I've noticed that many "believers" in Christ philosophize about how Jesus didn't mean literally what He said when He said in many verses and scriptures attested by all the apostles "Obey my commandments" and equate any reference to this as legalism.
How is doing what Jesus said "Obey my commandments" legalism?
@Bill C & others .. I am totally perplexed at how people rationalize and philosophize those very scriptures that Christ Himself says to be obedient and say, people are using those scriptures for legalism purposes. It is what Christ says explicitly, unless you don't believe what is written in scripture. It is not written in a mystery, it is plain and clear and people are teaching that you don't have to obey Christ. But my question to that would be, why do the apostles call Jesus Lord and call themselves bondservants to Christ? That implies obedience..
I am speaking of Christ' own words in scripture that say if you love Him, keep His commands
It appears people do not read the scripture for what they are but put a denominational / theological / doctrinal slant on them or a personal opinion. The scriptures where Christ says obey His commands are plain and simple. Is the law to "Love you neighbor" - Legalism? Is the law to "Love God" - Legalism? I think not!
no1home2 .. You are taking that scripture out of context and your understanding of the law of love and its application is not correct.
I pose this question, is a christian who does not obey Christ' teachings a christian?
Is a christian who does not love his neighbor a christian?
If not, what seperates a christian from a non-believer who professes Christ?
And this is no judgement, this is a common language paraphrase of what James reiterates throughout his epistle as well as all other apostles. They ask you to evaluate your life to see if you are a christian. It is not legalism or judgement to do so. If you say it is, you call the apostles judgemental and legalistic
In the 1st epistle of John, who was he addressing? When he tells those to walk in the light amongst darkness. Was his epistle addressed to the unsaved or unprofessed, no.
When Paul gave the characteristics of those who were in the flesh in Gal. 5:19, who was he addressing. Those who are believers in Christ, or the unsaved. Those who already professed Christ.
When James commented on having faith in one God, who was he addressing? Those who already had faith in God or those who knew not that faith?
So to say that christians are not called to display any form of fruit, character, or holiness of life and to exclude obedience is false. James strongly addresses this and this is why people try and refute his epistle and pit it against Paul's when both James and Paul are on one accord addressing the same things.
Anyone who has the revelation of the "royal law" knows that "Love of God" and "Loving your neighbor as yourself" fulfills the law. I am not talking about the law in the books or on the tablets of stone. I'm talking about the law written on the flesh of the heart.
How is doing what Jesus said "Obey my commandments" legalism?
@Bill C & others .. I am totally perplexed at how people rationalize and philosophize those very scriptures that Christ Himself says to be obedient and say, people are using those scriptures for legalism purposes. It is what Christ says explicitly, unless you don't believe what is written in scripture. It is not written in a mystery, it is plain and clear and people are teaching that you don't have to obey Christ. But my question to that would be, why do the apostles call Jesus Lord and call themselves bondservants to Christ? That implies obedience..
I am speaking of Christ' own words in scripture that say if you love Him, keep His commands
It appears people do not read the scripture for what they are but put a denominational / theological / doctrinal slant on them or a personal opinion. The scriptures where Christ says obey His commands are plain and simple. Is the law to "Love you neighbor" - Legalism? Is the law to "Love God" - Legalism? I think not!
no1home2 .. You are taking that scripture out of context and your understanding of the law of love and its application is not correct.
I pose this question, is a christian who does not obey Christ' teachings a christian?
Is a christian who does not love his neighbor a christian?
If not, what seperates a christian from a non-believer who professes Christ?
And this is no judgement, this is a common language paraphrase of what James reiterates throughout his epistle as well as all other apostles. They ask you to evaluate your life to see if you are a christian. It is not legalism or judgement to do so. If you say it is, you call the apostles judgemental and legalistic
In the 1st epistle of John, who was he addressing? When he tells those to walk in the light amongst darkness. Was his epistle addressed to the unsaved or unprofessed, no.
When Paul gave the characteristics of those who were in the flesh in Gal. 5:19, who was he addressing. Those who are believers in Christ, or the unsaved. Those who already professed Christ.
When James commented on having faith in one God, who was he addressing? Those who already had faith in God or those who knew not that faith?
So to say that christians are not called to display any form of fruit, character, or holiness of life and to exclude obedience is false. James strongly addresses this and this is why people try and refute his epistle and pit it against Paul's when both James and Paul are on one accord addressing the same things.
Anyone who has the revelation of the "royal law" knows that "Love of God" and "Loving your neighbor as yourself" fulfills the law. I am not talking about the law in the books or on the tablets of stone. I'm talking about the law written on the flesh of the heart.