Legalism & License
Legalism & License
Legalism & License
by Todd Wilken
Wittenberg Trail:
The Simplicity of Christ
by Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Volume 1, Number 2
Winter, 2009
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Dear Journal Reader,
In this edition you'll find two articles. In the first, Legalism & License, I
explore how Legalism and License are really the same error, expressed two
different ways. Both are equally dangerous, both rob us the comfort of
Christ’s Cross, both are cured by a careful handling of God’s Word.
Also, check out the new additions to our Find a Church section at the end of
the Journal.
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They seem so different. One
person lives his life striving
for moral perfection. The
Legalism & License
If you’re a legalist, you will affirm the first part, but deny the second part.
You will say, “We are never permitted to sin. We can avoid sinning.” If you’re
licentious, you will affirm the second part and deny the first part. You will
say, “We cannot avoid sinning. We are permitted to sin.”
Now that you know which one you are, consider this: While at first
glance they appear to be polar opposites, Legalism and License are really
very much alike. Legalism and License have several, very important things in
common.
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1) Both Legalism and License share a common, false assumption.
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are
under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole
world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no
human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes
knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)
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The legalist thinks, "There are thoughts, words and deeds that I do
that are sins; and there are thoughts, words and deeds that I do that are
sinless." The legalist’s goal is to decrease the sinful thoughts, words and
deeds in his life, and increase the sinless thoughts, words and deeds in his
life.
The legalist thinks that if he could break up his life up into individual
seconds, he could identify the seconds when he was sinning, and the
seconds when he was sinless.
Of course the Bible doesn't support this view of sin at all. The Ten
Commandments in particular, show us that there is nothing we think, say or
do that is sinless. Everything we do is stained by sin, even our good works:
"All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” (Isaiah 64:6)
The devil loves it when the legalist strives for sinlessness. It means
he's trying to achieve a righteousness of our own that comes through the
Law (Galatians 2:16). The Old Adam thrives on the legalist’s rule-keeping, it
is his lifeblood, it makes him very strong.
The devil also loves it when a licentious person ignores sin’s danger
and penalty. It means he's ignoring God himself and living in open rebellion
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against Him (Psalm 36:1; Romans 3:18). The Old Adam hates God and His
commandments.
Isn’t the legalist at least struggling against sin? No. The legalist thinks
he is struggling against his sin; but he is only struggling to keep the rules,
God’s rules, house rules, etc. Struggling to keep the rules isn’t the same as
struggling against sin.
As you can see, Legalism and License are not two different errors.
They are the same error expressed in two different ways. Whether you travel
the path of Legalism or of License, you come to the same, inevitable end.
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Both the legalist and the licentious, whether they deny sin’s depth or sin’s
danger, ultimately ignore the saving work of Jesus Christ.
If Legalism and License are really the same error, is there one answer
to both? Yes, first the Law.
The legalist needs to see that he is totally sinful, from top to bottom,
from beginning to end. The legalist needs to see himself as total sinner, and
say along with St. Paul, “I know that nothing good dwells in me,” and,
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of
death?” (Romans 7:18, 24)
The licentious person needs to see his sin for what it is: open rebellion,
enmity and insult against God. Though he may take his sin lightly, God does
not. The licentious person needs to answer along with St. Paul, “Are we to
continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” and, ”Are we to sin
because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans
6:1-2, 15)
The first answer to both Legalism and License is God’s Word of Law.
The proclamation of the Law leaves the legalist with no place to stand; no
thought, word or deed --no second of his life-- that he can call sinless.
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Likewise, the Law leaves the licentious person on God’s enemies list; an
impudent creature, spitting in God’s face with every sin. The first answer to
both Legalism and License is God’s Word of Law that condemns sin
completely; but we can’t stop there.
The Law destroys the common, false assumption of both Legalism and
License: “God cannot forbid something I cannot avoid.” The Law says to the
legalist, “You cannot avoid sin.” The Law says to the licentious, “There is a
penalty for your sin.” However, this is all that the Law can do.
Some pastors are hesitant to preach the Gospel to the legalist and the
licentious --especially to the licentious. They reason, “If I proclaim the
forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, this legalist will only use that forgiveness
to go and start sinning; or this licentious person will only use that
forgiveness to go and sin even more.”
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These pastors understand nothing about Law and Gospel. They
mistakenly think that the Gospel needs to be “balanced” or tempered with a
dose of the Law, or Christians will become lax about sin or lazy in doing good
works. By doing this, pastors only reinforce the error of both the legalist and
the licentious.
The Gospel says, “Yes, God always forbids sin, and you can never
avoid sin. But the very sin you cannot avoid, Jesus avoided for you. The very
sin God forbids and condemns, Jesus took to the Cross in his body for you.”
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all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness from God that depends on faith. (Philippians 3:8-9)
Once the legalist finds his sinlessness in Jesus alone, and once the
licentious person finds the penalty for sin paid in Jesus alone, then the
struggle against unavoidable sin can really begin. The former legalist will
now struggle like he's never struggled before. Because now, he won't be
able to take a breather and say, "OK, right now I'm not sinning, if only for
this one second." No, there won't be a single second in his life when sin will
not be there, close at hand (Romans 7:21). The former licentious person will
struggle against sin, perhaps for the first time. Now, he won’t be able to sin
without hearing the Law’s condemnation; he won’t be able to ignore sin’s
penalty.
Now, both will struggle against their sin by repentance every second,
in every thought, every word and every deed. Under the proclamation of
Law and Gospel, their lives will become lives of constant repentance and
faith in Jesus’ all-sufficient sinlessness and sacrifice.
You may have noticed as you began reading that it was difficult to
diagnose yourself as either a legalist or as licentious. That is because we are
all both. We go back and forth between the two every day. We think we can
avoid sin sometimes, we give ourselves permission to sin at other times. But
God’s Word will not permit our Legalism or our License.
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!"#$%&"#'(%)*+,%&"#-% More Martin Luther
Concordia Publishing House is happy to announce
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Wittenberg Trail
The Simplicity of Christ
by Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
I liked to study the Bible, so I and a few other youth were identified by
our youth leaders as “real Christians.” In an attempt to “grow our faith,” he
would take us every Sunday evening to the local Calvary Chapel where the
people “took the Bible seriously.” There I learned that the Bible was about
obedience, about a “life sold out to Christ,” that “Christianity is a
relationship, not a religion.” On these Sunday nights we “dedicated our
whole lives to Christ,” we learned to give serious attention to the internal
aspects of a “relationship with Jesus.” We were taught to cast away the
“external trappings of religion” and “empty ritual.” It was in this non-
denominational church that I learned to demonstrate my faith by my works,
by my obedience, by my devotional maintenance. I learned to gauge my
nearness to God by my feelings. I called it a “faith-life,” my “walk with the
Lord.”
Among the external trappings that I cast away were the gift of
Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the liturgy. I began to reason like this: “It’s
just a symbol anyhow, and I can demonstrate my faith better through
obedience than through this ritual,” or “How can bread and wine ever
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empower me like being filled with the Spirit?” or “All this rote repetition
quenches the moving of the Holy Spirit, you have got to mean it.” My faith
was growing, I was figuring it out, or so I thought.
But the Lord is merciful. I met my future bride Keri in college. She had
a similar story. Her family grew up in the liberal Presbyterian Church USA,
but we met at a college Bible Study at the local Southern Baptist church. We
were both disgusted with the liberal rejection of the Bible of the churches of
our youth, and we both had a growing dissatisfaction with the emotional
insanity and theological muddiness of the Evangelical churches. We began to
ask questions that couldn't be answered.
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“If salvation is not by works, why is all we hear about
in the teaching the works I'm supposed to do?”
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no hedging, no explaining away, no rationalizing, no watering down, just the
Scriptures. And there, in the center of the Bible was Jesus, crucified, dead,
buried, risen and ascended for me.
Now, we did not join the Lutheran church right away. There were a
number of theological obstacles to overcome. I almost fell over the first time
I heard that these Lutherans didn't believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of
the church. The fact that the pastor stood in front of the congregation and
forgave sins was confusing. The practice of closed communion was troubling
and very difficult to understand. And for months the liturgy seemed stiff and
strange to our ears.
But all of these questions were small compared to the question that
had been answered, “Does God love me, even me?” The answer that is
brought forth over and over in the Scriptures is “Yes!” He loves us enough to
send Jesus to a bloody death in my place, for me. He loves me enough to
pour out His wrath on another, on His beloved Son. He loves me enough to
baptize me and forgive me and call me His own dear child. He loves me so
much that He doesn't leave my salvation up to me, but comes to me and
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calls and rescues and delivers me from sin and death. Yes, God loves me. No
matter how close I feel to Him, no matter how much I prayed, no matter
how much good I've done or failed to do, no matter what, His cross and His
word of promise stand sure for me.
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Dear Issues, Etc. Listener:
As I drive home each night in this Christmas season, it is dark. In fact, the
whole world is growing dim; each day seems darker than the day before.
But the darkest day in all human history, Good Friday, was really the dawn of
the new Light of forgiveness for the world. Now, Jesus' resurrection
enlightens a world of sinners with forgiveness and mercy.
At Issues, Etc., we know that the Church year must begin and end with the
saving work of Jesus. This is why our message, Christ and Him crucified,
never changes.
LPR
P.O. Box 912
Collinsville, IL 62234
May you have eternal comfort in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus this
Christmas season.
P.S. For any size year-end donation, we'll send you a CD of one of my
Advent and Christmas sermons.
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Find a Church
Alabama Colorado
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Find a Church (cont.) Bethany Lutheran
Rev. Timothy Rossow
Zion Lutheran Church Rev. Stephen Schumacher
Rev. Gary Wright 1550 Modaff Rd
17618 Hubbard Road Naperville IL 60565
East Moline, IL 61244 630-355-2198
309-496-2186
Christ Lutheran
Calvary Lutheran Rev. Robert Niehus
Rev. Mark Bestul 607 Harvard St
535 N McLean Blvd Oak Park IL 60304
Elgin IL 60123 708-386-3306
847-741-5433
Zion Lutheran Church
Christ Our Savior Lutheran Rev. Donald Pritchard
Rev. Bruce Keseman 525 N. Cartwright
612 N State St Pleasant Plains, IL 62677
Freeburg IL 62243 217-626-1282
618-539-5664
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Hope Lutheran Rev. Craig Meissner
Rev. David Fielding 12 West 34th Place
3715 Wabash Ave. Steger, IL 60417
Granite City IL 62040 708-754-2345
(618) 876-7568
Indiana
St. Paul Lutheran
Rev. Wil Weedon Faith Lutheran
6969 W. Frontage Road Rev. Todd Riordan
Worden, IL 62097 6000 W State Road 46
P.O. Box 247 Columbus IN 47201
Hamel, IL 62046 812-342-3587
618-633-2209
St John Lutheran
Messiah Lutheran Rev. Marc Freiberg Sr
Rev. Brian Holle 12308 E CR 1160 N
801 N Madison St Evanston IN 47531
Lebanon IL 62254 812-547-2007
618-537-2300
Redeemer Lutheran Church
St Pauls Lutheran Rev. David Peterson
Rev. Mark Hein 202 West Rudisill Blvd
1500 S Briggs St Fort Wayne, IN 46807
Lockport IL 60441 260-744-2585
815-838-1832
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Zion Lutheran Church Rev. Andrew Currao
Rev. Kirk Clayton Rev. Daniel Lepley
101 South Railway 504 N. Walnut Street
Mascoutah, IL 62258 Seymour, IN 47274
618 566-7345 812-522-1837
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Find a Church (cont.) St Matthew Lutheran
Rev. Charles Henrickson
Minnesota 340 Summit
Bonne Terre MO 63628
St. Paul Lutheran Church 573-358-3105
Rev. Preston Paul
128 Filmore St SE Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Chatfield MN 55923 Rev. David Bretscher
507-867-4604 12397 Natural Bridge Road
Bridgeton, MO 63044
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 314-291-2395
Rev. Steven C. Briel
Rev. Matthew P. Johnson Trinity Lutheran
9141 County Rd 101 Rev. Keith Ellerbrock
Corcoran MN 55340 3765 Mc Kelvey Rd
763-420-2426 Bridgeton MO 63044
314-739-0022
Trinity Lutheran Church
Rev. Brian Thorson Mount Calvary Lutheran
47334 132nd Street Rev. James Gier
Lewisville, MN 56060 1215 Baldwin St
507-435-2201 Excelsior Springs MO 64024
816-637-9800
Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church
Rev. Matthew Ruesch Trinity Lutheran Church
10583 US Highway 169 Rev. Rick Pettey
Garrison, MN 56450 601 Kingsbury Blvd
320-692-4581 Fredericktown MO 63645
573-783-2405
Glory of Christ Lutheran
Rev. John Fehrmann Zion Lutheran Church
Rev. Klemet Preus Rev. Rick Pettey
4040 Highway 101 N 601 Kingsbury Blvd
Plymouth MN 55446 Gravelton MO 63645
763-478-6031 573-783-2405
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Find a Church (cont.) Concordia Lutheran
Rev. Alan Wollenburg
Trinity Lutheran 836 Park Avenue
Rev. David Oberdieck Sikeston MO 63801
1300 Kent Dr 573-471-5842
Lebanon MO 65536
417-532-2717 Montana
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Find a Church (cont.) Mount Calvary Lutheran Church
Rev. Thomas Baden
Oregon 12358 Country Road 5500
Eola, TX 76937
Holy Cross Lutheran 325-942-9275
Rev. Bruce Ley
2515 Queen Ave SE Redeemer Lutheran
Albany OR 97322 Rev. David Grassley
541-928-0214 4513 Williams Rd
Fort Worth TX 76116
Pennsylvania 817-560-0030
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Find a Church (cont.) Grace Lutheran
Rev. Thomas Chryst
Virginia Rev. Randal Poppe
3700 Washington Ave
Racine WI 53405
Immanuel Lutheran Church
262-633-4831
Rev. Christopher Esget
1801 Russell Road
Luther Memorial Chapel
Alexandria, VA 22301
Dr Ken Wieting
703-549-0155
3833 N Maryland Ave
Shorewood WI 53211
Washington
414-332-5732
Peace Lutheran
Rev. Terry Ahlemeyer
1228 S Park Ave
Neenah WI 54956
920-725-0510
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