Legalism or Love? Thankfully the Word Knows All!

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5:13-15

"For the word of God is living and active, sharpener than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

I chose the two verses above after I did a search on verses that spoke to the idea of legalism. There are quite a few, even though the word doesn't actually appear in Scripture. This morning I jumped on Facebook and sometimes I click on the those boxes along the right side. You know the ones that tell me what my friends comment on or like. Some times it is pretty interesting and other times disturbing. This morning one was upsetting. I read something that was dripping with legalism. The sad thing, to me, is that a person took a gift of the Spirit and used it to say what people must do and that if they didn't then they didn't even have the Spirit of God in them.

I tend to be a black or white person. Something is either right or wrong, good, or evil. Sometimes that is a very good thing, but there are times when it is not. I have to make sure what I think or believe matches up with the Word. If it doesn't then it doesn't matter what I think. And even if it does match up with the Word, if I am not careful it becomes judgemental. If it becomes judgemental then it is like the verse above. It might become an issue of biting at someone and taking the risk of being consumed by them.

One way I can make sure that doesn't happen is to not become judgemental. The second verse mentioned says the Word will tell the difference. It knows the intention of the heart. It knows if my intention is to share the Truth in love or if it is to be right and rub someone else's nose in it. I struggle with this. I never want to come across as a know-it-all or as judgemental. I never want anyone to feel Bible thumped by me. You know the type, the ones who use the Word to brow beat people. I don't think that lines up with the command "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself".

So what is the point of this devotion? Well, I wanted to be judgemental of the person who was taking on the role of God Himself on Facebook. Instead I have to rely on the One who knows all and knows the intentions of that man's heart. I have to make sure I stay in a place of love rather than judgement. I need to rely on the Word to teach me and help me show love when I want to show judgement. So the point? Well, for me it was to take a step back and look to the written Word. That tempered any anger I felt and any judgement I wanted to pass. The point is no matter what I need to look to Him.