Spiritual Growth / Legalism

  • A Solemn Charge

    1 Timothy 1:3-4

    John Calvin writes that those doctrines that “contribute to edification may be approved, and that those which give ground for unprofitable disputes may be rejected as unworthy of the church of God.” Though some find it a lot of fun ...Read More

  • Bearing the Marks of Jesus

    Galatians 6:17–18

    Not all of us live in cultures or societies where physical harm is an inevitable part of faithfulness to Christ Jesus. Yet all of us should bear some kind of marks that testifies to our faithfulness to the Lord, whether ...Read More

  • Dead to the World or Alive?

    Colossians 2:20

    Out of His great love for us, God warns His people against legalism and false religious practices because hoping in rules, astrology, and other false spiritualities only gives Satan and the flesh more influence over us. But when we pursue ...Read More

  • Doing Good to All

    Galatians 6:9–10

    The recipients of our good deeds are not to be limited to any one group, but we do have a responsibility to take care of our brothers and sisters in the Lord first. John Calvin writes, “There are duties which ...Read More

  • God-Given Growth

    Colossians 2:19

    There is a sinful tendency in all of us to cut ourselves off from Christ, the Head of the body of Christ and only source of life-sustaining nourishment. It may not display itself overtly in false worship as it did ...Read More

  • Increasing Our Guilt

    Galatians 5:2–4

    Coming to terms with the extent of our sin takes a lifetime. Even those of us who have trusted in Christ alone for salvation understand how easy it is to think that God loves us because of something that we ...Read More

  • One Law Giver

    James 4:11–12

    There is most certainly a place for evaluating the spiritual health of the members of our churches. However, this is to be done predominantly by the elders of the church in love and according to the standards of the Law ...Read More

  • The Legalist Distortion

    Romans 14

    As a modern example of legalism, some Christians have said that it is wrong for believers to consume alcohol. However, while such rules may be motivated by a noble concern that people avoid the sin of drunkenness, Scripture nowhere condemns ...Read More

  • The Threat of Legalism

    Philippians 3:2-3

    We are circumcised in the heart when we are baptized into Christ — not in the mere participation in the washing with water but at the moment the reality to which the sacrament points is ours, namely, the moment we trust ...Read More