Legalism Versus Standards

by Richard St.James

Legalism Versus Standards

The confusion of this is very apparent in the churches today. Satan has successfully pulled the wool over our eyes with the accusations that Bible Believers are those who are the LEGALISTS. This message written for my daughter clears the air!

• To My Daughter
• Salvation By Works
• Believing The BOOK
• Legalism
• Standards

Legalism Vs. Standards

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." [I Thessalonians 2:13]

Dear Daughter,

For this reason, I thank God without ceasing, because, when you, my daughter, received the word of God which you heard of your daddy all your life, you received it [the word of God] not as the word of men, but as it is in the truth the word of God, which effectually worked in you [Christ in you] to bring you to where you are today. [I have paraphrased and personalized this verse for you.]

Salvation By Works

As your daddy, I am have asked you to remember how you received the Spirit by the hearing of faith. [Galatians 3:2] Also, I am asking for you to remember that as you received the Spirit by faith, you are to keep going on in your life by this same faith. "And the just shall live by faith" [Galatians 3:2]

Clearly the so great salvation of Hebrews 2 is appropriated by faith [and not by works]. This is where the religious multitudes stumble. The Christian Church denomination [or Church of Christ] teaches that without water baptism, a person will not be saved. They are known as Campbellite’s [or water dogs]. [The Roman Catholic Church, of course, teaches this very same thing.]

What is even more confusing is what many say keeps them saved even if they came first to Jesus Christ by faith. They are the ones who "having begun in the Spirit" are now trusting in "the works of the law" [Galatians 2:10]. The Methodists, the Nazarenes and the Charismatics fall into this group. Just throw out anything they say about a believer having to maintain works in order not to lose his or her salvation.

Believing The BOOK

Just believe The BOOK, my daughter. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession" [Ephesians 1:13,14]. "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." [I Peter 1:5a]

The Law

Now, my daughter, in regard to The Law there has been much confusion placed into the hearts of true Christians by those who do not understand The LAW or its purpose. Remember in Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments represent the core of the Law [Deuteronomy 10:4].

The purpose of the Law is given in Galatians 3:24. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." If you are in Christ, you are no longer under the law. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for us [Matthew 5:17].

Now does this mean the Law is gone or destroyed? The "till all be fulfilled" in the next verse [vs.18] has not yet occurred. The answer is found in the first chapter of I Timothy in verse nine. "Knowing this, that the law is not made for the righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."

The law is still in effect for those without Jesus Christ. Now with all this said, please try to understand, my daughter, there are those who claim that any born-again believer with a separated walk ... is a legalist [or under the Law]. Nothing further from the truth can be found!

Legalism

The true legalist is identified by the Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul in the book of Galatians as being false brethren who try to bring the believer back into the bondage of the Law. These false brethren think the law is necessary to maintain their salvation [Ephesians 2:4].

This epistle shows that even Peter was misled by the Judaizers in their dead-beat legalism by trying to keep the Mosaic Law. This is the faith plus works error! Now having identified the true legalist, you can see that the born-again Bible-believing Christian can never be truly termed a legalist. A legalist is all external. He is all on the outside. He is not truly set free from the bondage of sin because he is trusting in his works to maintain his salvation.

I have gone through all this explanation because many professing Christians accuse the Christian that has Biblical standards as being a legalist. I wants you to realize that no matter how hard the name calling gets for the true believer of Jesus Christ [who gets saved by faith, and is kept by faith] that you can not be a legalist. God would never level a charge like that on such a person.

Get it down! If you have been saved by faith, you are kept by faith [and not by works] it doesn't matter what anyone else says. It only matters what God says! Remember, it is faith plus nothing else for salvation. However, the works in Ephesians 2 and in the book of James are works that are a result of a person being in Christ Jesus. It is a basic principle: what happens in the heart will show up on the outside of a man, woman or child. The inner man will be shown by the outer man.

Now let me illustrate, using John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, the plight of Christian and Faithful when they enter into the Town of Vanity Fair, which is the world, by allegory.

“Now these pilgrims, as I said, must needs go through this fair. Well, so they did; but behold even as they entered into the fair, all the people in the fair were moved, and the town itself as it were in a hubbub about them; and that for several reasons for ---

First, The pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment of any that traded in that fair.

Secondly, And as they wondered at their apparel so they did likewise at their speech, for few could understand what they said; they naturally spoke the language of Canaan, ---

Thirdly, But that which did not a little amuse the merchandisers, was, that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares, they cared not so much as to look upon them; ---.”

John Bunyan's book teaches the lost Biblical truth of a separated life of holiness, and of the need to show it forth in our life both inwardly and outwardly:

1. By our clothing...

2. By our speech...

3. By our lack of interest in the things of this world.

The Christian is not to look like, or think like, nor act like the world in his [or her] walk, attire or practice.

"I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world" [1 John 2:14-16].

End of The Age Messages

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[THE BIBLE] This is God's Holy WORD to you and I!

Do you believe it?

The A.V.1611 [or The King James Bible] is God's word PRESERVED in the English language for you and me.
It came from the English Reformation.

This Bible declares that: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." [2 Timothy 3:16]

God's inspired word is preserved in the A.V.1611.

The word "preserved" means maintained inspiration.

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." [Psalm 12:6-7]

[PRESERVE]

You see what God is saying here? GOD promises that no matter what man does, even with his corrupting influence in all these Madison Avenue money-making productions, which have resulted in over 200 "new" English translations of the Bible in the last 100 plus years, HE WILL [in spite of the scholars] "PRESERVE THEM FROM THIS GENERATION FOR EVER!" Stick with the Book! Amen! Amen! AMEN!

I simply have in child-likeness believed THE BOOK ... no matter how hard things got ... for it has BURNED in my heart for these last thirty-four years.

I have by GRACE not gotten off course either ... for He has held me to Himself.

God is faithful, and I [literally] have taken God at His word concerning 1 Peter 1:5.

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

And while I have seen the Lord hold me to Himself, I have with sadness watched as many people, churches, Bible colleges and even our nation, are slowly slipping ... degree by degree ... away from THE GOD of THE BIBLE.

Why has this happened?

Could it be, that we can, through unholy alliances, lose something that we never intended to give up?

For me, Rick St.James,

I am to approach THE BOOK, as like a child, with a trusting heart through faith.

I want to line out with that BOOK!

I want this said of me, as also was said of the believers at Thessalonica,

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe." [1 Thessalonians 2:13]

What about you?

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart" [Psalm 119:2]

They who keep his testimonies have a whole heart.

Their heart will approach God and His Book with total joy and expecting to commune with the Holy God who is infinite, for this purpose:

"Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word" [Psalm 119:12-16]

Will You Come TO Jesus Christ?

Do you believe this scripture, my friend?

Do you sense from within your heart ... the tugging and pulling of the Spirit of God?

The Holy Spirit "will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment."

Are you under tremendous conviction of sin, and are you mulling over within your heart the TWO WAYS in life that lie before you?

You must make a decision.

It is a matter of whether or not to go to THE STRAIT GATE, or to stay on THE BROAD WAY!

Where are you, my friend?

What will you do with Jesus Christ?

Will you flee from the wrath of God, and go to THE DOOR, and Knock?

If you go through this DOOR you will be on location at Mount Calvary which place is where the weight of your sin will drop off your back at the sight of the ONE who died for you, and WHO shed His BLOOD for you.

You ... my friend ... will then ... be on THE NARROW WAY TO HEAVEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Legalism Versus Standards