Chrisitan Legalism today

[katsa]

Hope someone can help me with this question - what are some of the practices or examples that christians do today that can be called legalism?

 

[Vic C.]

Yikes. :o Good question though... any takers?

 

[Free]

Having to dress and/or have your hair cut a certain way.

 

[Rick W]

I had some preconceptions about christians before Christ came into my life. Things like Free said, appearances and so forth, but also they had to go to church on sunday, couldn't swear at all even if it didn't take God's name in vain, they had to smile a lot, had to do the right things all the time, never show anger or jealousy of vanity of any sort, couldn't be proud in any way and never ever talk about anyone. I never met a real christian before I was saved. Nobody fit the ideas I had of what a christian should be, so anyone who claimed to be were either lying or just kidding themselves.

And you know what? Quite a few christians I've met along the way try to do just that.

But the fellow that discipled me was quite human, the friends he had were human too with differing personalities and idiocycracies, weaknesses and strengths. Not one sported a halo that I could discern or had a problem with cleaning up white feathers. And none of them conformed to my earlier presupposed definitions. Yet, there was something about them that was different, that didn't fit into a definition I'd never thought about, that of what a secular person is supposed to act like.

Legalism? Yeah, it exists sad to say. And I'm not sure if it's generated by a desire to fit another person's definition of "christian" or an attempt to convince themselves. It's quite easy to get caught up in it too. Am I doing enough? Am I projecting the right image? Am I pleasing God or am I loving Christ as I should? Sure, those questions may be valid but we must be careful. Satan accuses with those very same questions. And as long as we look to ourselves and not toward the cross Satan's accusations may very well have the desired effect.... ineffectiveness.

 

[Veritas]

And as long as we look to ourselves and not toward the cross Satan's accusations may very well have the desired effect.... ineffectiveness.

Very true. As a Christian, I have definately stuggled with this very thing, and I can second what Potluck said is true. Focus on the cross! .....and Satan trembles.