The Law Of Legalism

This is how legalism operates: 

Legality, when asked to render an opinion on whether or not someone should eat food sacrificed to idols, do Halloween,  celebrate  Christmas, “I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the correct conviction because I can formulate an argument for both and since I’m conflicted, I don’t participate so I don’t violate my conscious.

Bible:  The text of 1 Corinthians says that you shouldn’t participate for sake of the conscience of **others.** not yourself. 

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? (1 Corinthians 10:24–29, ESV).

You seem to be thinking of Romans 14. 

20 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.  (Romans 14:20–23, ESV)

That would seem to agree with your point of view. 

Let’s look at the surrounding text.

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 

Do not make **another** stumble by what you yourself eat. 

21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 

It matters if adiaphora, those of stronger conscience should not do things to cause others to stumble. 

22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. 

This applies to both parties in the dispute. 

Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

This is the person of stronger conscience. 

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

That applies to both of the persons of stronger conscience & thr person of weaker conscience, particularly the person of weaker conscience whose faith is destroyed by chasing Cartesian demons & listening to the opinions of others instead of the Scriptures.   The Bible calls us to clarity — not the chasing of Cartesian doubts & being swayed by the strong opinions of others. 

You, Legality are trying to be both strong & weak.  That’s the result of being conflicted.  Thanks for admitting you are swayed by the opinions of others more than the Bible itself. 

Legality:  That’s divisive!  

Bible:  So what! 

(F)or there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. (1 Corinthians 11:19, ESV)

Romans 14 & 1 Corinthians 10 were written to churches that were very young.  They were living in an age in which the Gentile members were still learning the basics of monotheism & the Jewish members were struggling with issues like circumcision, liturgical calendars, & so on. 

The year is now 2026 AD/CE. The churches ought to have moved beyond this sort of legalism.

Legalism is easy to spot - it declares thoughts, words, & deeds forbidden regardless of the motives underwriting them.

We follow our desires into sin, condemnation, & death.  (James 1:14 - 15.   God judges us by way of the content of our hearts (1 Sam. 16:7, Jeremiah 17:9,10).   Murder of a man with whom one contends is the result of anger that turns to hate.   Adultery runs through lustful intent. 

Righteousness isn’t defined as legality.   It’s defined as perfect love for God first, then all others & everything else, then yourself in that order.  Perfect love fulfills the Law.  Perfect love conquers fear in judgment. 

The truth of the matter is that unless God unilaterally restrains you or removes your ability to sin permanently, you reflexively love yourself first then others.   Why do those of weaker conscience behave as they do?  Answer: Ignorance &/or imperfect love for God (ie love for themselves first), which fails to conquer guilt  & stifles certainty.  

Halloween, when properly understood, is only a pagan festival if the thoughts & intents of its celebrants are directed via their own intentions (James 1:14 - 15) at/toward one or more pagan pseudodeities &/or the demons & the Demonic Realm. 

Contrary to the claims of the legalism class, a redemptive-historical administration & observance of All Hallow’s Eve is a great big act of inductive & intuitive prophecy that answers any number of pagan festivals like Samhain & the Day Of the Dead. 

Esther provides the rationale for Purim.  The story of Esther takes place during the time of the Jews Exile in the days when Media-Persia ruled an empire that stretched from India to Egypt & Abyssinia. 

Haman, a descendant of Amalek decides to use his newly found favor with King Ahasuerus/Xerxes to destroy Mordecai & his people.

After God, through Queen Esther intervenes, Haman & his worthless men meet their end, & not long after the Law & Gospel spread throughout the empire.

Just over 500 years ago, the people of Europe were in the midst of a major cycle of ignorance, moral & theological darkness, & covenantal declension so severe that God decided to intervene by way of what we know today as the Great Protestant Reformation.

In response to the major need for ecclesiastical reform, on October 31, 1517 AD/CE, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. 

Ulrich Zwingli was also at work calling for reform in the Roman Catholic Church.

Rome responded by attempting to destroy Luther in particular, but they failed thanks to Elector Frederick’s intervention & protection. 

It took time, but the Reformation took hold & the Law & Gospel spread through Europe & eventually the world along with the Scriptures translated into the languages common to many peoples, & God set about conquering & reconquering the world even though many peoples did suffer in fear of European conquest as a result of European empire building, just as many suffered during the days of the Persian, Greek, & Roman empires during the days of the Exile & after the Return & the beginning of 2nd Temple Judaism & beyond.

We thank the LORD for the Reformation, but the Reformation does not excuse the many evils people have suffered as a result of European conquest & colonialism.   

Likewise, we are to put legalism to the sword as well as engaging in or abstaining from food sacrificed to idols for the sake of our own consciences.   It’s called growing up & refusing to live in fear for the sake of yourself.  Instead, put  the other person first, & as to your own, accept the truth about morality running through motive & stop worrying about yourself so much.  God is willing to put up with a great deal to help us grow up.

Legality: You typed all of that to convince me to violate my own conscience. 

Bible: No, I typed it to help you realize that you’re putting yourself first instead of God & others contrary to Romans & 1 Corinthians.  I’m not asking you to violate your conscience, I am asking you to set aside your legalism.  God forbid that anybody ask you to grow up. 

 

Legality: I didn’t say I was conflicted by words of men. I’m conflicted because Halloween looks pagan, smells pagan, and acts pagan. 

Bible: You’re a man.  Those are your words.  

Legality: It makes me uneasy to partake but I didn’t tell you not to did I?

Bible: God forbid you look at Halloween through the lens of Scripture instead of its mere appearance. 

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV)

The Bible teaches the 3 uses of the Law & Gospel.   What applies to individuals also applies to institutions, Halloween included. 

The Bible is full of acts of inductive & intuitive prophecy that answer witchcraft, sorcery, &tc. 

Circumcision answers blood rites. Baptism answers water rites.   The Jewish & Christian liturgical calendars  answer any number of pagan holidays & practices.   

Legality: In fact I didn’t even give my opinion until I was asked and even in that, I said I won’t tell you what to do and you should pray about it but no, you have to stand there and try to act more righteous and do the very thing Paul warned against in the scripture you listed. 

Bible: No, the opposite is true.   He was trying to keep the peace in young churches prone to division.   He also said division serves a useful purpose.  

He told those abstaining — which includes those of weaker conscience like yourself— to do so for the sake of the consciences those around them, not for the sake of their own conscience like you yourself keeping informing us you are doing.

This was also a temporary measure designed to bring the people together in order to grow them out of the legalism phase.  God forbid we actually grow up & stop being cowed by demons, paganism, & the appearance of evil. 

Legality: Which for the record, I was commenting the scripture of video for people that didn’t know. I was referencing Romans for my own reasoning but none of that matters. You’re picking a fight to convince me to violate my own conscience when I never asked you.

Bible: God forbid I upset you by looking to the Bible for answers & pointing that out.   

This is the Way!  This our prayer!

O LORD, Hear our prayer(s)!