Day 8/12 – Legalism

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Legalism
Day Two Hundred Twenty-four

“You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” Mark 7:8

You will not find the word “legalism” in Scripture. People use this word to describe at least two types of people: First, those who believe that keeping the law is a requirement for salvation. Second, those who add to the commandments of God. Both manifestations of legalism are deadly, but our Lord seems to express a particular abhorrence for the second type. He faulted the religious leaders for ignoring the commandments of God and adding in their place the traditions of man. Usually the two go together. If you feel competent to add to God’s commands, you will probably feel competent to delete some of them. Adding to God’s commandments usually comes in an endeavor to give definition to the positive commands. For example, God says, “Honor your parents.” What does this look like? This was the illustration Jesus used in Mark 7.

You can easily slip into this mindset if you are not careful, like the individual who believes it is wrong to gamble, but takes a brother to civil court for a supposed wrong. Ask yourself, what would shock you more: seeing someone drinking a beer in the Sunday service or listening to a woman preacher? I am not suggesting that gambling and drinking are good ideas; rather that God did not see fit to prohibit them. You are safe only when you call sin what the Bible disallows and nothing more.

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Psalm 84-86 Romans 12 (New King James Version)

Psalm 84-86
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God
To the Chief Musician. On[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84
How lovely [b]is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
2
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3
Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
5
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6
As they pass through the Valley of [c]Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with [d]pools.
7
They go from strength to strength;
[e]Each one appears before God in Zion.
8
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9
O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your [f]anointed.
10
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather [g]be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
85
Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2
You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah
3
You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
4
Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5
Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6
Will You not revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7
Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
8
I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to [h]folly.
9
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
10
Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12
Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13
Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the Lord
A Prayer of David.
86
Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2
Preserve my [i]life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4
[j]Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
6
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9
All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
11
Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
[k]Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13
For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of [l]Sheol.
14
O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
15
But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
16
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
17
Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Footnotes:
• Psalm 84:1 Heb. Al Gittith
• Psalm 84:1 are Your dwellings
• Psalm 84:6 Lit. Weeping
• Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
• Psalm 84:7 LXX, Syr., Vg. The God of gods shall be seen
• Psalm 84:9 Commissioned one, Heb. messiah
• Psalm 84:10 stand at the threshold
• Psalm 85:8 foolishness
• Psalm 86:2 Lit. soul
• Psalm 86:4 Make glad
• Psalm 86:11 Give me singleness of heart
• Psalm 86:13 The abode of the dead

Romans 12
Living Sacrifices to God
12 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Serve God with Spiritual Gifts
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Behave Like a Christian
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient[c] in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given[d] to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[e] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Footnotes:
• Romans 12:1 urge
• Romans 12:1 rational
• Romans 12:12 persevering
• Romans 12:13 Lit. pursuing
• Romans 12:17 Or Provide good