I was in a recent conversation with a group of people from church and one said, “Well, all that stuff you talk about spiritual disciplines seems like the Pharisees (legalist). I’m set free in Christ so people can’t tell me how to live my life!”
My first thought was, “I don’t want to be a legalist.” I didn’t want to be in the same category as the Pharisees! Who would want to?
Praying consistently and writing down your prayer in a journal? Legalist. Setting time every day to read the scriptures and meditate? Legalist. Staying accountable to fellow Christians in a local church context? Legalist.
I’ve thought through this for the last several months. Can spiritual disciplines turn Christians into simply doing a checklist of rules? Or are these tasks weighing down Christians with unnecessary guilt?
Is one being a legalist if he works hard unto the Lord? Or can a Christian cruise and coast through this life?
Here are few pointers of the formative power of spiritual disciplines.
https://jonathanhayashi.com/2018/03/12/spiritual-disciplines-laziness-or-legalism/
Filed under: Discipleship | Tagged: Discipleship, Hayashi |
Thanks for sharing!