C.J. Mahaney has been used by God to point me back to the cross again and again over the last few years. I stumbled across a chapter by him entitled "How to Encourage Husbands to Lead and Wives to Follow" in Pastoral Leadership for Manhood and Womanhood, ed. by Grudem and Rainey. The chapter was excellent. Like most things I have read by those laboring within Sovereign Grace circles, the chapter is a well-worded meditation on the gospel with a consistent application to X . . . and here X is marriage. Thus it is not surprising this chapter on marriage deals with legalism. C.J. writes: "Legalism involves seeking forgiveness from God, justification before God, and acceptance by God through obedience to God."
Here are questions (from C.J.) to ask a husband who you are counseling as indicators of legalism in his life--their application is easily much broader.
1. Is he more aware of his past sin than of the finished work of the cross?
2. Does he think, believe, or feel that God is disappointed with him rather than delighting over him?
3. Does he assume his acceptance before God is dependent upon his obedience?
4. Does he consistently experience condemnation?
5. Does he lack joy?
The first question nails me (as then do the rest). By God's grace, I desire to fight sin. With the help of brothers in Christ, I am fighting sin more and more. I strive to confess my sin to God and where appropriate to others. But these can and often are a recipe for an increased awareness of my sin which I fail to place in the context of a greater awareness of the finished work of the cross. Oh, how I need to start and end with the cross as I seek to uproot sin by God's grace. In short, I find within me a legalist.
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