Posts with the tag: Pharisee

Beware of the Religious Spirit of BONDAGE

The Bible emphatically declares: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 The “yoke of slavery” Paul was referring to is the yoke of religious law. In this particular case, a group of legalistic teachers […]

Do Believers Need a “Spiritual COVERING”?

Anyone who takes the initiative to step out in faith and do something in service of God’s kingdom will inevitably hear criticisms like: “Who’s your covering?” “Who are you accountable to?” “You’re not one of us!” Those who voice such criticisms are curiously upset that someone’s actively doing the work of God. In some cases […]

Why did Christ decline to give “Signs on Demand”?

Matthew’s parallel account reveals that these “others” were the Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matthew 12:38). Apparently exorcising an evil spirit wasn’t good enough for them; they wanted a miraculous sign of cosmological scope, like the rearranging of the stars.

Nosiness and Manipulation (NOT Spiritual)

Unspiritual people have a tendency to pry into other people’s business. In other words, they have an unhealthy interest in the private affairs of others. This is nosiness and can be observed when Christ prophesied how Peter would eventually die, which prompted Peter to nosily inquire about how John would die.

Legalism — Understanding Its Many Forms

Most Christians think legalism is doing a good work in order to be saved, but it’s really much more than this. Legalism is a colossal beast that has been a threat to legitimate Christianity since day one. Legalism is rule-ism or law-ism and, as such, is the obsession with religious rules or laws above relationship with God. It focuses on outward appearances at the expense of inward reality. In short, it’s dead religiosity or fake Christianity.

Sabbath — What is it? Should Believers Observe It?

What exactly is the Sabbath, according to the Bible? Are New Testament believers obligated to observe it? And, if so, how? What’s God’s Word say?