Dangers of Christian Legalism

---

Some Christian institutions and denominations were originally created to preserve theological purity, but over time, they have morphed into exclusive clubs enabling Christian “insiders” to...
Some Christian institutions and denominations were originally created to preserve theological purity, but over time, they have morphed into exclusive clubs enabling Christian “insiders” to set themselves apart from the world.  The common name for this malady is legalism and the insiders consider themselves “Christian elite.”  After a while, mere separation from the world is not enough.  These Christian elite invent standards of appearance and behavior to elevate themselves above the rank and file Christian.  Their self proclaimed purity lifts them to a peerage above the just barely saved.  To accentuate this separation, they include behavior before salvation in the overall measure of moral worth.  Positions of leadership are restricted to those who have not violated specific, but arbitrary, rules prior to salvation.  It seems that regeneration by the Grace of God can never quite lift the ordinary repentant sinner to the peerage occupied by those who claim pre-salvation lives of moral purity in some category of behavior.  This is a slap in the face to God’s plan of redemption and creates an obstacle for the unsaved.  The corruption that is Christian elitism is invisible to the self proclaimed elite but clear as a bell to outsiders looking in.  Christianity is a redemptive religion based on confession of sin, remorse, repentance, faith and obedience continually reaffirmed and renewed.  It is a daily dying to sin and living to pursue righteousness.  You have no grasp on holiness except that given to you by the grace of God.   God sometimes uses persons who have demonstrated a lifetime of substantial moral purity but, most often, He uses men and women who have desperately responded to the grace of God by confession of sin, remorse, repentance, faith and obedience.  The Church is a hospital for the healing of sinners, not an introverted, self-serving country club for saints.  God used Paul the Apostle and John Newton the pastor, who were each accessories to multiple murders.  God allowed Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba to be part of the genealogy of Jesus.  Which of us, by our own merit, can be elevated above the sin of this world?  Christian elitism renders an organization or institution highly susceptible to serial sin committed by leaders and to the deliberate concealment of that sin by leadership who see themselves as beyond the need for confession, remorse, repentance, faith and obedience. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com http://www.articlesfactory.com/author/Bruce%20McLaughlin.html  .