The Grace Awakening, Chapter 5

I skipped chapter 4. Chapter 3 was just so hard to get through that I thought that I would just skip through a few other chapters and be done with this book.

but...

This chapter was actually quite interesting and engaging for me. It was all about fighting for your liberty in the face of legalism.

Liberty is freedom from something or freedom to do something. We are free to live the way that God has made us, regardless of how he leads others. 

Legalism is an attitude based in pride. Legalists conform to artificial standards and often try to force others to do the same. They may do this in one of 3 different ways:

1. doctrinal heresy: This happens when people twist the word of God to meet their own agenda (Fred Phelps and his band of followers)
2. ecclesiastical harassment: It makes me think of the neighbor who looks through their window to make sure that everyone is doing everything exactly right and reports it when the grass is an inch too long or the car didn't make it into the driveway or...They spy so that they can point out the faults of others and try to get them to conform.
3. and hypocrisy: Those who lie and deceive. Denying faults in the face of opposition.

So what is the response? Of course don't be a legalist, but also stand against them:

1. stand firm in your faith
2. stop seeking the favor of others
3. live honestly, know the truth and live by it.

I don't know if I fall into this trap all the time, but I do know that I have been deceived in the past. Lord, help me to seek truth daily and be certain of the truth that I live by.

Follow up: Galatians 5.