GOD IS A LEGALIST by steve finnell

http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/04/god-is-legalist-by-steve-finnell.html

GOD IS A LEGALIST by steve finnell

Religious leaders who want to hinder God's truth from being believed, cry legalism when an unpopular truth is mentioned.

Following God's commandments is legalism. God does not want follower of Jesus Christ to be, illegal.

Those who teach God's terms for salvation are called Pharisees. They say, teaching that God's  commands should be followed to the letter, in order to be saved is legalism.

 The Pharisees were only legal when keeping their man-made traditions.

Mark 7:5-13 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him. "Why do Your disciples not walk according to tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" 6....hypocrites....7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.......9 And He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition........13 "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down, And many such things you do."(NKJV)

When is came to God's commandments, the Pharisees were not legalists. The Pharisees were illegalists. The Pharisees kept man-made traditions to the letter, but failed to keep God's commands.

Today denominations like to keep the laws of their man-made catechisms, creed books, and their extra-Biblical reference books. They brand, as a Pharisee, anyone who would dare imply that God's word is in the Bible and the Bible alone.

Jesus was a legalist. He said, you must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) The illegal doctrine of some today, IS, WATER BAPTISM IS NOT ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Jesus was a legalist. He said, no one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) The illegal view of some, is, Jesus is simply one of many ways to heaven.

The apostle Paul went from teaching the traditions of men as a Pharisee, to teaching God's tradition as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Paul was a Christian legalist. (Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you  than we have preached to you let him be accursed. (NKJV)

Many in the denominational world would claim that only a legalistic Pharisee would say, "Is baptized shall be saved."

Jesus said, Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)

God expects Christians to be legal. Illegists do qualify as Christians. Illegists make God's word of no effect.