From His Heart

Dr. Jeff Schreve: Are you in the ditch of legalism? Are you trying to earn your way with God? If you're a Christian and you've fallen into the ditch of legalism, you can get out of it just like that as you start walking by faith with the one who loves you, who says you're accepted in the beloved, who says to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Larry Nobles: If you're familiar with the word legalism, you know that basically it's living the Christian life by merely keeping a bunch of rules and hopefully satisfying God. Salvation is assured if you obey most of the rules. If you believe that, could it be that you've fallen into a legalistic rut where you can obey a rule and know that God will love you and then you break the rule and believe that you've lost God's love? It doesn't work that way. This is from his heart with Pastor Jeff Schreve. Today's message is entitled the ditch of legalism from Pastor Jeff's seven lesson series Beyond Amazing Understanding the Grace of God.

The entire series is our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount. And you can find out more about that when you go to fromhissheart.org. Now today we're airing part two of this lesson. If you missed part one from last time, you can catch up online at fromhissheart.org. Simply click the lesson link. Now open your Bible to Galatians chapter five. Here again is Pastor Jeff to help you leave the ditch of legalism.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: What is the ditch of legalism? And why is it so dangerous? Why is Paul so fired up as he talks about this issue? Three discoveries. Discovery number one, the ditch of legalism is adding the works of the law to grace. That's what it is. Adding works to grace. So the Judaizers said to these new believers that started out really well, put their faith and trust in Jesus, were overwhelmed by the the grace of God, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. And they came in and they said to them, oh, wait a minute, timeout.

This is what Paul didn't tell you. You have to follow the law of Moses. All you guys have to get circumcised. You have to start towing the line or you can't continue on with the Lord. Legalism tries to take works and combine it with grace. Now you mark this down. Grace and the works of the law are mutually exclusive. Those things don't mingle together. This is what Paul said in Romans 11:6. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Now works is merit.

Works is I got to do this and this and this and this and this and then God will receive me, God will accept me. Grace says it's none of that. You God got it's unmerited favor, unearned favor. So if it is by the unmerited favor of God that we're saved, it's no longer based on works cuz works is merit. And if you take merit and mix it with unmerit, well, then you destroy the whole concept of grace, the unmerited favor of God. And here's the thing, you come by grace to God or you don't come at all.

There's only one way to peace through the power of the cross. And the Judaizers are saying, no, no, no, you you have to add works to grace. Now remember this, the law the Mosaic law was never designed to save anyone. The law shows you that you are a sinner, a helpless, hopeless sinner. And so your only hope is not by doing more works of the law. Your only hope is in Jesus who died on the cross and rose again from the dead. Your only hope is in God's grace. The law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ.

Now Paul says in Galatians 2:16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, since by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. So the law was never designed to save anyone. It was designed to lead us to Christ, to show us how desperately we needed him. See, the law shows us that we are sinners in need of grace. So what does Paul say to these people?

Verse two. I Paul, I Paul, I the apostle Paul, called by God, say to you that if you guys go on and receive circumcision, then you have left the road of grace and you've gone on the road of works and Christ will be of no benefit to you. So the ditch of legalism is adding the works of the law to grace. Second discovery. The ditch of legalism is attractive to our fallen nature. I remember talking to a a boss I had one time and I shared the gospel with him. He allowed me to share the gospel with him.

And when I got done, you know what he said to me? He said, that's too easy. That's too easy. Can't be like that. There's a way which seems right to a man, but the end is a way of death. It seems like we have to take God's grace and add our works to God's grace in order for us to be saved, in order for us to be right with God. That is in our fallen nature. Now here are the dangers with that. Number one, it puts external rules above an internal relationship. Why is legalism so bad?

Because it puts rules above relationship. And and see, we like the rules. There's something about our flesh that likes the rules. Why? Because then you can keep score easy. And how do I know if I 'm a good Christian? So I know I'm a good Christian cuz I had a quiet time. Know I'm a good Christian because I spent 30 minutes in prayer. I know I 'm a good Christian because I tithed to the penny. I figured it out. That's what the Pharisees did. Jesus said you tithed mint and dill and cumin. You die you tithe from your garden.

I mean count out your count out your your herbs and you say okay, and nine of these are mine, this one's the Lord's. You know, you're just so meticulous. Well, I do this and I do this and I do this. I I don't smoke, I don't chew, I don't go with girls that do. I'm a good Christian based on all of that. And and so we like it because it's easy to keep score, to check those boxes. Yes, I did this and yes, I did this and yes, I did this. And that person over there, they don't have any check marks.

You know, that's the when Jesus told Luke 18 about the Pharisee and the publican the publican went to the temple to pray. And remember what the Pharisee said? He said, God, I thank you that I'm not like other people, swindlers, liars, adulterous adulterers or or like this tax collector over here. Well well, God, I I pay tithes on all that I have. I fast twice a week. What a good boy am I? Remember what the tax collector said? He was standing some distance away. He was just beating his breast. And he said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner.

Jesus said, I tell you the truth, that tax collector went home justified and that Pharisee just went home. He's just bragging about his check the box stuff to God. It's all about relationship. It's not about external rules. It's about a relationship with God, faith that works through our love for God. What motivates us to do good works? We love God. Am I motivated by trying to earn God's favor? No, I already have God's favor. I'm motivated by my love for God. I want to honor God. I want my life to be pleasing to him because he died for me and rose again from the dead.

It's about our relationship. Legalism puts relationship underneath rules. That's why Jesus said to the Pharisees, the rule keepers deluxe, this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. It's all about rules for you guys. And the Lord looks at the heart. See, that's the other thing that's hard for us is like, okay, if Christianity is not a check the box thing, then how do I tell if I 'm doing well? Harder to tell when it 's not a check the box thing.

It's your heart. What's your heart attitude toward the Lord? That's what he is interested in. The Lord doesn't see as man sees. Man sees the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. And the Bible says the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his. God is looking for people who will love him with all their heart. That's the greatest commandment. Faith working through love, our love for God supremely and our love horizontally for other people. You love your neighbor as yourself.

So the ditch of legalism puts external rules above an internal relationship. Secondly, it puts personal performance above divine acceptance. I have to perform in order for God to love me. I have to perform in order for God to accept me. I like what one author said about legalism. He said legalism promotes the earning and keeping of God's grace based on performance. Personal performance is your continuing personal atonement. So what does that mean? That means I got to do. And if I don't keep doing, then God isn't going to keep loving me. The only way God accepts me is if I'm performing.

Lots of Christians get on the performance treadmill. You know, you've heard me say about the Daisy theology, you know, the the kids when when I was a kid maybe. I don't guess they do that anymore, but we used to go outside and play. They don't really do that anymore either. And so anyway we we would take these you know, as a kid you take these flowers and you know, here's Natalie. Oh, I like Natalie. I'm in fourth grade. I wonder if Natalie likes me. She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not.

You did you ever do that? Don't look at me like I am nuts. Some of you people do that, right? We do the same thing with God. Oh, man, I just got promoted. He loves me. Man, I just lost my job. He He loves me not. Man, then I got a new job. He loves me. Oh, but then I got fired. He loves me not. And it's just it's just up and down all the time based on circumstances. And and we have this kind of relationship with the Lord that is if I'm performing, then he's going to do for me.

But if I'm not performing, he's not going to do for me. And we're on the performance treadmill. And when bad things happen to you and you have the mindset of the performance treadmill and you say, God, I'm doing all these things and you're not doing right because you're not rewarding me for all these things I'm doing, you become the the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son. I I I've done all this for you, Dad. You've never thrown a party for me. Man, I'm just serving you and what do I get for it?

I get nothing. This this son of yours that smells like the pigs that's wasted your wealth on on wine, women and prostitutes, you throw a party for him. That's not right. That's not fair because I earned your favor. God's favor is not something you earn. You can never earn it and I can never earn it. And Paul could never earn it. And no one could ever earn it. And Nicodemus who was the most moral man in the world at the time sat down with Jesus and Jesus said, unless you're born again, you can't see the kingdom of God.

You can't enter the kingdom of God because there are only two ways to go. There's the way of grace, which is the way of acceptance, the way of works, which is the way to hell. That's just the bottom line. Martin Luther said this, rightly are the doers of the law called the devil's martyrs. They take more pains to earn hell than the martyrs of Christ to obtain heaven. Theirs is a double misfortune. First they torture themselves on earth with self-inflicted penances. And finally when they die, they gain the reward of eternal damnation. It's it's a horrible thing.

No wonder Paul said, even though we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the gospel of grace that we preach to you, let that person go to hell. They're leading you astray to an eternal hell. There's only one way to go that reaches God and that is the way of grace.

Larry Nobles: And that truth is understanding the grace of God and that it is beyond amazing. Pastor Jeff returns in just a moment to conclude today's lesson the ditch of legalism. Now we don't know exactly how you're listening to our program today, in your car, at home, on the job, covertly through secret Bluetooth your plugs, whatever. These are the places where so many people go about their daily lives. And radio is right there, remaining one of the most consistent and effective ways to place biblical truth directly into everyday life. From his heart has grown rapidly over the last 10 years, adding major stations across the United States.

There are nearly 1 million people hearing scripture preached clearly and confidently in our culture of America through fromhissheart each day, not to mention around the world. Hey, not every spiritual turning point happens in a church. Sometimes it happens in a living room, in a hospital bed, in your car. It can happen anywhere. People are looking for hope and that's what we offer. And when you support from his heart, it helps that happen. For your gift of support this month to From His Heart, we want to say thank you by sending you Pastor Jeff's series Beyond Amazing Understanding the Grace of God.

Seven lessons on a USB flash drive or on CDs or DVDs or an immediate MP3 download. Go to fromhissheart.org to make your gift today and we'll send them to you or simply call 866-40 Bible. 866-40 Bible. We are so very thankful for you joining our attempt to reach the world with the good news of Jesus. Now here's Pastor Jeff to conclude the lesson today, the ditch of legalism. So legalism puts personal performance above divine acceptance. We through the spirit by faith is what he was talking about. But faith working through love. We through the spirit by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

Now think about faith. Faith, what is faith? Faith is going uh the way of God. Faith is believing God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That is faith. God said it and I believe it and that is faith. What does God say about your acceptance? Is it based on performance? No. Ephesians 1:6, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he has made us accepted in the beloved. Accepted in the beloved. Jesus is the beloved. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Listen to him.

Jesus is the beloved is the beloved. And when you accept Jesus, God accepts you. And then by faith you say, Lord, I don't feel very acceptable, but your word says I'm accepted in Jesus. And so I'm getting off the performance treadmill. I don't have to work for your acceptance. I already have it. I just work from your acceptance. See, it's the it's the motivation. It's it's what you're focused on. You know, somebody can sing in the choir and it's the way of works. They're doing that to somehow earn God's favor. And somebody else can sing in the choir and it's pleasing to God because they're not doing it to gain God's favor.

They're doing it because they have God's favor and they're singing to him a song of thanksgiving. Thank you, Lord, for dying for me so that I can walk with you by grace. Hey, why is it so bad the ditch of legalism? Well, puts external rules above an internal relationship. It puts personal performance above divine acceptance. And here's the bottom line. It is very easy to fall into the ditch of legalism. No one's immune from that. It is so easy because it seems right to a man. It seems like we have to work as the poem says, I cannot work my soul to save.

That work my Lord has done, but I'll work like any slave for the love of God's dear son. And we say, well, works are important. Faith without works is dead being by itself. Yes, but works are the fruit, not the root. And works come when we walk with God, when his power flows through us. You know how easy it is to fall into the ditch of legalism? Can I tell you? Galatians chapter two. You know who fell into the ditch of legalism? Peter. Peter. And Paul says, I confronted Peter to his face because when he came to Antioch, Peter you know, the one that had the the vision of the sheet with the animals, the unclean animals arise, Peter kill and eat.

Oh, no, Lord, I'd never do that. I've never eaten a ham sandwich. I'm not going to do that. And the Lord says, what God has cleansed no longer consider unholy. And then in Acts chapter 10, same chapter, he goes to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile. And he said, you know, I wouldn't have even come to your house. I wouldn't have walked in and and spent any time with you at all except God had shown me this, that what he has cleansed no longer consider unholy. He preached the gospel to Cornelius and Cornelius and his family uh trusted Christ.

And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they were baptized. And it was glorious. So Peter knew that there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, slave and free man, male or female. We're all one in Jesus Christ. And Paul said, you know, he used to eat ham sandwiches with the Gentiles until the party of the circumcision came down from Jerusalem. And he feared the party of the circumcision, so he started withdrawing saying, I can't eat with you guys. No more ham sandwich for me with the Gentiles. I can't do that anymore. I got I got to straighten up cuz cuz these Jews are around me.

And Paul said, I confronted him to his face. He fell into the ditch of legalism. That's not a command of God, Peter. You're doing that because you're fearing men and you're separating yourself from Gentile believers because of the law of Moses. That's not what we do. Now remember this, very important. See, most of us know that you don't want to do bad things in the flesh. The deeds of the flesh are evident immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, drunkenness, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions and things like these. We know those are bad.

Man, you do that, you're not going to be walking with God if you're doing that because God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with God and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. I mean that is a truism. You can't just say, well, grace covers all that. No, you've fallen into the ditch of license if you do that. So we know it's wrong to do bad in the flesh, but what we don't know is it's just as wrong to do good in the flesh.

And here's how the devil is so insidious. He said, oh, you don't want to do these things. This is bad in the flesh. But let me tell you, why don't you do these things cuz this is good in the flesh and then you can look good and then you can please God and you can get acceptance with God. Jesus said, that which is of the flesh is flesh. God hates the flesh. He hates it. What is the flesh? Itself. You take the word f l e s h and knock the h off of it and spell it backwards s e l f.

The flesh itself. It's all about me, the big I. God hates anything that's of self. And whether you do bad in the flesh, God hates that, or whether you do good in the flesh, God hates that. He doesn't want you to do anything in the flesh. He wants you to do everything in the spirit. What burns up at the judgment seat of Christ? Anything done in the flesh. And see, that's why you can preach a sermon in the power of the flesh, it counts for nothing. Or you can preach a sermon in the power of the Holy Spirit, it counts for everything.

It's what who are you doing this for? What is your motivation? Are you in the flesh or in the spirit? So the ditch of legalism, adding the works of the law to grace, the ditch of legalism attractive to our fallen nature to the pride, to the big I, look what I did. Sounds right, seems right. And discovery number three very quickly, the ditch of legalism is overcome by standing firm in Jesus. Stand firm in Jesus. Look at verse one. It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Now remember the flow of God's grace comes only by faith. See, grace is God's acceptance of you and faith is your acceptance of God's acceptance of you. And the joy of the Christian life is found in the truth of the cross. Hey, how do you avoid the ditch of legalism? You walk squarely on the narrow road of grace and truth and you look every day at the wondrous cross. Listen. Are you in the ditch of legalism? Are you trying to earn your way with God? Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved.

If you're here and you've never been saved, you can put your faith and trust in Jesus today and you can be saved just like that. If you're a Christian and you've fallen into the ditch of legalism, you can get out of it just like that as you start walking by faith with the one who loves you, who says you're accepted in the beloved, who says to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What is your answer to him?

Dr. Jeff Schreve: If Jesus is the Lord and Savior of your life, God sees you through the righteousness of his son and doesn't see you through the eyes of your sin. But if you don't know Jesus in a personal way, if you've never repented of your sin and surrendered your heart to him, you can do that today. To help you start in that walk, we'd like to invite you to go to From His Heart's website and click the y Jesus link. There you'll find a lot of helps to get you started in your Christian journey. Again that's fromhissheart.org.

Click the y Jesus link. And if you've asked Christ to come into your heart, please let us know. Go online and click the contact us tab and Pastor Jeff will be sure to get your response. Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us. I'm Larry Nobles inviting you to be back next time for the next lesson in the series Beyond Amazing Understanding the Grace of God. And thank you for praying for this ministry as we continue to grow and reach more people around the world with the love of Jesus.

Join us next time when we open up God's word and share real truth, real love and real hope from his heart.