LEGALISM

A teacher on Pal Talk was teaching on legalism and he posed this question:
“What if a person loves to go to church because he feels he gets spiritual life there, or he feels the presence of God there? What if it’s not a “duty” for him to go to church all the time, but rather, a pleasure? Is he still walking in legalism when he goes?”

He then went on to explain that “it’s not legalism because the issue of legalism doesn’t revolve around what we do. Legalism has to do with the motives and the reasons we are doing whatever it is we are doing. When we are doing something because we love God and we want to please Him, and we believe the thing we are doing is pleasing to Him, this is not legalism.” “…then we will have a strong desire to please Him. This is healthy and Scriptural.

And to back up what he said he quoted:
Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

1Jn 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

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Now, the bible says in Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

It also says in Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Back to the teacher's question: "...he feels he gets spiritual life there; ...he feels the presence of God there."

The problem here is that we cannot know that we are pleasing to God by our feelings.

So how can we know that we are doing things that are pleasing to God? The answer is found in God’s word. This is a very personal thing. There is no list of do’s and don’ts.

In Col 1:9 Paul’s prayer for the Colossian Christians is a model for us. As soon as he heard of the new faith of the Colossians, he began interceding with God for them, asking Him to give them knowledge, wisdom, strength, and joy. He prayed that the new believers at Colosse would grow into Christian maturity so that they might walk before God, pleasing Him and producing good works.

Paul’s concern is that the Colossians would have full knowledge of God’s will. The desire to serve God will be in vain without a proper understanding of the One we want to serve. Thus Paul prays that the Colossians might be filled with full knowledge that encompasses all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Wisdom is the practical outworking of knowledge (Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be dealt with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy), and that knowledge cannot be separated from the spiritual understanding that comes through the discernment given by the Holy Spirit.

In addition to the full knowledge of the Lord’s will mentioned in v. 9, Paul desires that the Colossians may walk worthy of the Lord. Paul wanted the Colossians to live in a manner that adequately reflected what God had done for them and was doing in them.

Being “worthy of God” is a phrase that occurs in ancient pagan inscriptions throughout Asia. It pictures someone’s life being weighed on scales to determine its worth. If these devotees to false gods knew they had to walk in a worthy manner, certainly Christians should dedicate their lives to the living God in order to please Him.

In James 3:17 The main characteristic of godly wisdom is that it is pure, meaning “free from defilement.” Bitterness, envy, and selfish behavior thoroughly corrupt a person (Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. ) Godly wisdom is also peaceable, describing a spirit of tranquility and calmness. It does not suggest compromising truth just for the sake of peace, which would promote falsehood. In addition, godly wisdom is undivided, without favoritism, unwavering and consistent, without hypocrisy. True wisdom is sincere and unpretentious (modest).

Here is some more advice that we can all use to be pleasing to God:
1Th 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
1Th 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

My conclusion is if you want to be pleasing to God, you should seek His will; study to get a proper understanding of who He is by reading His word faithfully and purpose in your heart to study it for yourself and do not depend on others to feed you. Those "others" will not be there with you when you stand before the Lord of Glory!