Training for Godliness and Legalism

April 7, 2019

 

My schedule for March was to memorize 1 Timothy,  2 Timothy and Titus.  Praise God that now they are in my weekly review.  I'm also now currently memorizing 1 Peter and I notice that all these 4 books have theme for training in godliness. It happens these are what I need now in my situation in my work.

April 10, 2019

Thankful to God that I have now memorized 1st Peter. Lately I've been inspired of this one site https://www.preceptaustin.org/memorizing_his_word which gives me mixed thoughts on what I am doing. It gives me the strong conviction that what  I am doing now, hiding the precious words of my saviour in my heart in a systematic way with a goal - is indeed a well time spent. This is a way I could put the word of truth in my heart in order that I could use it, that I could walk it out. However there was a part of that site that gives a strong warning regarding legalism, from that site it defines it as:

 

"Legality is a mechanical and external behavior growing our of reliance on self, because of a desire to gain a reputation, display a skill, or satisfy an urge to personal power."

Well, I read someone comments usually when we saw someone doing more that we do, we say they are legalist, while someone lower than our standards, we say they are licentious or hyper-grace. We are so quick to judge, at least in ur minds, though we don't say it. I realized we should not lower our standards of what people may think, after all we are to please the Lord and not men.

 

In short, I should answer 3 question to make sure I am not into legalism:

1. What I do "memorization"

2. How I do "correct way: through the enablement of the Spirit", honestly I need to control my flesh sometimes to follow what the Spirit leads

3. Purpose of this "to be able to glorify God, if I able to hide the words in my heart in order to draw them when needed, a sword of the Spirit to fight worry for example and other struggles, and to be able to act, the goal is not to memorize but to be able to obey, for the Holy Spirit do not have something to recall if I don't hide it first in my heart, in my opinion.

 

Thus I've got to test again what am I doing as I don't want to find myself doing some dead works. It is true that some days, when my work has been really stressful, yet my schedule to do my memorization is at 12:15PM after my quick lunch, I am not always in the bliss to do my target verses for the day thus it could become mechanical, in a sense in my mind if I don't do this even I am not in the best mood, I would miss to redeem a very important time and lose it over worrying where I don't get anything to edify myself or others. Actually this task helps me to turn away my mind from one of the deadliest flesh weakness I've suffered for the last few years that is why I stopped this quest (that is worrying or stress). There is also a verse that encourages to discipline our body to do an intended task. This verse to me means sometimes we have to force our flesh to do what we know "right" thing to.

 

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (ESV)

 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

 

Another voice asks me "why do you need to log all your progress in a blog? isn't that trying to gain for your personal reputation?" - my answer is I would want to know how exactly I have done and what benefits I reap while in this quest of my life. I'm also refreshed in read my old post for struggles the Lord already released me. It was never for my own reputation but to glorify my Savior.
 

In summary, I am convinced, I will continue on this quest for this helps in my walk for the Lord, though I will be careful that I might lean into legalism. I would always pray to the Holy Spirit to test my motives and clean my heart before doing this, hoping one day my Lord will say "Well done, my good and faithful servant" - I do my best to present myself to God alone, who I would like to please and not to please men.

 

2 Timothy 2:14-17 (ESV)

A Worker Approved by God

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.

 

My prayer:

Lord, if there is any legalistic spirit is in me, cleanse me oh Lord and release me from it in the name of Jesus. May the Lord remember that I am dust, that without his saving grace I am nothing, help me oh Lord to change my mind and repent, in my whole honesty, I humble myself before the Lord my Saviour, in your Word I tremble, purify my heart, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you. If ever in my heart I seek glory for myself, I know that the glory of men is like flower of the grass that will fall as my life fades like a grass, how quick men's life is, but the Word of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, in my heart you gave I would like to keep your precious Word so let me be worthy oh lord to keep such precious treasure in my heart, enable me Lord to continue on this quest by the power of God, by the Holy Spirit who dwells in me though our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.