I am battling, and have battled off and on over years, with feeling obligated to get rid of or give away my favorites - be it my favorite shorts or flip flops, or my favorite sweater, or whatever is my best, to prove to myself and God that I’m trying to be obedient. But I feel tight in my throat and am worried about delaying on these types of activities. Furthermore, I don’t feel better after giving those things away. But since I feel like God wants us to do everything to avoid idolatry or anything else - I feel obligated to do these hard things and I find myself dreading the next possible thing He may ask me to do. I feel afraid that He could strip me of my salvation if I don’t do that hard thing in a timely fashion and am currently feeling worried about Hebrews 10. But I am not enjoying a peaceful walk of joy with Him right now. I just feel fearful. I want to rest in the Lord and know whether what I’m feeling is truly from God or if it’s legalism.
Hello! I saw your comment and I saw that this was something I also struggled with. This is what I got: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). We should give not out of compulsion but cheerfully. It is because we are fully satisfied in God and are full that we give to Him. God doesn't need the things we give up nor the money that we give, He is honored by our heart which gives because it's fully satisfied.God fully satisfies our need, He made us that way! As John Piper said, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. God is a good Father, and if our earthly father wants whats best for us, how much more does God! He doesn't need us to prove ourselves, He just needs us to abide in Him (John 15), that's why we keep reading the Bible and learning more about Him. Also, you cannot lose your salvation once you have it. God said, he who has he Son has eternal life (1 John 5:12) and that God's sheep have "eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29). If you know you have believed in Him as your savior and acknowledged Him as your king, then you must rest in God's promise that you are a new creation. As you abide in God and learn and experience Him, God will continue to change you, and you will see it in your life. Take heart, because "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to conpletion until the day of Christ Jesus." It is by God's strength and our obedience that we become more and more like Christ. I hope it helps :)).
Franz Daniel Co thank you Franz. I’ve been reaffirming God’s promises in my life and the words you mentioned - that God really does care and will stay with me to finish the work He began in me.
Franz Daniel Co thank you also for the reminder from Scripture to give from our heart and not out of necessity, because God loves a cheerful giver. I’ve grown up with the truth of this - something has been trying to grip hold of me and I want so much to give to Him what He deserves, but recently have felt overwhelmed by a compulsion to give or else. Somehow I know God is not that way - so if that’s the case, what voice is driving me?
@@nicholaspino33 I had the same question, I realized I wasn't sure whose voice it was, so it made me want to know who God is more. I encourage you to take his time to pray and read about God in the Bible, to know Him and what His character is. Maybe the Gospel of John. Read it while asking God, "Open my eyes to the wonderful things in your law" (Psalm 119:18). I'm still on the journey, but what I've been learning is NOT to focus on WHAT I should be doing but rather I should focus on WHO I should become... like Christ. The important thing is your heart. Surrender your heart to God because you can't attain righteousness by yourself, it is just by His faithfulness and grace and mercy and love!! In your heart, be willing to acknowledge God as greatest above all things, above your favorites, and whatever God gives you, be thankful for it. God does not just ask us to empty ourselves, He asks us to empty ourselves and then fill ourselves wih something much much much greater, God!! And I encourage you that God is greater than all these things. Maybe God is telling you to realize only He can satisfy you, but it is your heart he wants. I realized that I had held on to some of the things I love (a TV show) that I wasn't willing to give it up even if it meant I might dishonor God (stream it through torrent). There's nothing wrong with he show, but if I was still willing to torrent it even if God doesn't want me to, that's where it went wrong. I resolved in my heart that I will ask for forgiveness and I will "press on towards the goal" (Phil. 3:14a), and I will be willing to give up this show because only God can satisfy me, but if later on, God allows me to watch it through legitimate means, I qill just be thankful to God for it. So I will pray for you, Nicholas! And I've been praying that God speaks through me, so I hope He speaks to you.
Franz Daniel Co thank you again Franz. My heart. Yes that is exactly what I feel God has been pursuing all along. My whole heart. Oh how I thought He had it all so long ago. The Good Shepherd view of Jesus is my go to so often that the beauty of Him as total Lord of my life was missed. I feel like an old dog who has trouble learning something new. I dread the process/pain of becoming more yielded on my part to Him after going so long feeling like I have not been. I wish I was young again and was starting fresh with this yielding process rather than having spent years just going along with the flow of my Christian life - sort of “chilling out” but at the heart of me feeling uncertain that I had truly yielded all. But the comfort zone I’ve lived in is now squeezed and I’m sobered to the change I’ve avoided - but the awful, stubborn self in me seems to win out more often than not and I hate that self for it. Oh wretched man that I am - who will deliver me from this body of death? I also am concerned about the holiness of God and whether I have pushed my permissive will to extremes? He deserves better. Will He still love me?
9:30 praying at meals -> Romans 14,6 Devotions every Day -> „Abide in me!“ (John 15) Familiy devotions -> father should lead his family, spiritually as well Not watching nude films -> Matthew 5,28 So these are not commands, rather suggestions?
A corner on correctly interpreting Legalism is "multicultural" worshiping/ discipling. Most forms of Legalism are formed in Homogeneous environments. When humans share a lot of experiences they tend to share a lot of blind-spots so when they develop a tradition no one can say (from the outside) "Well that is not biblical, that is just your tradition." Multicultural communities inherently learn to detach their customs from their perception of Holiness.
Well, that is tricky. Culture is basically how we apply our world views. Legalism isn't "about culture" but carelessness about culture can breed legalist attitudes. Ask the Puritans. Legalism is human nature, grace is so unbelievable we naturally create rules to add to grace. (ie. "[God] said do not even touch [the tree]" - Eve) The multicultural church gives us advantages against certain types of Legalism. Agreed, culture is not the answer to all spiritual issues but it is part of the answer to some, and often the most over looked by Homogeneous Churches.
I thank God for this dude.......
I am battling, and have battled off and on over years, with feeling obligated to get rid of or give away my favorites - be it my favorite shorts or flip flops, or my favorite sweater, or whatever is my best, to prove to myself and God that I’m trying to be obedient. But I feel tight in my throat and am worried about delaying on these types of activities. Furthermore, I don’t feel better after giving those things away. But since I feel like God wants us to do everything to avoid idolatry or anything else - I feel obligated to do these hard things and I find myself dreading the next possible thing He may ask me to do. I feel afraid that He could strip me of my salvation if I don’t do that hard thing in a timely fashion and am currently feeling worried about Hebrews 10. But I am not enjoying a peaceful walk of joy with Him right now. I just feel fearful. I want to rest in the Lord and know whether what I’m feeling is truly from God or if it’s legalism.
Hello! I saw your comment and I saw that this was something I also struggled with. This is what I got: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). We should give not out of compulsion but cheerfully. It is because we are fully satisfied in God and are full that we give to Him. God doesn't need the things we give up nor the money that we give, He is honored by our heart which gives because it's fully satisfied.God fully satisfies our need, He made us that way! As John Piper said, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. God is a good Father, and if our earthly father wants whats best for us, how much more does God! He doesn't need us to prove ourselves, He just needs us to abide in Him (John 15), that's why we keep reading the Bible and learning more about Him.
Also, you cannot lose your salvation once you have it. God said, he who has he Son has eternal life (1 John 5:12) and that God's sheep have "eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29). If you know you have believed in Him as your savior and acknowledged Him as your king, then you must rest in God's promise that you are a new creation. As you abide in God and learn and experience Him, God will continue to change you, and you will see it in your life. Take heart, because "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to conpletion until the day of Christ Jesus." It is by God's strength and our obedience that we become more and more like Christ. I hope it helps :)).
Franz Daniel Co thank you Franz. I’ve been reaffirming God’s promises in my life and the words you mentioned - that God really does care and will stay with me to finish the work He began in me.
Franz Daniel Co thank you also for the reminder from Scripture to give from our heart and not out of necessity, because God loves a cheerful giver. I’ve grown up with the truth of this - something has been trying to grip hold of me and I want so much to give to Him what He deserves, but recently have felt overwhelmed by a compulsion to give or else. Somehow I know God is not that way - so if that’s the case, what voice is driving me?
@@nicholaspino33 I had the same question, I realized I wasn't sure whose voice it was, so it made me want to know who God is more. I encourage you to take his time to pray and read about God in the Bible, to know Him and what His character is. Maybe the Gospel of John. Read it while asking God, "Open my eyes to the wonderful things in your law" (Psalm 119:18). I'm still on the journey, but what I've been learning is NOT to focus on WHAT I should be doing but rather I should focus on WHO I should become... like Christ. The important thing is your heart. Surrender your heart to God because you can't attain righteousness by yourself, it is just by His faithfulness and grace and mercy and love!! In your heart, be willing to acknowledge God as greatest above all things, above your favorites, and whatever God gives you, be thankful for it. God does not just ask us to empty ourselves, He asks us to empty ourselves and then fill ourselves wih something much much much greater, God!! And I encourage you that God is greater than all these things. Maybe God is telling you to realize only He can satisfy you, but it is your heart he wants. I realized that I had held on to some of the things I love (a TV show) that I wasn't willing to give it up even if it meant I might dishonor God (stream it through torrent). There's nothing wrong with he show, but if I was still willing to torrent it even if God doesn't want me to, that's where it went wrong. I resolved in my heart that I will ask for forgiveness and I will "press on towards the goal" (Phil. 3:14a), and I will be willing to give up this show because only God can satisfy me, but if later on, God allows me to watch it through legitimate means, I qill just be thankful to God for it. So I will pray for you, Nicholas! And I've been praying that God speaks through me, so I hope He speaks to you.
Franz Daniel Co thank you again Franz. My heart. Yes that is exactly what I feel God has been pursuing all along. My whole heart. Oh how I thought He had it all so long ago. The Good Shepherd view of Jesus is my go to so often that the beauty of Him as total Lord of my life was missed. I feel like an old dog who has trouble learning something new. I dread the process/pain of becoming more yielded on my part to Him after going so long feeling like I have not been. I wish I was young again and was starting fresh with this yielding process rather than having spent years just going along with the flow of my Christian life - sort of “chilling out” but at the heart of me feeling uncertain that I had truly yielded all. But the comfort zone I’ve lived in is now squeezed and I’m sobered to the change I’ve avoided - but the awful, stubborn self in me seems to win out more often than not and I hate that self for it. Oh wretched man that I am - who will deliver me from this body of death? I also am concerned about the holiness of God and whether I have pushed my permissive will to extremes? He deserves better. Will He still love me?
9:30 praying at meals -> Romans 14,6
Devotions every Day -> „Abide in me!“ (John 15)
Familiy devotions -> father should lead his family, spiritually as well
Not watching nude films -> Matthew 5,28
So these are not commands, rather suggestions?
A corner on correctly interpreting Legalism is "multicultural" worshiping/ discipling. Most forms of Legalism are formed in Homogeneous environments. When humans share a lot of experiences they tend to share a lot of blind-spots so when they develop a tradition no one can say (from the outside) "Well that is not biblical, that is just your tradition." Multicultural communities inherently learn to detach their customs from their perception of Holiness.
Well, that is tricky. Culture is basically how we apply our world views. Legalism isn't "about culture" but carelessness about culture can breed legalist attitudes. Ask the Puritans. Legalism is human nature, grace is so unbelievable we naturally create rules to add to grace. (ie. "[God] said do not even touch [the tree]" - Eve) The multicultural church gives us advantages against certain types of Legalism. Agreed, culture is not the answer to all spiritual issues but it is part of the answer to some, and often the most over looked by Homogeneous Churches.
Legalism originated in China.
John Piper; the king of confused answers. "Yes, but then again, no, or perhaps maybe". That's all you get from him usually.
Taking it too far as usual!!