TWO PROBLEMS
1- Legalism is a person's attempt to be good enough to earn salvation through their own good works and when a person lives in bondage to rules and regulations, denying the victory Christ affords him/her.
2- Libertinism is when a person has sin in his/her life but does not or will not recognize it as sin and therefore does not confess and repent of that sin.
PROBLEM SOLVED THROUGH BIBLICAL BALANCE...
Between Legalism and Libertinism is the Life of Love, from a Pure Heart
1 Timothy 1:5
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1 Peter 1:22
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
LOVE FULFILLS MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Romans 13:8, 10
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law.
10 Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Galatians 5:14
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
WE ALSO KNOW LOVE CANNOT BE REALIZED ASIDE FROM THE GRACE OF GOD, ACTIVE IN OUR LIVES
2 Corinthians 8:7
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
PROBLEM SOLVED THROUGH BIBLICAL BALANCE...
Between Legalism and Libertinism is the Life of Love, from a Pure Heart
1 Timothy 1:5
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1 Peter 1:22
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
LOVE FULFILLS MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Romans 13:8, 10
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law.
10 Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Galatians 5:14
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
WE ALSO KNOW LOVE CANNOT BE REALIZED ASIDE FROM THE GRACE OF GOD, ACTIVE IN OUR LIVES
2 Corinthians 8:7
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
2 Corinthians 13:14
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Ephesians 6:24
24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:14
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 2:14
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
GRACE DELIVERS FROM ALL SIN
Romans 6:14
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Titus 2:11-12
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
James 4:6-7
6 But he gives more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:10
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.
WHEN WE TRUST HIM FULLY, HE CLEANSES FROM ALL SIN, SO THAT WE BECOME PURE, EVE AS HE IS PURE
2 Corinthians 7:1
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
1 John 1:7, 9
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 3:3
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
SINNERS CLEANSE THEIR HANDS FROM EVIL DEEDS AND CHRISTIANS PURIFY THEIR HEARTS FROM DOUBLE MINDEDNESS
Psalms 24:3-4
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
James 4:8
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
THE HEART IS PURIFIED BY THE INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
Acts 15:9
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
WHEN THE HEART IS PURE, WE CAN LOVE GOD WITH THE WHOLE HEART, MIND, SOUL AND STRENGTH AND LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES
Matthew 5:43-48
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
AN EXAMPLE OF LEGALISM...
Legalism is when we add laws of commission or omission to the revealed word of God, in order to be saved. The Jews believed they must keep the sacrificial, dietary and ritualistic laws in order to be in a right relationship with God. Therefore, Peter allowed himself to be brought into the bondage of keeping Jewish laws. Paul confronted him and rebuked him for this.
Galatians 2:11-21
(11) But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. (12) For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. (13) And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. (14) But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (15) We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, (16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (17) But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. (18) For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (19) For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Galatians 3:1-2
(1) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
