Post by pitbull on Mar 6, 2009 5:54:54 GMT -5
ATTACHED TO THE TREE?
There is an old story about a leaf that wanted freedom. It hated being attached to the branch. The leaf felt this was too restrictive and longed for freedom. This is the way it felt over and over again. Finally, one day its wish came true. It broke free from the branch and began to float away in the wind. “I’m free! I’m free!” was the repeated chant for the next few seconds. It didn’t last long though. Before the leaf even landed on the ground, it realized that this was not what it wanted. “This isn’t freedom – this is death!” proclaimed the leaf. It was too late.
The same is true for us. Here is what the Bible says about this concept:
• “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.” [Proverbs 14:12]
• “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.” [Proverbs 16:25]
This is what is behind the very popular concept being circulated around Christian circles. It is taught that once you are saved, you can do anything you want. You are now free from the Law. You are no longer bound to God’s commandments. You don’t have to obey the Bible. This is why so many “Christians” think that they can do anything and get away with it. They believe you can live like the lost world around them without any consequences. They see nothing wrong with violating Romans 12:2, James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-16, and other very clear Bible passages.
The item that is being forgotten is that the lack of rules and commandments is not really freedom but anarchy and chaos. Read Romans 6:1-2 to see how the Holy Spirit had the Apostle Paul write about the fallacy of this view. No where does the Bible support this view. Instead, the Bible teaches that true freedom and liberty comes from obey the Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ even said that this is a demonstration of how much you love Him. [John 14:15, 21, 23-24; 1 John 5:3]
This man-made doctrine of license is just as wrong as the unbiblical heresy of legalism. What is legalism? The Biblical definition of legalism is any human attempt to either earn or keep/maintain salvation via good deeds, rules and regulations, or religious rites. This is the opposite of what is taught in the Bible [Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; etc.]. Legalism is what is taught by religion rather than the Bible.
Instead, salvation is by grace alone and is receive by faith alone in the completed work of Christ. How do you receive this? You must repent of your sin, believe the Gospel, and trust Jesus as your Savior. [Mark 1:15; John 6:28-29; Acts 16:30-31; 17:30; Romans 10:9-13] Second, make sure you are following the Bible rather than a religion . It really is that easy and simple. Don’t make it complicated.
There is an old story about a leaf that wanted freedom. It hated being attached to the branch. The leaf felt this was too restrictive and longed for freedom. This is the way it felt over and over again. Finally, one day its wish came true. It broke free from the branch and began to float away in the wind. “I’m free! I’m free!” was the repeated chant for the next few seconds. It didn’t last long though. Before the leaf even landed on the ground, it realized that this was not what it wanted. “This isn’t freedom – this is death!” proclaimed the leaf. It was too late.
The same is true for us. Here is what the Bible says about this concept:
• “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.” [Proverbs 14:12]
• “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.” [Proverbs 16:25]
This is what is behind the very popular concept being circulated around Christian circles. It is taught that once you are saved, you can do anything you want. You are now free from the Law. You are no longer bound to God’s commandments. You don’t have to obey the Bible. This is why so many “Christians” think that they can do anything and get away with it. They believe you can live like the lost world around them without any consequences. They see nothing wrong with violating Romans 12:2, James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-16, and other very clear Bible passages.
The item that is being forgotten is that the lack of rules and commandments is not really freedom but anarchy and chaos. Read Romans 6:1-2 to see how the Holy Spirit had the Apostle Paul write about the fallacy of this view. No where does the Bible support this view. Instead, the Bible teaches that true freedom and liberty comes from obey the Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ even said that this is a demonstration of how much you love Him. [John 14:15, 21, 23-24; 1 John 5:3]
This man-made doctrine of license is just as wrong as the unbiblical heresy of legalism. What is legalism? The Biblical definition of legalism is any human attempt to either earn or keep/maintain salvation via good deeds, rules and regulations, or religious rites. This is the opposite of what is taught in the Bible [Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; etc.]. Legalism is what is taught by religion rather than the Bible.
Instead, salvation is by grace alone and is receive by faith alone in the completed work of Christ. How do you receive this? You must repent of your sin, believe the Gospel, and trust Jesus as your Savior. [Mark 1:15; John 6:28-29; Acts 16:30-31; 17:30; Romans 10:9-13] Second, make sure you are following the Bible rather than a religion . It really is that easy and simple. Don’t make it complicated.