day instead, and let the whole world know, as Abel did, that you believe God’s grace will provide for your every need and not your works?

“To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” –The Faith I Live By, p. 33.

 You may find a study on the Sabbath in the light of the cross here.

 

by In Light Of The Cross

Is The Sabbath Keeping You Holy?

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Is the Sabbath Keeping you Holy?

Many times we ask ourselves if we are keeping the Sabbath Holy. Or at least I hope we ask that. However, when we look at what the Sabbath really means we see that instead of us just keeping it holy, the real purpose is for it to keep us holy.

“Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the LORD that doth sanctify you.” Exodus 31:13 

We cannot sanctify ourselves or make ourselves holy. Only God can do that. The Sabbath is a sign of rest. We rest our faith in God who alone can sanctify us. Sanctify means to purify and set apart. The Sabbath is a sign that God is purifying us and setting us apart. So Seventh-day Adventism is not so much about a day being holy but more so about a people being holy. The Sabbath could not make itself holy. God made it holy. We cannot make ourselves holy but as we put away our works of the flesh and rest in God He will make us holy.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 

Jesus makes it plain that man does not serve the Sabbath but the Sabbath serves man. In it we put away our works and rest in God’s grace. We do not make the Sabbath stand apart from all other days as much as it sets us apart from all other people. But how can it set us apart if we observe it like all other days?

For the Sabbath to keep us holy and set us apart we must let it be all that the Bible makes it to be. Satan has many false religions where you worship other gods. The Sabbath sets us apart from the world by not worshiping the gods of this world. Fact is you can keep the other nine commandments and worship the gods of this world. The Sabbath commandment is the only commandment that tells you who God is. “The seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God……For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”  You can worship money and have no other god than money and go right down the line and keep all the commandments except the fourth which tells you money is not God and that your Creator is God. So the Sabbath not only sets us apart from the world it also sets God apart from all other gods.

The world has its own Sabbath and holidays and ways of observing them. In order for the Sabbath to purify us and set us apart from the world we must observe it the way the Bible teaches us. Putting away all work. Not even letting other people work for us. Refrain from buying and selling on the Sabbath. Doing good for others and not thinking of ourselves. Exodus 20:8-11 Nehemiah 13:15-18 Isaiah 58. Luke 6:9

Many people think keeping the Sabbath holy is being legalistic but in talking with them I find that the real issue is that they don’t think God calls upon them to do anything that would cause them any inconvenience or cause them to make a sacrifice. God does call upon us to make sacrifices. Luke 9:23 tells us to take up our cross daily to follow Him. Revelation 2:10 tells us to be faithful unto death, not just till it gets inconvenient.

This Sabbath, March 1, at the Tampa First SDA Church we will be exploring how the Bible teaches us to observe the Sabbath so that the Sabbath can keep us Holy. We will see how the Sabbath is not about works but is a sign of God’s amazing grace, a grace that we can rest in and be purified and set apart from the world.

If you are in the Tampa Bay area this Sabbath, March 1 please join us at the Tampa First SDA Church as we explore further “Is the Sabbath Keeping you Holy?”

You can find a Bible Study on the Bible Sabbath which Jesus kept, on my personal website.