It all begins in one’s definition and understanding of THE FALL. Legalists insist that the fall was a falling away from a LEGAL STANDARD and therefore, restoration can only happen through man’s obedience. In this school of thought sin is a LEGAL ISSUE. We did not fall because we disobeyed the principal, we fell because we disobeyed the principal’s PRINCIPLE.
Then there are those from my school of thought who insist the fall was a fall from A BEING. It was a fracture of an eternal love-relationship between two independent free-wills. In this school of thought sin is a POWER-ISSUE and we did not DISOBEY A LAW/PRINCIPLE but rather our DISOBEDIENCE was to the PRINCIPAL and restoration can only happen if our relationship with the principal is restored.
Note that, the principal and principles are distinguished elements and by all means, there cannot be principles a.k.a the LAW unless there is SIN (danger). In other words, we have the tree of knowledge and evil due to the presence of evil ALREADY {Genesis 2:16-17}. However, one should backtrack the relationship between man and his God PRE-SIN {Revelation 12:7-12} to be satisfied that minus sin there is no need of the law.
Upon that conclusion, therefore, we understand that salvation is not a restoration of a LEGAL-RELATIONSHIP between man and God but rather, salvation is a restoration of the original relationship in which both SIN and the LAW were never part of the content. That original relationship is one in which the independent WILL of man chooses to submit to the will of God his creator based on the information man has gained from both evil and good. The fully informed communion between man and God God as beings without conflict eternally is what salvation is about and that is absolute.
The Two “L” Extremes
It is from these two backgrounds that the two extremes, whether they directly admit or not, come from. How each understand the fall, determines the solutions they employ. Let us look at both of the extremes.
The first which is commonly known and detected by many is the LEGALISM EXTREME.
I won’t even waste time with the details but let me simply what legalism is. LEGALISM IS OBEDIENCE TOWARDS THE END OF SALVATION AND FAVORS WITH GOD.
Whenever your obedience to God has something to do with him saving you or providing for you based on your moral performance then that is legalism and the characteristic of legalism is HYPOCRISY.
Legalism has two forms.
The first is OBEYING TO ACHIEVE: This is the one I call PRE-‘SALVATION’ LEGALISM. At this level, their are rituals, rites, laws and behaviors to perform before you are saved or at least initiated {Baptisms, doctrinal confessions, dress & diet changes, repentance, etc}
The other form of legalism is OBEYING TO MAINTAIN AND RETAIN this is what I call POST-‘SALVATION’ LEGALISM. At this level, you hear legalists defend their position by saying: am legally oriented not to be saved but legally oriented because am saved. And since am a citizen, I must be a law-abiding citizen to maintain and retain my citizenry since the fall was originally due to this failure (failure to obey).
It is a pity if one has to impress their spouse daily to ensure they don’t divorce them the next day. Marriage must be built on persons (individuals) but not on their performance (what they do or don’t).
Legalists want you to always be in fear that your marriage with Christ survives and thrives on your performance and the problem is that the principal is always distinguished from the principles. People are not always what they do or don’t. That was the essence of Jesus’ fight with the Pharisees {hypocrites}.
LIBERTARIAN EXTREME:
The second “L” extreme is almost an opposite reaction to legalism. While the legalists uphold the law, the libertarians dismiss the law even to the extent of its (law’s) rightful use/function.
The libertarians do not teach FREEDOM IN CHRIST {which is the ability TO and NOT TO} but rather teach LIBERTY IN CHRIST where you are at liberty to do and be whatever you want since you are saved by Grace through Faith alone.
The problem with this school of thought is that it treats salvation by Grace through faith alone as a preventive vaccination and a sin-bullet proof. They assume that salvation by Grace through faith alone is immunisation to sin and therefore, it doesn’t matter what you do, after-all you are saved.
While the legalists at form 2 (above) obey to maintain and retain, the libertarians act contrary to the one they claim to be in love with and insist they have a healthy relationship.
Libertarians are too obsessed with fighting the obedience to principles for salvation and in the process they compromise the obedience to the principal himself.
This extreme is equally as dangerous as legalism is. We are not SAVED TO CONTINUE SINNING SINCE OUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS SECURED, WE ARE SAVED FROM A POSITION OF REBELLION AGAINST THE PRINCIPAL. While what you do or don’t have nothing to do about salvation, it has everything to do about you who chooses to be saved (Romans 6).
It is very important if we are to appreciate these extremes to look at the two ADAMS one of Genesis 3 and the other of the New Testament.
It is interesting to note that the first Adam fell in obedience and the second Adam succeeded in obedience (Romans 5:19).
Understand if you will, that the first Adam did not fall because he disobeyed the principles (eating from the forbidden tree) but he fell in mistrust. He doubted the principal and believed another principal.
The second Adam is not victorious because he practically obeyed the principles, after all even after he had obeyed all the law to the dot physically and psychologically, he still died an eternal death. This was proof enough that obedience to principles without a relationship with the principal is in vain and still leads to eternal death.
The success of the second Adam was in the fact that he obeyed the principal and the principles never mattered that is why those who were so obsessed with the principles at the expense of the principal always accused him of violating the principles.
Here is the good news, ONCE YOU OBEY THE PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPLES TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
Once we understand what TRUE OBEDIENCE is, then we are sorted. There is nothing as essential as LOYALTY.
God bless you, I invoke Truth, Wisdom & Faith
Priest Isaiah-White
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
Think&Become
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 