Legalism

Let's pretend a best selling book comes out about Michael Jordan, and a friend and I both read it. The book tells in detail all of his accomplishments, awards, and honors. That is the whole essence of the book, a testimony to his ability as a basketball player. It doesn't include just facts, but it has eye-witness accounts and testimonies by credible witnesses that saw him do the things the author writes about. The author himself, a well respected author in all circles, is a witness also.

Several days after both of us have completed reading the book, we are together and I make the comment: "Man, that Michael Jordan was a great basketball player" and my friend's response is "where in the book does the author say that?". At first I think he is teasing, but to my horror I realize he isn't kidding. So I say "what do you mean" "Well, exactly what I said.....show me in the book where it says the actual words that say Michael Jordan was a great basketball player" is his reply. Trying to keep my face from showing how incredulous I feel, I say....."you have GOT to be kidding! THE WHOLE BOOK is about how great a basketball player Michael Jordan was, wasn't it?!?!?!?! " "Well, all I know is that if those words aren't actually in there, you can't say the author ever said Michael Jordan was a great basketball player"....and my friend turns and walks away in manner that is very smug.


Could that conversation really ever happen? Probably not.....not on that subject. Guess what.....it happens EVERY day, with subjects and topics a LOT more important than how good a basketball player Michael Jordan was. And there are people who will take the EXACT approach to scripture that my friend took in the conversation above. There can be an overwhelming amount of scripture addressing any number of subjects, but if the EXACT words are not there, then the legalist pronounces it untrue.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" Galations 5:1