Legalism is not Holiness

I have been going to church since I was kids. I grew up in the Presbyterian denomination. I had ties to the Brethren, Baptist, United Methodist, Lutheran, Mennonite,  and Assembly of God. So I have a well versed background in lots of denominations.

As a kid I was indoctrinated to believe certain things. One thing I was taught is that there was a dress code for church. You had certain clothes that you only wore for Sunday. Most of the time it was a dress or a skirt and top. It was not appropriate for ladies to wear pants to church.

I was taught that the King James Bible was the only version to read no matter how hard it was to understand. That there was a certain routine that we did in Worship. That the only way to support your church was to get a huge amount of money in the offering plate. This list goes on.

I realize now that this is all legalism. Legalism is not holiness. Legalism has no place in the Christian Religion or the Church. God did not put rules on religion.

As far as dress goes God said that you need to wear what is pleasing to him. That means that if I want to wear jeans. I can. However, it does mean that you should wear something modest and not dress like you are working the street corner.

Also when it comes to giving to the church you don’t have to give of your money. Some people like myself don’t have the money to give. So it is ok to instead of giving money that you give of your time and talents.

There are other versions of the bible other than King James. It is so hard to read. I do own King James along with several other versions. I find the New International Version is the easiest to read. I believe that everyone should pick a bible that is right for them. My favorite versions to read are the Amplified, Message, and Voice.

My theory is that those who rely on the legalism and making sure that people follow it are not at church for the right reasons. They are not holy. They don’t have God in their hearts.

Legalism is the downfall of a lot of churches today. Pushing the legalism turns people away from church. In turn it will cause the church to close. Legalism is why the church is dying. We need to get away from legalism and back to what the Word of God really says.

When we get back to the biblical teachings of the Word of God then churches will grow again. We will see a revival like never before.