The Futility of Legalism

(revision)

Jesus came to lift from the backs of tired people the burden, trying to do everything right. The Spirit-filled life is not a formula; it is a relationship . . . a relationship with a Person -- the Holy Spirit.

If you examine what exactly religion is and what it does and doesn't do, you will see what Jesus saw. Clean on the outside, but inside full of corruption, and emptiness. Many religions, such as Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, FLDS, Muslim, Jewish Pharisees, and many denominational Christian churches emphasize duty, devotion, commitment, "faithfulness"in order to succeed or be fruitful. They promote what I like to call "spiritual technologies.". . some steps to take. Just master the mechanics and the directions of what to do and your problems will be solved and you'll be fruitful.

Paul said he could boast of being a "Pharisee of all Pharisees!" He was very faithful in tithing, reading the Scriptures, praying, fasting, worshipping in the temple . . . "covering all the bases." But in all this "activity," in all this "devotion and duty," there was no fruit. In fact, he was a murderer and persecuter of Jesus' followers. The spirit behind religion, all religions. . . what drives it, I believe, is the spirit of anti-Christ. Religion is what tortured and killed the Lord of Glory. Legalists are provoked by the preaching of the cross. In Galatians, Paul states that "as the natural son (Ishmael) persecuted the spiritual son (Isaac), so it is today." He says in Galatians 4, "Have I now become your enemy because I continue to tell you the truth?" The truth that the way to live in freedom is by the Spirit through your faith?

Legalists get no closer to God and do not "achieve" God's fruit by "doing their best" or meeting some requirements of the religion. The basic tenet of this mindset is that confidence before God and rewards from God result from "piety and blameless ways." (Job 4:6) Titus 3:5, 6 -- He saved us NOT because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." God deals with us today, not on the basis of our ways, works, or even behaviors/performance, but on the basis of His Grace, appropriated by us through our personal faith in Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection Life and indwelling Spirit. True "spiritual warfare" and the actual battlepoint is this: It is easy for one to be self-righteous and believe that if life "seems to be working" for us, it is because we are "doing things right." The TRUTH is, it is Grace --- all Grace! Jesus does not give us a list of behaviors to perform or a catalog of answers; rather, HE GIVES US HIMSELF.

This leads me, then, to the question . . . THE FRUIT OF THE WHAT?