World Upside Down | Legalism and Christian Freedom
 (Acts 15:1-21)

Acts 15:1-21

Just as we should be on guard against false gospels that are licentious, we should be on guard against legalism that would claim salvation is based on anything more than grace through faith in Christ alone.

Romans 6:1-2 // Jude 4 // Ephesians 2:8-9 // Galatians 2:16, 21

“Human self-righteousness embraces the cruelest of Satan’s lies, that a person can be righteous by keeping the law. If that were true, there would have been no need for the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.” — Paul Tripp

Popular Forms of Legalism — The Gospel + Man-Made Requirements:

– Morality (don’t drink/smoke/have tattoos)

– Spirituality (speak in tongues or ‘christianese’)

– Conformity (dress/look/live like us)

Obedience to God’s commands does not earn His love; the love of God produces obedience to His commands.

Ref. James 2:14-26

“It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone.” — John Calvin

Mature Christian freedom is not manifested in excited participation in things once forbidden but a willingness to limit our liberty in consideration of the consciences of others.

Galatians 5:13 // 1 Corinthians 8:4-13