Have we ever thought that -why we are not able to have Joy or peace ? why others don’t understand me? Are we finding it difficult to accept most of the people around us, even our close ones? Have we been unsatisfied in our attitude and always maintain a gap with others, due to the way others react to us. ? Have we found ourselves better than people around us? Do we feel that we can handle the situation better than others? Do we feel better when we are away from people? Do we feel that we are more special than others ? Do we compare ourselves with others and conclude that we are doing good? Do we think and satisfy with the fact that we have not done any great sins? Do we believe that God has a very special promise just for us and not others?
If we feel so , believe me in this state of mind we really don’t need a Christ . Well its time to find out why it is so ? What would be the issue ? Do we consider this as an important subject ? Don’t we need to come out of that yoke?
Gal 5:1 says – “For freedom Christ has set us free , stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Whom do we take us a yardstick in our mind, is it others ? or is it we ourselves ? Have we taken Christ as the yardstick. Have we seen ourselves as the worst sinner. Do we realise that we are as mentioned in Colossians 3:5- Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:[b] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. This is what the word tells who we are in the flesh, even now earthly . The highly placed St Paul revealed his personality to his friend Timothy -1Tim1:15” The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the FOREMOST.”
This is what Paul had to tell about himself though he was the biggest apostle. If our attitude is different from Paul, then there is something we are holding on to.
C.S.Lewis quoted” God became man to turn creatures into sons , not simply to produce better kind of the old creature, but to produce a new person. Its not like teaching a horse to jump better and better. It is more like turning a horse into a winged creature, a whole new type of Being altogether.”
Seperatism- We try to separate ourselves from others particularly who are sinful in our eyes .
Externalism- its when we try to do good by all our knowledge and ability by following all the laws and commandments God gave us (yes we need to follow it certainly , but not just externally). When we combine these two together ,Separatism & Externalism , we find a new energy and power in the fusion thus creating a sense of being Legally correct called Legalism. Unknowingly we become Legalist. We try to work out Perfection by being Legally correct.
Rememeber when we separate from others , the actual separation we are causing is with Christ. Perhaps we don't realise it . What happens to we the legalist?
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Our attitude about others: - Seperation from others .Brotherly affection becomes undefined in our lif. Other’s situation and others become less important. We are bothered only about our own so called spiritual life. We value only the Morally good and so called Tough and holy people. We forget to value the weak and the rest of God's creation.
2 . Others attitude about us : - We stop others from approaching us . Others are not able to communicate or access we the legalist. Legalism breeds condemnation, we become judgemental. We are like the elder brother in the Lost son parable. We are like the people who ate the good part of the fruit of tree of knowledge & assume the evil part of the fruit was eaten by others. The truth is we have not eaten from the tree of life yet. The fact is we have not PERSONALLY experienced the suffering, burial and resurrection of Christ. If you knew Christ truly we display grace ,peace & affection to others. Even the charity works we do , or healing others or helping others – Is something we actually do for us and not for others—For our own self.
Do we want to find out why ?
SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS.(SR)
Rom9:30-31 “That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.
Do you pursue your own Righteouness- if then stop it. We are made righteous by faith in Christ , as He is the only one righteous in front of God. If so ,we are out of SR. If you remove the veil of SR and become free and accessible to every others, the glory of God will transform your Old self into a new Glorious creation.
2Cor3:14-18 “14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord,the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
I am not worthy of Christ and our little wisdom will not help us to enjoy the freedom in Christ unless I get rid of Self righteousness.
Christ is not about bad people becoming good, but Dead people coming to Life.