a definition of legalism

It's been brought to my attention that I need to define legalism.

Ed Welch says there are 2 main ways we can define legalism:

• an attachment to specific rules, so that we make the Bible say more than it actually does say on issues like card-playing, dancing or drinking alcohol (it's always someone else who does this, of course, never me!)
• adding something to the death of Jesus, so that we are made right with God not only by faith in Jesus' death, but also on the basis of what we do

It's the second that I've been addressing this week.

But it's not normally as blatant as this, is it? Most of us wouldn't say " I need to believe in Jesus and also do x and y to be accepted by God." We know it's only through faith in Jesus' death that God makes us right with him.

For us it will be more subtle.

Perhaps we have a "good day -bad day" mentality. We expect God to bless us on days when we've had our quiet time, but on days when we've skipped our quiet time and been grumpy with our children, we don't expect God to bless us. In other words, we're making God's blessing dependent on what we do rather than on Jesus' death.

Perhaps we wallow in guilt when we've done the wrong thing, and feel like we have to "fix things up" before we can approach God in prayer. Again, we're adding something to the death of Christ: it's not enough to believe in Jesus, I also have to make things right with God before he will be happy to hear my prayers.

Perhaps we're anxious or depressed because we've failed some invisible standard. At some level, we feel like we have to prove ourselves to God, others or ourselves before we can be content. We're putting our security in something else besides Jesus' death: in the opinion of others, or in our self-opinion, or in earning God's favour.

Or perhaps, as I talked about here, it's that we think rules, regulations and vows are the way to grow in Jesus. We become Christians through faith in Christ, but we grow as Christians through disciplines and programs. I'll talk more about the alternative to this view in my next post on Tim Chester's You Can Change. But again, it's a way of putting our hope for transformation in something besides the death of Christ.

If you're still not sure what I mean by legalism, please ask me to clarify in the comments! Legalism is a slippery concept, as Nicole observed here. But I think it's really important to understand legalism or we'll fall into the same error as the Galatians, who thought circumcision was necessary as well as faith in Jesus; or the Colossians, who thought that we grow through rules and self-denial rather than through the gospel.

To add to the cross of Christ is to say that the cross of Christ is not enough.

Ed Welch on legalism (1)

Around Easter this year, God turned me inside out. I was listening to a talk on legalism by Ed Welch (part of his series on biblical counselling).

I'd been doing a lot of navel gazing during the last year and a half: why am I feeling anxious? why am I feeling depressed? why am I feeling overwhelmed? I'd identified all kinds of issues: pride, perfectionism, people-pleasing and so on.

But the day I heard this talk - around the time, in God's grace, that I read the chapter on legalism in Tim Chester's You Can Change - I realised what was at the root of them all: legalism.

That day I rejoiced. If the root problem was legalism, there was a very simple solution: grace. I was forgiven and made new! I didn't need to prove myself to God, others or myself any longer. I didn't need to try and change through yet another list of rules.

Here's how Ed Welch begins: with the story of a friend.

A friend of mine was meeting in a small group. They were going to talk about and do repentance … I thought he was my spiritual mentor. To wake up and confess sin on Friday mornings with other brothers! …

But I noticed that after 3 weeks or so, he started getting a bit numb. ... The weeks go on, and he’s feeling depressed. The weeks go on, and he’s feeling really depressed. The weeks go on, and he’s feeling certifiably, institutionisable depression. ... Here’s my spiritual mentor, and he’s going through this process of repentance with other brothers in Christ: it didn't make any sense.

So we began to think about it one day. Here’s how it went. He would repent of his sins. He would repent publicly – grand thing! But then he would see that his repentance was selfish, that it was manipulative, that perhaps there was a bit of it that was trying to impress the other people in the group. So he would repent of his repentance. And then he would consider the repentance of his repentance and realize the selfishness in that, the self-centredness in that, and he would repent of the repentance of his repentance of his repentance.

Now he’s a fairly bright guy. My neurons would have gone on the fritz at that point. But he got to around the seventh level of repentance. …

So he’s repented for his repentance for his repentance for his repentance. He’s left me thoroughly confused. He’s hopelessly depressed and getting even more depressed, if there’s a lower point to go. We’re assuming that Scripture speaks clearly, ... and you don’t have to be a genius to grab on to it. The question is, what’s available to this particular person?

He needs to repent. The eighth level of repentance! But he doesn’t need to repent of his repentance. He needs to repent of the very thought that there is something he can do, some righteousness that he can bring to the finished work of Christ. …

The gospel is 1 Corinthians 15:3-5: "Christ died for sins, and he rose again according to the Scriptures." That’s the thing "of first importance". The wondrous part of that passage is that it doesn’t say anything about us: ... “Christ died for sin, and he rose again according to the Scripture. And you must repent really well.”

Yes, there is repentance as our response to the gospel, undoubtedly. There is repentance as we turn from one kingdom and move towards the other. The thing of first importance, however, is what Christ has done.

In the book of Galatians, there was this tendency to add something – add something good to what Christ has done, but add to it. And any time we add to what Christ has done, the apostle Paul saves his most ferocious words for us. Because he has just been smitten by the gospel.

images are from flickr

too tired for ...

Next time you're "too tired", think about the things you're prepared to stay up late for:

- watching your favourite TV show
- finishing that exciting novel
- a night out chatting with a friend
- those emails you need to catch up on
- fill in the blank _______________

Some things are more important than others.

.

pride - a personal reflection

There's been great fuel for pride in my life recently. I led a couple of seminars during the last month, and they were received beyond my hopes and expectations. You know the kind of thing: glowing recommendations, people telling me how I'd affected them (or, hopefully, how God's word affected them!), and invitations to more teaching opportunities. Humanly speaking, it was a dream come true.

I went for a walk and prayed the other morning. I wept. I sat on my rock (actually, it was a neighbouring rock!) and poured out my heart to God. I could feel pride and selfish ambition creeping up on me, and I was determined to stand against them.

I sat and reflected on my insignificance. God doesn't need me. He can further his kingdom without my help. He can raise up the people he wants, when and where he wants. When I've gone to be with my Lord, others will take my place. How gloriously superfluous I am!

We are none of us necessary. Or look at it another way: we are all equally necessary to one another. No fingers boasting over toes in this body!

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. ... Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Cor 12:12-27

My tears of repentance were replaced with tears of wonder and joy, as I thought about God's unshakeable plan to glorify his Son (Eph 1:3-14): a plan that he graciously involves me in, but which doesn't need me in it.

I said to God, "I am yours. You may take it all away tomorrow, and that is okay, your kingdom will go forward. You may choose for me an obscure life serving a sick husband or a disabled child, and that is okay, your kingdom will go forward. I may die tomorrow, and that is okay (no, that is best!) and your kingdom will go forward."

You'll sometimes hear people say, "It's not about you". They're right. It's not about me. It's about God and his glory.

If God chooses to use me to further his kingdom, I will praise him. If he chooses to use someone else to further his kingdom, I will praise him. For "neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow" (1 Cor 3:7).

how we change (5a) how are you going to change?

We are all legalists.

Left to ourselves, we try to make it to God on our terms. We try to earn our way to God through our own goodness. And this doesn't stop when we become Christians. We expect God's blessing when we've been "good". We expect God to make things go badly when we've skipped our quiet times or been grumpy with our families.

We approach growing as Christians in the same way. When we want to change, we resort to rules and regulations, lists and programs, vows and promises. We're like the Galatians, saved by grace but trying to grow through law (Gal 3:1-5). We forget God's startling words:

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Col 2:20-23

Think back to the last time you tried to change. Maybe you decided you wanted to eat less, or pray more often, or manage your temper. How did you go about it? What lists and promises did you make? What self-denials did you subject yourself to? What rules did you draw up for your obedience?

Did it work? How long did the change last? If you're determined, maybe quite a while! But vows, rules and programs only go so far. It's not long before we're over-eating or missing quiet times or over-spending again. Believe me, I know. I'm an expert in this kind of change.

A few years after the chaos of motherhood had begun, a couple of good friends and I read a book about biblical womanhood. My friends made a few sensible changes to their lives. I made detailed plans for all the things which were going to change from now on.

I decided to wake up at 6.00 and pray and read the Bible for an hour every day. I developed a household management centre in my home, complete with personal organiser, calendar, and monthly, weekly and daily "to do" lists. I committed myself to loving my husband and children in specific ways. I am an obsessive perfectionist, after all!

I tried it for a couple of months. I'd wake in the mid-winter darkness, drag myself to a chair, and sit trying to concentrate on the Bible. My personal organiser went unused. My "to do" lists became dog-eared and confused. I became overwhelmed, stressed and felt like an utter failure. I couldn't even succeed at this simple program for becoming a better wife, homemaker and mother! I developed a lasting aversion to books about homemaking.

I also developed a lasting aversion to vows, rules and programs for change.

Yes, there is a place for self-discipline. Chester says, "Many of these things are good in themselves ... But our rituals and disciplines can't change us." Rules and disciplines can only change our external behaviour. They can't change our hearts.

So what is the secret to change? This post is already too long, so I'll wait till next week to talk about that! In the meantime, maybe you'd like to share with us the story of a time you tried to change through rules and disciplines. How did it go?

If you'd like to see or use my seminar How Change Happens, which is based on Tim Chester's You Can Change, please contact me.

quotes are from chapter 2 of Tim Chester's You Can Change

images are from stock.xchng

in memory of mother's day

Don't you love mothers' day gifts? Those funny little objects that your children choose, all by themselves, at the mothers' day stall at school, handing over the precious $2.00 coins that you gave them that morning as they select something Mum will really love.

And we do love them. The cutesy little pink plaster lamb on a keyring. The over-sized mug with "I love Mum" on the side. The oven mitts and tea-towels.

My mother still had a miniature cut-glass brown vase of dusty dried flowers in her kitchen cupboard when I left home at 18. It was one of the ugliest things I've ever seen. But I chose it for her when I was 6 years old, and she kept it, tucked away with the other vases.

Out of all the mother's day gifts I've received, the most unique was this one, given to me by Thomas. Somehow it epitomised his personality, with its endearing combination of contrariness and enthusiastic affection. Here it is.



A broken garden gnome. Love it!

a question about childcare

One of the readers of in all honesty sent in a thought-provoking question about childcare recently. With her permission, I'm posting her question here. We would love to hear your thoughts!

Please don't feel judged by her question: neither of us think childcare is wrong, and I know women who use childcare wisely and lovingly for reasons like those she mentions. It's more the trend and potential misuse of childcare that this writer is questioning. Anyhow, have a read, and tell me what you think.

I'm an evangelical Christian woman who has chosen to be a stay at home mother. I have many friends around me who are doing the same, though I'm noticing a new trend - Christian mothers saying that they are committed to staying out of the workforce to raise their children, but then putting their children into childcare for their 'day off'. This day (usually only one) is used to do what they 'want' to do without having to be disturbed by the children.

Now some of these women are also extremely involved in ministries that mean that they are at breaking point and feel that they are always giving to their church or their children. I don't know how to question them without sounding judgemental, hence my email to you!

Back to the topic: what I'm thinking through is whether we as Christian women are losing our way a little on this. There seems to be a general lack of willingness to sacrifice our personal satisfaction in life for the sake of our children. We will give up our career but not all those other things we like doing.

This includes accepting that there are some ministries that we are capable of doing but are limited because of the stage of life that we find ourselves in. Often there are other worthwhile things we can do to serve God during these stages but we don't enjoy them as much so we fight to keep doing what we like, at the expense of providing a calm home environment and a calm mother.

Reading some of Ali's links (Equip book club) recently about feminism has got me wondering if this trend I've noticed is a way in which feminism is infiltrating into the attitudes Christian women have about raising their children.

What do you think?

You can respond here.

yes, grace enough just for today

Three months ago I was staring down the barrel of a busy, busy term. I wrote about anxiety and how God promises to give us grace enough just for today. Today I'm writing to let you know that he is faithful: he did just that.

Yes, it was one of the busiest terms of my life. Against the advice of wise friends (sorry friends!) I added a second seminar to my already heavy load. Looking back, it's clear that I took too much on (note to self: never write a complete set of Sunday School lessons and a seminar - let alone two! - in the same term again). It could have been a recipe for disaster, and really, it's only by God's grace that it wasn't.

But God is faithful.

He answered my prayers. I prayed about my anxieties (Phil 4:5-7) and he lifted the burden of worry from my shoulders so that I felt virtually free of anxiety and despondency the whole term long. This is nothing short of a miracle for a woman who struggles with anxiety as frequently as I do. (It doesn't always work that way. Sometimes feelings of anxiety aren't taken away, and we have to battle them and trust God in the face of them.)

He answered my prayers. I was determined to trust him for "grace enough just for today" - time and energy to do ministry preparation, love my family, lead a Bible study and care for my friends. I'm sure many things slipped through the cracks, but most of the important stuff got done.

He answered my prayers. He gave me the blessing of watching my children excitedly discover great truths about God during Sunday School, the privilege of helping young women grow deeper into the grace of Christ as I led seminars on change and spiritual disciplines, and the joy of catching up with old friends and making a new friend (you know who you are!). Truly God is good.

I'm facing another busy term or two. Nothing like last term, thankfully - but do any of us really face a term that's stress-free and easy? Not this mother! I'd like to say I'm stepping forward in confidence that the God who provided for last term will provide for the next. Truth be told, I'm still battling anxiety and apprehension.

But I know this: however I may feel, whatever I may face, God hasn't changed. When he promises to provide for our needs (Phil 4:19, 2 Pet 1:3) that's a promise that holds true for any and every circumstance. He is trustworthy and true.

Whatever sorrows or joys you and I may face during the coming months, I pray that we will be able to trust him together, in the confidence that our loving heavenly Father will never let us out of his hands.

Tim Keller on living as we are

In every other religion the indicative flows from the imperative. Which means, ‘because I do, therefore I am… because I do this, therefore I’m a child of God.’ But only in Christianity does the imperative flow from the indicative. ‘Because I am in Christ all these things, therefore I obey.’ Exactly the opposite.

Tim Keller Led by the Spirit (message given at Redeemer Presbyterian Church) HT Of First Importance

image is from stock.xchng

how we change (4) why would you like to change?

I'm sitting in a cafe (the same cafe I wrote about here, at the same wobbly iron table) and I'm reading chapter 2 of Tim Chester's You Can Change.

It's not long before my heart is dissected and displayed on the page. I know that Chester's right, and that I seek change for three main reasons:

1. To prove myself to God.
2. To prove myself to others.
3. To prove myself to myself.

Most of us can probably tick one of these (the women in my seminar were divided between the three). I can put a big, black, permanent marker tick next to all three.

When I was 8, my Sunday School teacher asked what I wanted most. I knew the answer: to obey God all the time (no red trucks or Barbie dolls for me!). I long for others' liking and respect, and I'm terrified of disappointing people. But it's myself I find hardest to please. It's only when I meet every expectation - God's, other people's, my own - that I feel briefly satisfied.

It's one of those "So that's why!" moments.

But it's what follows that's really encouraging. As Chester unpacks the reality of being justified by grace, the truth that I've always known makes a new impact on my heart. God accepts me, and it's got absolutely nothing to do with what I've done or haven't done. He accepts me because Jesus died for me and paid for every one of my sinful failures. He accepts me because he sees me as perfect in his sight, clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

I've been striving for perfection, and it turns out it's mine already!

So why change? Not to become someone else, but to become who I already am. I'm God's precious child. I'm the bride of his Son. I'm the temple of his Spirit. I have all I need to live for God. I've died to sin and been raised to glorious new life. How could I not live it?*

God doesn't tell me to work really hard to earn his approval. He tells me I already have his approval - the approval he lavishes on his Son, transferred to me! - and he invites me to a great banquet, better than the coffee shop Chai I'm sipping. He invites me to the banquiet of knowing and loving him:

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Isaiah 55:1-2

After my visit to the cafe, I walk through a park. My feet thud on the dusty bush tracks, but my face is lifted to the glad blue sky. I can't wipe the smile off my face.

I feel free: free of the burden of earning God's approval, free of the need to earn others' respect, free of the heavy weight of my own expectations.

I'm free to love and serve God for one very good reason: because Jesus died for me and made me new.

I drive home somewhat hazardously, with an open Bible on the seat next to me, as I memorise these words:

But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Tit 3:4-5

Not "live to prove yourself" but "live as you are". Sounds good to me.

For reflection: Think of how you'd like to change. Are you motivated by wanting to prove yourself to God, others, or yourself? How, instead, could you be motivated to "live as you already are" in Christ?

If you'd like to see or use my seminar How Change Happens, which is based on Tim Chester's You Can Change, please contact me.

* Gal 4:4-7, Eph 5:25-27, 1 Cor 6:18-20, 2 Pet 1:3-9, Rom 6:1-14

quotes are from chapter 2 of Tim Chester's You Can Change

images are from everglobe and Clairey at flickr