Fighting Legalism

We talked last about the void of the Spirit in Christian circles. I told you about seminary and how the third person of the Trinity was hardly mentioned. If the HSp was mentioned then I wasn’t paying attention- the Spirit wasn’t really on my radar. Why do you need the Spirit when I have rules, the law, Spiritual disciplines? yikes! I was entrenched in legalism.

I was serving as a youth minster while in seminary. I remember at the end of one semester answering my pastors question. ‘Well we haven’t talked much. How was your semester?’ I was obviously relieved that the semester was over and to have 4 more classes complete. After a sigh and a quick moment to think I replied ‘my head is fuller but my heart is all shriveled up.’ The grueling nature of reading textbooks, projects, papers and exams was enough to not only make me feel exhausted but flat tired. The problem I realized was that amongst reading hundreds of pages about God and writing multiple pages about what the Bible says, I had not pursuited a relationship with God. I had fed my brain but not my heart. I had left the excitement of knowing God for a sterile  book knowledge. Let’s bring this a little closer. My husband has been deployed several times overseas.  With each deployment technology has improved as well as communication methods.  Whatever the communication method, Skype, phone, texts, Facebook, nothing beats shoulder to shoulder time.  There is no substitute for quality conversation, face-to-face. Legalism is the same way. I can place rules and regulations around knowing God. I can follow a book on the Christian disciplines. But what is fasting without the Spirit, starving yourself? What is worship if it’s only for knowledge? What is solitude or meditation without direction and purpose? What is seminary without the enlightenment by the Spirit? Dead. Jesus called the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, white washed tombs, cleaner of only the outside. They were tombs- dead on the inside. They only concerned themselves with appearing to follow God.  They didn’t know God. They had not experienced his grace or the filling of the Holy Spirit.  They had rules but lacked relationship- they lacked fellowship. Hmmm- we lack fellowship.

What a tragedy. What a waste of a semester. What a waste of life. Thankfully my life isn’t over just yet. Life is more than rules and regulations taught by men.  I’ve lived there and it was pretty miserable. There was no life there, devoid of joy. And that seems obvious now. There is only life in the Spirit. The question remains- why do we still like legalism? Why do I still ere towards legalism when I can have far better-experience much more through a relationship with the Spirit?  What’s it about keeping score-the tangible? Why do I feel better when I can check off my spiritual checklist? Why am I still finding satisfaction in rules?  Why do I find contentment in rituals and regulations? Aghh…frustration….finding joy in the struggle- grace for the journey.

Fighting for the Spirit

I’ve been attending church since I was knee high to a grass hopper. Well actually before then.  I often get frustrated when the Bible is not opened during the worship service.  If all I get is a feel-good non-Bible message I can stay home and watch Oprah.  It happened again. This time we opened our Bibles 3 times. 2 Samuel and 2 different Psalms.  Some good things were taught: the importance of Respecting others, God being judge, and some discussion on prayer. All those are good things and perhaps this was a random Sunday and this would never happen again. Perhaps they speak of Jesus and his saving power every Sunday and this was just a fluke.  More than that perhaps they teach the life giving power of the Holy Spirit consistently. Perhaps I showed up on an “off” Sunday.

It’s not just a problem in this church. It’s a cross-denomination problem, it’s a protestant problem, it’s a Catholic problem.  It’s a serious problem: this omission of the Holy Spirit from Church teaching.  More than that I hardly remember talking about the Holy Spirit in Seminary.  When someone asked how do we help people fix their deteriorating marriage, or how do we help train up the next generation of youth, or how do we preach a sermon so that people’s lives will be changed?  As Christians, how do we do anything that seems impossible?

How do we love others when it’s easier to be selfish?

How do you respect your nation’s leaders when they don’t seem to deserve it?

How are you extending grace to your wayward child?

How do you honor God at a dead end job?

If any of my answers start with “well, I….” then I’m off base. The truth is that I can do nothing apart from the saving grace of God.  I can do things that point to me. I can do things unlovingly or without respect. I can do things that dishonor God just fine without the Spirit’s power, but that’s not what we’re about.  New Testament Christians are to love and serve like Jesus, sacrificially, unselfishly, continually with thanksgiving. I can not do that, at least consistently, without the power of the Holy Spirit in my life.

It’s an unpopular message so it is seldom taught. We have to die to ourselves daily and follow Jesus.  The picture of baptism is so beautiful. We are buried with Christ. We die to our selfish ways and we are raised to live a new life by the power of the Spirit. The fullness of God is in Christ and I have been filled in Him (Col 2:9-10) that’s how we are to go do good works and honor our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).  We can not honor God by serving, loving, teaching, parenting, working….in our own strength. There is nothing good in me. My heart is wicked and easily deceived (Jeremiah 17:9).  The only goodness is from the only good one.  I am filled with the goodness of God because I have the Holy Spirit residing in me. Quenching the spirit is a whole other topic as well as fillings.  I believe my proverbial cup runs dry and I need daily fillings of the Spirit.

Think about it: when’s the last time you heard preaching on the Holy Spirit? Are you just getting a bunch of self-help garbage? If I could help myself would I need a savior? Are you accessing the Spirit in your life or are you quenching the Spirit?  What can you do to live fully alive, with the power of the Holy Spirit evidenced in your life?