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Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Broadcaster, musician, song writer, tea drinker and curry lover.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Legalism Vs Grace

Today's Max Lucado excerpt in Grace For The Moment draws a striking comparison between works and grace. I couldn't possibly put it any better than Max himself, so here's what he says in the book "He Still Moves Stones".

"All the world religions can be placed in one of two camps:  legalism or grace.  Humankind does it or God does it.  Salvation as a wage based on deeds done — or salvation as a gift based on Christ’s death.

A legalist believes the supreme force behind salvation is you.  If you look right, speak right, and belong to the right group, you will be saved.  The brunt of responsibility doesn’t lie within God; it lies within you.

The result?  The outside sparkles.  The talk is good, and the step is true.  But look closely.  Listen carefully.  Something is missing.  What is it?  Joy.  What’s there?  Fear.  (That you won’t do enough.)  Arrogance.  (That you have done enough.)  Failure.  (That you have made a mistake.)…

Spiritual life is not a human endeavor.  It is rooted and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.  Every spiritual achievement is created and energized by God."

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The world philosophy that you have to make it happen couldn't be more different from the Christian princple of grace, which - it should be re-emphasized - is not encouraging the lazy approach of sitting back and waiting for something, but is in fact encouraging ACTIVE ACCEPTANCE of what we do not deserve.

"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. "

Colossians 2:13-14 (NLT)

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