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femionas
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WRITE A DISCUSSION ON: “THE SUBTLETY OF LEGALISM” SHOWING HOW BELIEVERS MAY SLIP INTO LEGALISM AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO PREVENT FALLING INTO IT.

Definition:
Legalism is much more subtle and serious than we can imagine. Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance through obedience to God. In other words, a legalist is anyone ho behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance.
Legalism can also be seen as a strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code of life. Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” KJV
In Christian theology, Legalism (or Nomism) is a term, applied to the idea that “by doing good works or by obeying the law, a person earns and merits salvation This has been criticized by certain Christian tradition such as conservative Anabaptists who have said that being a disciple of Jesus means being obedient to New Testament commands such as head covering, feet washing etc, as crucial evidence that an individual has repented or has yielded to Christ”

How Believers can slip into Legalism
It is very easy to get prideful and start thinking legalistically and making up rules God did not give us. The following are some of the ways believers can slip subtly into legalism:
• When one focuses only on obeying bare rules, thereby destroying the context of God;s love and redemption.
• When you justify yourself by comparing yourself to others always.
• Always pointing out someone else’s sin publicly
• You read your bible to get a check mark rather than to meet with God.
• You refuse to forgive others
• You separate your spiritual life from your natural life.
• You love the praise of men and reject the truth tellers who come into your life.

How a believer can prevent falling into legalism:
A believer should recognize legalism as an opposition to grace, Galatian 5:1 – 4: Legalism is a Yoke of bondage, this means to be under the powerless regulations of religion. We were saved through grace not by our works. Jesus Christ paid the price for our salvation. He has finished the work. We cannot add anything to it.
We can fight legalism by doing the following:
• Focus on the part of the bible that emphasize God’s grace. Don’t read passages that tells you to do good works out of context
• Be conscious of the fact that, God is not the one telling you to try harder. Roman 4:3-5. Verse5: “however, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness” NIV.

• Recognize that, your salvation is not based on your ability to perfectly keep the law, instead, it is through faith n Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law on our behalf. Only the grace of God provides the means for us to experience forgiveness, restoration and internal transformation.

• As a church do not focus on rules that may or may no reflect biblical truth.

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