Quote:
Originally Posted by New Beginnings
Is there any profit in legalism?
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I say, absolutely. Jesus met the standard. He alone is legal; we are all "illegals" who don't belong in God's kingdom. We the rebellious were expelled, but God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son. Hear Him, and live.
Now, what is Jesus' legalism, towards us? "Obey my commandments, just as I obeyed the Father". Gulp.
Of course we remain pathetic failures (on God's terms, not ours). What to do? 1. Struggle, try, try, try... the Holy Spirit will see us, and come alongside and help us in our weakness(es). This is not law but grace, the grace of God coming alongside (the paraclete) to help us in our weakness. But we have to try, to receive grace.
2. Forgive others for their failures, and God will forgive yours. Period. It is a statement of fact. Do it and you will be on the right side of the ledger.
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As mentioned previously, holiness and sanctification are linked by the same root structure: sanctification is to become holy, like God.
And the way to do this, from what I see, is to see God's holiness. We simultaneously see what God is, and what we are not. This opens the way for grace. John the disciple, who'd been with Jesus for 3+ years, seen the Pentecost, seen the church age form, seen Paul come and go, seen so much... when he saw the Holy One of God ministering before the throne, The Sanctified High Priest in the midst of the seven burning lampstands, he fell down as dead. He simultaneously saw reality of God, and saw the lack of man. This dissolution of (John's) self created the matrix to form the new man. The word is the vehicle to suggest the Holy Spirit's arrival, the 'parousia'. And the Spirit says, "Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground". The angel of the presence brings the presence. The messenger conveys the message: God is holy.
Anyway, I ramble incoherently here. Just thinking aloud.