“The soil will produce whatever you plant in it. Your heart is the soil and the seed is the Word of God.”  -Pastor Phillip Hamilton.

The message of grace is not really new to me.  It is exciting to see many people catching onto it as it is being brought to the forefront!  I attended Rhema Bible Training Center in 1978 – 1980!  I heard Andrew Wommack teach on grace and faith during that time!  Brother Kenneth E. Hagin was always a very grace oriented teacher.  I don’t mean the message of grace necessarily but his demeanor when speaking about God and His goodness were always filled with grace!  On many occasions, I wondered if some graduates were hearing the same messages I had heard!                            

How can two people hear the same messages and draw such drastically different conclusions?  One Rhema graduate challenged me when I made the statement, “The flesh profits nothing when it comes to God’s correction.”  “Oh, but that isn’t what Papa Hagin says”, they stated.  Sometimes God corrects the flesh to get our attention and you said the flesh profits nothing.  I said, “No, I didn’t say that, Jesus did!” When I turned to the exact page in Brother Hagin’s book and read what he said, the discussion came to a civil end!

I have concluded that legalism is an attitude birthed from the lack of having grace written upon one’s heart!  Without a revelation of grace, any subject can become legalistic!  This seems to be the tendency of human nature.  When the message of faith is preached in a law-like fashion, it becomes a burden no one can bear!  Confession becomes an attempt to move the hand of God rather than removing the doubt in their heart!

We who enjoy the message of grace can fall prey to the same religious legalism, if we aren’t cautious!  An attitude of elitism, intolerance and control are evidence of legalism creeping in.  They are usually “right fighters” and of course their way is the right one!  Can this happen with the message of grace?

When mentioning that I am not so persuaded that 1 John 1:9 was written to unbelievers as one wonderful grace teacher purports, you can sense the fangs of disapproval showing!  Having come out of a youth cult for a season where no one questioned the teacher’s biblical interpretation, I know how this feels!  No doubt, we are forgiven. Done deal.  But, I am not sure 1 John 1:9 was written to unbelievers. Does this make me a legalist? 

No, in fact, I thoroughly enjoy his teachings.  But, an attitude of intolerance, un-teachableness and control might be the first sign of legalism even for grace folks!

Another subject where this happens is the area of tithing.  “We are not under the law of the tithe,” they demand!  This is nothing new!  In 1978, this was a subject of debate among many Charismatic groups! We are not under the law, but many fail to recognize that the tithe was before the law, incorporated into the law and found after the law!  A belief that one ought to tithe to regulate their habitual giving does not make them a legalist!  In fact, it makes good Bible sense and shows personal discipline.  It has nothing to do with the love of God, righteousness or our approval in Christ!  But, a superior, elitist, attitude demanding that someone who tithes is a legalist and doesn’t understand the message of grace is just wrong and borders on the worst kind of controller in the name of grace!

So, what is my point?  It is a call for tolerance, teachableness and acceptance in the areas of peripheral doctrines and the grace of God!  Jesus doesn’t save us because our doctrine is perfect!  It is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  The only yardstick for truth is the Word of God!  When one loses sight of this, they can become victims of legalism before realizing it!

In John 10:27 Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  Jesus presented God as our heavenly Father.  He simply said, “My sheep hear My voice…”                                                  

I can still hear my father’s voice in my head.  He never made it intentionally hard or confusing. We decided to dig a hole to China in the field. My dad came over to see saying “What you boys doing?” We replied proudly, “Digging a hole to China.” Dad said calmly, “Well you boys have dug a deep one alright.” I was in the hole putting dirt into a bucket as my brother pulled it out over my head. The hole may have been six feet deep at this point!  He said, “Come on out of that hole, son. Don’t you know that thing could cave in on you?” I said to myself, “I never thought of that.” He said, “Go ahead and bury that thing before somebody gets hurt.” So, we did!  Hearing and obeying his voice probably saved us from great harm! What does it take to hear God’s voice?  It takes hearing God’s Word mixed with faith!                                                                                                  

Dad gave us an old pair of telephone operator’s head phones to play with. We were playing W.W.II bombardiers. I asked dad, “If I plug these into the wall can I call Russia?”  He was reading the newspaper in his Lazy Boy Rocker.  Barely looking up from his paper he said clearly, “Son don’t do that.”  Ignoring his words, I ran into the bedroom lying across the bed. I plugged the metal prongs into the outlet! I came off the bed about three times and all the lights in the house went on and off. Thank goodness one prong came unplugged. It didn’t take me long to realize that Father knows best!

Some believers get the idea that God sends hard times so they will hear His voice!  When they become depressed, discouraged, disappointed or offended they say, “I wonder what God is trying to teach me?  He must want me to do something different!” Their expectancy is that God must make them miserable to hear His voice!  NO, the Holy Spirit is a COMFORTER, not a tormentor! They have confused Satan with God!

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me!”  Don’t make it hard, we are wired to hear His voice!