PHARISEEISM---IS IT LEGALISM? By Steve Finnell

 

PHARISEEISM---IS IT LEGALISM? by Steve Finnell over at A Christian View

 

A favorite defense for those who do not want to obey God's terms for pardon, is to label strict obedience to God as Phariseeism. Is Phariseeism keeping God's law to the letter?

LEGALISM DEFINED: Strict and literal adherence to law.

Were the Pharisees guilty of legalism? No they were not. The Pharisees practiced illegalism. They were not legal.

Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so they might put Him to death.

Is obtaining false testimony an example of strict adherence to God's law?

Matthew 28:11-13...the chief priests...12 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers. 13 and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and sole Him away while we were asleep.'

Is conspiring to bribe men to lie, strict adherence to God's law?

Matthew 23:14[ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]

Was devouring widow's houses an example of legalism or illegalism? Were the Pharisees literally following God's law by devouring widows' houses?

Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law; justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Jesus did not reprimand the Pharisees for their strict compliance to God's law? No, it was the exact opposite. The Pharisees were neglecting strict obedience to the law.

THE LEGALISM OF THE PHARISEES?

The legalism of the Pharisees was because they followed man-made traditions, not because they followed God's law to the letter.

Mark 7:1-7 .....5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the traditions of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" 6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips. But their heart is far from Me, 7 'But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the precepts of men.'

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for teaching the traditions of Men. Jesus did not scold them for literal obedience to God's laws.

Mark 7:8 Neglecting the commandments of God, you hold to the  traditions of men."

The Pharisees were not practicing legalism by strict obedience to God's law. They were illegal for neglecting God's commandments and keeping man-made traditions.

Is teaching what Jesus said in, Mark 16:16, being Pharisaical.
(Mark 16: He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved....)

Would it be a tradition of men to say that "has been baptized shall be saved?" No it would not; it would the words of Jesus Christ.

To claim that Christians are practicing the legalism of the Pharisees because they say you have to be obedient to God's terms for pardon in order to be saved, is factually incorrect.

GOD WANTS US TO BE HIS LEGAL CHILDREN

ILLEGAL CHILDREN WILL BE LEFT WITHOUT AN INHERITANCE.

WHAT MUST MEN DO TO BECOME LEGAL?

A. FAITH: John 3:16
B. REPENTANCE: Acts 2:38
C. CONFESSION: Romans 10:9-10
D. WATER BAPTISM: 1 Peter 3:20-21

Grace Is Mercy, Not A Mandate By Steve Finnell

 

GRACE IS MERCY, NOT A MANDATE by Steve Finnell over at Christian-With-A-View

 

Grace is an unmerited favor from God. Grace is not a mandate from God forcing men to have faith, so that they may receive salvation. God does not impute a saving faith to a few selected individuals. Faith is by choice.

 

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

 

A. Because of God's grace men are afforded the opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, that would be saved through faith.

B. Ephesians 2:8 does not state or imply that men are saved by grace alone.

C. The gift mentioned here is salvation. The gift is not, imputed faith, from God to those preselected by God, for salvation.

 

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.....

 

Does this mean the grace of God promises universal salvation? Of course not, it means all men have the opportunity for salvation through Jesus Christ. YES, all men.

 

Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

A. God saved us according to His mercy. How? By the washing of regeneration (water baptism) and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

 

B. Men are afforded grace, only through Jesus Christ.

 

C. We are justified by God's grace. Without God's unmerited favor of forgiveness through Jesus Christ no man could be saved.

 

GRACE IS NOT EARNED. GRACE IS NOT MANDATED FOR A SELECT FEW. FAITH IS NOT IMPUTED, AS A PRODUCT OF GRACE, TO THOSE PREDESTINED FOR SALVATION.

 

ALL MEN HAVE A CHOICE TO ACCEPT GOD'S GRACE BY FAITH THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

 

TERMS FOR PARDON BECAUSE OF GOD'S GRACE.

1. FAITH: John 3:16

2. REPENTANCE: Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19

3. CONFESSION: Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37

4. WATER BAPTISM: 1 Peter 3:20-21, Mark 16:16

 

GRACE IS MERCY, NOT A MANDATE!

MAN-MADE CLIMATE CHANGE-------By Steve Finnell

 

MAN-MADE CLIMATE CHANGE-------by Steve Finnell over at Christian-With-A-View

 

Do men have the ability to effect climate change on the planet earth? Are heat waves, cooling temperatures, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, gale-force winds, and snow storms the result of man's mismanagement of the planet?

 

It is not naive and arrogant to assume that puny man can effect climate change? MAN-MADE CLIMATE CHANGE IS A GRAND HOAX, AT BEST.

 

HAVE MEN BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGES IN WEATHER PATTERNS? YES!

 

Genesis 6:13 Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold , I am about to destroy them with the earth. Genesis 7:4...I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out the face of the land everything that I have made.

 

Were men responsible for the change of weather. YES.

 

Did men effect the change of weather? NO. God caused it to rain, not men.

 

Genesis 18:20 And the Lord said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven,

 

Were men responsible for the weather change in Sodom and Gomorrah? YES!

Did men cause the weather change? NO, God effected the change in the weather.

 

1 Kings 8:35 " When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You....

 

Men are sometimes responsible for changes in the weather, however, God effects the change.

 

Luke 8:24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and surging waves, and they stopped and it became calm.

 

The wind and surging waves did become calm because of man-made climate change.

 

Matthew 51-54 ....the earth shook and the rocks were split.......54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening , became very frightened and said, 'Truly this was the Son of God!"

 

Notice the centurion did not attribute the earthquake to man-made climate change.

 

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

 

Men are responsible for the final climate change.

Climate change will come, some day, however, puny men will have no effect in implementing or causing it.

 

THE MAN-MADE CLIMATE CHANGE HOAX WAS INVENTED BY NAIVE AND ARROGANT MEN!

TWO CHOICES-BELIEF OR REJECTION by Steve Finnell

 

TWO CHOICES-BELIEF OR REJECTION by Steve Finnell over at Christian-With-A-View

 

Why do some reject Jesus as Lord and Savior and others accept Him? Why is it, some accept the teachings found in Scripture concerning the terms for pardon and others believe in man-made tradition found in creed books and statements of faith?

 

THE TWO CRIMINALS

 

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

 

Jesus did not force the criminal to insult and reject Him. The first criminal made a PERSONAL CHOICE.

 

Luke 23:40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in your kingdom". 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Criminal number two made the PERSONAL CHOICE to believe and repent.

 

NOTE: The second criminal ask the first "Do you not fear God"? (Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is is beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.)

Without the fear of God there is no way men can understand the truth. Without wisdom and understanding men are left hanging on the cross with the first criminal. FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE FIRST STEP TO ACCEPTING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

 

John 12:42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but were because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;

 

The rulers did not confess Jesus because the feared the Pharisees more than they feared the Lord.

 

Matthew 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

Why do men not believe and teach the truth? Is it because they do not fear God or is it that they fear men more?

 

Why do men fear saying, Jesus is the only way to the Father. (John 14:6)

 

Why do men fear teaching the terms of pardon: FAITH (John3:16) REPENTANCE (Acts 2:38) CONFESSION (Romans 10:9-10 WATER BAPTISM (1 Peter 3:20-21)

 

Do men not preach and teach the truth because they fear God?

OR, do men not teach and preach the truth because of fear that they might be ostracized by their family, friends, lodge brothers, church members, and society in general. Do men refrain from preaching the complete truth because of the fear of losing their position in their church? Unemployment is not what, one, intentionally seeks.

 

ACCEPTING JESUS AND TEACHING THE TRUTH STARTS WITH FEAR OF THE LORD.

REVELATION 19:5 AND A VOICE CAME FROM THE THRONE SAYING, "GIVE PRAISE TO OUR GOD, ALL YOU HIS BOND- SERVANTS, YOU WHO FEAR HIM, THE SMALL AND GREAT."

PHARISAICAL- by Steve Finnell

 

PHARISAICAL- by Steve Finnell over at Christian-With-A-View

 

Are the modern day Pharisees those who believe you have to follow Biblical doctrine in order to be saved, in example: FAITH (John 3:16) REPENTANCE (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) CONFESSION (Romans 10:9-10) BAPTISM (Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21)? Are the contemporary Pharisees those who teach that Christians, who make sin a lifestyle, will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:6-11, Galatians 5:19-20)?

 

WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE PHARISEES THAT THEY KEPT GOD'S LAWS TO THE LETTER? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

 

Matthew 3:4-7...7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 

John the Baptist was not calling the Pharisees vipers because they were keeping God's laws to the letter.

 

Matthew 5:20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

Jesus did not question the righteousness of the Pharisees because they were living their lives according to the letter of God's laws. They were not even close.

 

Matthew 16:6-12 ....12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

Jesus was warning against the teaching of the Pharisees because it was not God's doctrine, it was man-made teaching.

 

Matthew 23:13-33......You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

 

Did Jesus refer to the Pharisees as serpents and ask them how they would escape hell, because they were keeping the letter of God's laws?

 

Mark 7:1-9 .....9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandments of God in order to keep your tradition.

 

Jesus made it very clear that the Pharisees did not keep God's laws to the letter. The problem with the Pharisees was they were KEEPING

THEIR MAN-MADE TRADITIONS!

 

IF THE DOCTRINE YOU FOLLOW CONTRADICTS SCRIPTURE, THEN, IT IS MAN-MADE TRADITION.

 

DON'T BE PHARISAICAL!

 

NOTE: I put this post up by Steve Finnell because as Christians we have to discern what our pastors are teaching man-made doctrine or God’s doctrine.  This gives idea of how to discern it. Read your Bible so you are not lead astray.