day 10

1 John 2:3-6

How can I live each day according to the commands of God and yet note be legalistic (believing that by living by a strict set of laws, regardless of my heart and motivation, brings me God’s favor)?

The gospels paint a picture of Jesus, while approving of the acts of the Pharisees; he often used them as an illustration of what not to do. In fact Jesus says that the Pharisees problem is hypocrisy, Luke 12:1, and covetousness (to desire the life or property of someone else), Luke 16:14.

Maybe obedience has less to do with what my obedience looks like, (what I mean is the form) than with what motivates my response. Who am I really trying to please? This question may be aiming at the heart of the matter. The wrong way to live is by following the examples, which Jesus criticized, of the Pharisees.

They had a type of righteousness (form based) but it is not good enough, therefore it should not be imitated, Matthew 11.18, 19. They were giving the appearance of doing the correct things and yet they were wrong. Jesus seems to say what the Pharisees do is not where the problem lies. I guess that where I and many other people make a mistake when talking about legalism and the Pharisees is that we too focus on the outside. We want to avoid being legalistic like the Pharisees and so we avoid good spiritual disciplines.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says things like when you pray, and fast and give alms. This means that he is expecting his followers to do these things. At the same time he offers warnings that we should never do these things to be seen by others, to not be hypocrites and to not make a big deal about spiritual disciplines. Jesus says that the main problems are hypocrisy, Luke 12:1; seeking the approval of people, Matt 6:1; the wrong kind of righteousness, Matt 5:20,

A clue might be the way that the Pharisees looked at and judged others. In Matt 9:11-14, a reference is made to the fact that, unlike the Pharisees, Jesus’ followers did not fast very often and they ate with sinners. This was something that the Pharisees, and rightly so, thought was important for a follower of the one true God to do. The problem is that they felt that the same discipline had to be done in the very same way that they did it, in order for it to be legitimate. Thus they started focusing on the form, how is looks, how long and in what order, instead of the intent of the heart of the individual who wanted to deepen his or her relationship with God.

It is really important to understand that God is a god of diversity. There has never been nor is there now only one way to pray, praise, give or live life as a follower of Jesus Christ. The way that it is done in Singapore might be, although similar, very different from how it is done in USA or in Sweden and yet be totally right and pleasing to God. Jesus actions on the Sabbath was different from those of the Pharisees and that is why the complained about Jesus, Matt 12:2.

Since the Pharisees used themselves as standards when judging others, this also led to a type of spiritual blindness. They were no longer able to see God working in ways different from how they thought that it should be. When Jesus drives an evil spirit from someone the Pharisees are, at this point, so bitter, judgmental and condescending that they accuse Jesus of performing this miracle by the Devi’s power instead of by the power of God, Matt 9:34; 12:24; 19:3; 22:15. How sad. For all of their apparent holiness, over and over, they tried to trap or tempt Jesus, Matt 16:1; Mark8:11-13; 10:2; 12:13. Jesus said that we should judge not by the outside but by the kind of fruit that is borne. Since the Pharisees were only going through the motions, godliness in form only, Jesus says in Matt 23:13-14, 23, 25, 27-29, that they would have a harsher judgment. They have attended to the small details while excluding the truly important items of obedience.

The evil servant mistreats his fellow servants and ends up with the punishment of the hypocrites, Matt 24:44-51.

I know that if I want to live in obedience then I have to live like Jesus and not like the Pharisees. This means that it is very important to know what the difference between the two is. So how do I follow God without being legalistic or a hypocrite? God’s love is made complete in the person who is obedient.

Since I cannot do this in my own strength then it must the result of Christ work in me. It is almost like having to surrender to God on a daily basis. If God is reigning in me then he is dominating me. As I write this there is a physical reaction in my body. I want to soften this statement and yet I dare not. God needs to dominate my heart and my mind and my actions on a daily basis. If he is truly as loving as the Bible says then there should not be any kind of a problem. God gives the armour and the strength to live in obedience but that means doing it his way.

If there ever was a need for communities that encourage believers to daily surrender to Gods rule and live in obedience, it is today. It is my obedience that will reveal my love for God; how well I now him; the consistency of my walk and the truth of my holiness. But do I have such a community? Am I such a leader that inspires such obedience? Living this way brings such condemnation. Do I dare live for God in such a radically different way than my surrounding society? I sure hope so. This is too large to do in isolation or seclusion. If I am going to be successful in this then it will only be achieved in community with others.

Peace