C&CW Ep. 25 - Terms: Slavery of Conscience (Legalism)
July 12, 2021•521 words
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Coffee & Christian Worldview
Episode 25
Show Notes:
"Legalism"
There is more than one kind of legalism.
- Adding works (law keeping) to faith for justification.
- Adding to God's Law—requiring or forbidding things that God does not.
The second sense is the legalism we're talking about—adding to the Law of God.
A clear-case example: the Amish
"In any case, the entire system of Amish religion is dedicated to a kind of separatism that sees the use of modern conveniences such as electricity and gasoline operated engines as a descent into worldliness. The lifestyle of the Amish is driven in large measure by an ethical commitment that regards such separation as necessary for spiritual development."
—R.C. Sproul, "When to Stop, When to Go, When to Slow Down"
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/when-stop-when-go-when-slow-down/
Viewing things indifferent as sinful.
Traditions have been elevated to the level of divine-law. That is legalism.
Again, Sproul: "The problem with this particular approach to ethics is that these elements, on which the Bible is silent, become ethical matters of the highest consideration for some Christians. In a word, the adiaphora become elevated to the status of law, and people’s consciences become bound where God has left them free. Here a form of legalism emerges that is on a collision course with the biblical principal of Christian liberty. Even more important is that a substitute morality replaces the true ethical criteria that the Bible prescribes for godly people."
"Binding of the conscience" is in contrast to liberty of conscience. Or slavery of the conscience.
The opposite of freedom in Christ Jesus is to be enslaved (Gal. 2:4)
This brand of legalism is common, especially among non-denominational churches and Bible colleges.
"If you continue your relationship, we will expel you from the school."
Excusing legalism as "culture."
If you don't submit, even if you are a pastor, they will ignore you or church split. That's why many give up their freedom in Christ, allow themselves to be bound. Pastors who give in are hirelings.
They will invoke the almighty "stumbling block," even though no one is being influenced to sin. You just crossed their cultural preferences.
If God doesn't forbid it, nobody can forbid it. It's an opinion.
Each person must be fully convinced in their own mind.
It's not our business and we're not God.
Legalists are always hypocritical. They make loopholes for themselves.
Once you give one centimeter to legalism, obey just one rule added to Scripture, the floodgates are open.
Logically, there's nowhere to draw the line.
Scripture is the line, God's Law is the line. Once you cross it by adding to it once, you can add to it a 1,000,000 times. You can't say stop, because you let it begin.
Legalists are basically abusers, because they pretend to be lord of your conscience. They play God with you.
And you who submit to them are sinning, because you let a human being be your Lord.
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