“ Who is Jesus to you ? The answer to that question has eternal implications .”
people of sin ( in other words , does it make them aware of their guilt before God and their need for forgiveness )? Does it offer them complete redemption through the cross ? Does it tell them who Jesus really is ? Does it proclaim Him as both Savior and Lord ? Does it call them to repentance , telling them that following Jesus means leaving their old lives behind ? Does it offer salvation as a free gift ?
Throughout church history , many Christians have been hurt by a legalistic message , making their salvation a matter of works rather than of grace . This , too , is a fatal error . Legalism is laws without love , rules without relationship , standards without a Savior . Legalism tells people they have to work harder and become better before God will accept them , presenting a picture of the Lord as a short-tempered , petty-minded deity who is always looking to find fault and always quick to accuse . Legalism is externally imposed religion , trying to change someone from the outside in . It is extremely judgmental , normally adding other elements to the gospel and judging the salvation of others by what they do not do ( as in , “ Real Christians do not wear jewelry .”).
This gives people a false view of the Father , a false view of Jesus , a false view of the gospel , and a false view of themselves . They either think they are always unacceptable to the Lord , since they are far from perfect on their best days , or they become self-deceived , thinking they are righteous in themselves . Legalism has damaged , if not destroyed , the faith of millions of Christians over the centuries , and it remains a real danger to this day . It has driven many far away from the gospel .
But to be perfectly candid , legalism is not our biggest problem . Instead , we have gone to the opposite end of the extreme . We preach a “ gospel ” that calls for no repentance at all . In fact , “ repentance ,” which means turning away from sin and turning to God , all by His grace and power , is rejected as a “ work .” As I ’ ve heard many contemporary “ believers ” say when confronted with the true gospel message , “ You ’ re not going to put that bondage on me ! That ’ s religion , dude , and I don ’ t want anything to do with that . Jesus died to set me free from your binding , dead traditions !”
“ Who is Jesus to you ? The answer to that question has eternal implications .”
On what kind of foundation is your faith built ? What kind of message did you hear ? Who were the examples that you followed ? What does it mean to you be born from above , to be a follower of Jesus ? And who is He to you ? Your Lord and Savior ? Or simply your best Buddy ? Your holy Enabler ? The Man upstairs who gives you success ? Your personalized , supernatural concierge service ? The One
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