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Welcome to Day 2152 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 20 – Blind Men's Bluff – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 06/19/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Blind Men’s Bluff   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus declaring, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In addition, we learned when we follow that light, we can live in spiritual freedom  32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Today, our scripture is John 9:1-41, starting on page 1664 in the pew Bible. As with last week, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message. The setting for today’s teaching is sometime after the Feast of Tabernacles, but before the Feast of the Dedication (Hanukkah; see John 10:22). Somewhere in the old city of Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples happened upon a man who was born without sight. As the story unfolds, we learn that their “chance” meeting had been scheduled since the beginning of time, and the man’s “meaningless” affliction had been given divine purpose from the foundation of creation.   —9:1— As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  John provides very little detail about the time and place of this encounter because it is a logical continuation of Jesus’ escalating clash with the religious elite in Jerusalem. However, we know it occurred after the Feast of Tabernacles (September/October) and before Hanukkah (November/December), somewhere near Jerusalem, outside the temple complex.   John presents the episode as spontaneous because Jesus did not have a meeting in His appointment calendar. The apostle gives the impression that the encounter was a mere coincidence, but make no mistake, the air of randomness is intentional. John allows us to accept the incident as haphazard, only to reveal the truth. Whereas sin has stirred the world into a chaotic mess,/ the Creator interjects order. Where the sinful world system randomly and capriciously causes affliction,/ the Lord gives purpose to misfortune—for His glory and the good of those who believe. Some things never change.   —9:2–4— 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (Theme song Work for the Night is Coming) In those days, it was a custom for people with disabilities to claim spots along a well-traveled street leading to the temple—and this is still a common sight near religious sites...

Welcome to Day 2151 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 19 – Reason for Rejection – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 06/12/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Reasons for Rejection Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw the religious leaders again trying to trap Jesus to make a case against him to kill him as they brought a woman before him to judge. Yet Jesus was victorious. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Today, our scripture is John 8:12-59, starting on page 1662 in the Pew Bible. Since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message. In many ways, especially with the hypocritical religious leaders, Jesus was a radical individual, a most imposing personality. Not intimidating, not frightening. Imposing. Formidable. Unafraid. He entered the temple to find people groping about in spiritual darkness and thirsting for divine truth. He boldly stated in our lesson two weeks ago in John 7:37-38,  “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”. The first verse in today’s passage is (12); he picks up where he left off before the incident with the woman.   When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” He fearlessly spoke the truth without apology. He joyously walked in the truth with His Father; therefore, He was constantly in trouble for His uninhibited love of truth. Jesus understood better than any the price to be paid for speaking and living the truth because He is divine truth incarnate, the Light made flesh. John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Matthew 10:34 recalled a particularly shocking statement by Jesus: “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. (Hold Sword) The purpose of a sword is to divide. Physically, it separates one part of a body /from the rest. Figuratively, Hebrews 4:12 describes it best, For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. And socially, the sword separates groups into two categories; it attracts those who will surrender and incites violence against those who will not. There is no room for compromise before the gleaming sword of truth. Surrender or fight. Jesus figuratively brought a sword into the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. Some surrendered. /Others began a futile, exhausting, self-destructive fight. Their response is a study in the stages of rejection which we cover in our message today, and you can follow along with in your Bulletin insert (review the steps):     —8:12–18— 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never

Welcome to Day 2150 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 18 – Letters in the Sand – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 06/05/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Letters In The Sand Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week we saw that the religious leaders in Jerusalem had enough of Jesus, and as He is teaching in the temple, we see  Jesus in the Lion’s Den. Today, our scripture is John 8:1-11, starting on page 1660 in the Pew Bible.   John 8 contains one of the most recognizable stories in the Bible: the woman who was caught in adultery and brought before Jesus. It is a powerful story. You will resonate with this story if you have ever felt condemned, ashamed, or exposed as a failure.   However, we must address several other things before looking at the account./ First, most newer Bibles have a note before the text: The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53-8:11. This troubles many people. Some feel these versions are trying to edit the Bible or engage in what we call today “revisionist history.” However, that is not what is happening at all. These scholars are not guilty of not respecting the Word of God - this note is there because they absolutely respect the Bible as the Word of God!   As archaeology continues to unearth more and more copies of the Bible, some of those copies are earlier manuscripts (or copies) than previously existed. Generally speaking, the older the manuscript, the closer it is to the original that God Himself inspired. In this case, the oldest manuscripts are missing this account, indicating the story was added later. However, other early manuscripts do have the story in John. Therefore, the note on the text warns us: Be careful about holding this text above other texts because it may be a later addition.   These verses are equal to the rest of the gospel account. We know it was an early account, which seems consistent with the character we see of Jesus throughout the rest of the Bible (and John’s gospel). So it is consistent with the rest of the scripture. And we do not have any reason to discount the story other than that it is not in the earliest manuscripts. So, though it is important to be cautious, we can approach this story as genuine history, not a later fabrication. Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn, he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law,/ Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this,/ those who heard began to go...

Welcome to Day 2149 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 17 – Jesus in the Lion's Den – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 05/29/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Jesus in the Lion’s Den Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle.  Last week we learned that many in the multitude fed bread and fish, turned away from Jesus and His teaching because it was too hard for them. The multitude were more interested in physical food than spiritual food. Today, our scripture is John 7:1-52, starting on page 1658 in the Pew Bible. We see that the religious leaders in Jerusalem have had enough of Jesus, and as He is teaching in the temple, we see Jesus in the Lion’s Den. I will read the scripture throughout the message, so keep your Bibles open to follow along.   One of my favorite Bible stories as a child was “Daniel in the Lions’ Den.” You may have heard this familiar story. An eighty-some-year-old prophet, a faithful man of integrity, had won the friendship of King Darius. But some other men grew jealous of the old man’s trusted status and schemed to kill him. A better title would be “The Lions in Daniel’s Den.” Life is the Lord’s to give or take, and there is no lion in all creation that He cannot tame. Daniel’s enemies may have thought they were in charge, but they were gravely mistaken and were a meal for the lions the next day. The lions of Jesus’ day did not prowl about on four feet. They stood tall and proud, dressed in the stunning robes of man-made righteousness, empowered by a hypocritical religion. The temple authorities in Jerusalem desired the assassination of Jesus because He continually exposed their jealousy and greed. He healed, fulfilled prophecy, forgave sins, and gave glory to the Father while keeping none for Himself. He was unlike any rabbi or any political leader anyone had ever seen. He threatened their power, and they wanted Him dead. Jesus was about to enter the lions’ den. —7:1–2—(feeding the multitude) After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, The events in Capernaum, such as the feeding of the multitude, took place shortly before Passover (John 6:4) in March or April, and the Feast of Tabernacles (September/October) was approaching. Jesus had been ministering in Galilee for six months or more, where His “hard” teaching in the synagogue had squelched any talk of making Him king. Even after that winnowing, though,/ multitudes continued to follow in Galilee. Meanwhile, word of Jesus’s miracles and healings kept Jerusalem on edge. In fulfillment of God’s commandment found in Leviticus 23:34–44, Jewish families continued to celebrate a weeklong autumn harvest festival in temporary houses constructed for the occasion. These “tabernacles” or “tents” reminded God’s covenant people of His protection in the wilderness as they celebrated His continued provision through the harvest of produce from the Promised Land. Today Jews continue observing this festival in celebration of Sukkot. (Bulletin...

Welcome to Day 2148 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 16 – The Great Desertion – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 05/22/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – The Great Desertion Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle.  Last week Jesus explained how he was The Bread Delivered from Heaven as He was the spiritual food that provided eternal life. Today, our scripture is John 6:58-71, on page 1656 in the Pew Bible. Follow along with me as I read. I include two verses from last week to put this message into context. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

• Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life;/ the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[a] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66 From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)   —6:59–65— By this time in His ministry, Jesus’ disciples numbered in the tens of thousands with varying degrees of devotion. At least hundreds were serious enough to consider Him their rabbi and would have actively supported a movement to make Him king. But Jesus knew theirs was the kind of fickle devotion that sprouts quickly and withers suddenly in the heat. This situation reminds me of the passage in Jonah 4:6-8, where a plant grew rapidly and shaded Jonah from the hot sun, but then he...

Welcome to Day 2147 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 15 – Bread Delivered From Heaven – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 05/15/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Bread Delivered From Heaven This Sunday marks one year since I began teaching full-time. I count it a privilege and honor to do so. Thank you. Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle.  Last week Jesus fed over 10,000 people with five small barley loaves and two small fishes. He then miraculously walked on water and transported his disciples to Capernaum. In today’s message, the people chase them across the sea and have their hands out again for more food. Our scripture is John 6:22-59, on page 1656 in the Pew Bibles. I am reading from the NLT because it flows so well, and I will read it in segments of the passage throughout the message today, as we did last week, so keep your Bibles open to follow along.   Roughly twenty to twenty-five times each week, people are compelled to engage in a particular activity and sacrifice almost anything for the opportunity. For most, it is a top priority. Chances are, you have already done it once today, and you will likely do it again right after church and before the end of the day. We do this activity alone, but prefer to share it with company. We include this activity in almost every festive occasion we plan; sometimes, it is the festive occasion!   By now, you’ve probably guessed that I’m referring to eating. Not only do we depend on food for survival; we celebrate it as art, savor it as a luxury, share it as communion, and even abuse it as therapy. I have never seen a travel brochure or cruise advertisement that didn’t highlight the importance of what you would be eating and how often. In addition, food is the primary subject of countless magazines, books, websites, and television shows. We even have entire channels—more than one!—dedicated to preparing and consuming nourishment, twenty-four hours each day, seven days each week, all year round.   Those who benefit from twenty-first-century abundance cannot fully appreciate the perspective of people struggling to survive in first-century Galilee,> Samaria, and Judea. Spending time in developing countries, where one’s next meal is never guaranteed, would help us appreciate the significance of Jesus’ miraculous provision of food in the wilderness. John emphasizes that each person received as much as they desired and that food exceeded their eating capacity. This was the first time they had gone to bed on a full stomach in a long time for many of them. Finally, God sent a Savior after so much suffering under the iron rule of Rome, so much deprivation at the hands of unjust aristocrats, and so much corruption in the temple. Jesus, the healer, the provider, the reformer, the King! Indeed, His arrival signaled the beginning of a revolution that would end poverty, restore justice, and usher the kingdom of God into another golden era. This was, after all, the promise of God (Deut. 30:9–10; Isa. 9:7; Jer. 29:14; 30:3, 18; 32:44; Ezek. 37:24–26). Finally! The Messiah had come, and He brought with Him abundance! Perhaps as many as ten thousand men, women, and children wondered where Christ would lead them next and how He would go about claiming His throne....

Welcome to Day 2146 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 14 – God's Specialities_Impossibilities – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 05/08/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – God’s  Specialty: Impossibilities Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle.  Last week we completed the mock trial of Jesus where He, as a defense attorney, left us with only one logical choice, to accept Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath, and also equal with God. Today we are transported to another time and place in John’s narrative. Today’s passage is John 6:1-21, on pages 1655-1656 in the Pew Bible.  I am reading from the NLT because it flows so well. I will read it in segments of the passage throughout the message today, so keep your Bibles open to follow along.   Sometime after His clash and mock trial with the religious elite in Jerusalem, Jesus returned to Galilee, where events gave Him an opportunity to offer His disciples a divine perspective on earthly challenges. This was a crucial lesson for the men He would later commission with the words, Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” (John 20:21). Sometimes, life on planet Earth can be a demoralizing struggle. Some challenges loom more significant than our meager resources. Some demands far outweigh our ability to meet them. Some answers float high above our intellectual reach, and some problems are too complex to solve. Let’s face it; the world is huge, and we are small. And to make matters worse, we are naturally predisposed to think only on the horizontal plane. Nothing is impossible for God, yet we habitually think in terms of what we have to offer and what can be accomplished through natural means.   Some might call this a lack of faith or a failure to believe, but not John, the apostle. He remembered a time when a small band of men had chosen to believe in the Son of God and had left everything behind to follow Him, yet frequently, they struggled to understand Jesus’ words and repeatedly failed to comprehend what they saw Him do. Theirs was a completely different problem from the lack of belief Jesus encountered among the religious leaders in Jerusalem. The disciples failed to understand what they saw and heard, yet chose to believe in the Son of God; the temple officials understood better than anyone who Jesus claimed to be, yet chose to reject Him. Disbelief and ignorance are distinct problems, and Jesus handled them accordingly. He condemned disbelief while He patiently transformed the minds of struggling believers. —6:1–3— 1 “After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. Likely six months passed after the events of 5:1–47. Again, John provides snapshots, not a chronological timeline. During this time, the Lord continued to minister in Judea and Galilee.   As He healed the sick and proclaimed the good news, multitudes began to follow. In fact, they didn’t merely follow; they relentlessly dogged His every movement. The other Gospels tell us that the disciples had...

Welcome to Day 2145 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 12 – Witnesses for the Defense – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 05/01/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Witnesses for the Defense Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle.  Last week we had part one of yet another mock trial. Jesus represented himself as the defense attorney, arguing against the prosecutors with six claims of why He is not only The Lord of the Sabbath, but also equal with God. Today, Jesus calls five character witnesses to take the stand to validate His six claims. Today’s passage is John 5:31-47, on page 1657 in the Pew Bible.  I am reading from the NLT because it flows so well. Follow along as I read it. 31 “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. 32 But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. 33 In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. 34 Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. 35 John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. 36 But I have a greater witness than John/—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, 38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—/the one he sent to you. 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. 41 “Your approval means nothing to me, 42 because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. 43 For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. 44 No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.[a] 45 “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. 46 If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”   First, let’s back up just a bit to add some context for today. Civilized cultures have maintained order throughout human history by creating laws and then enforcing those laws through a court system. While these justice systems have varied widely, and some have undoubtedly been more effective than others, their purpose has basically been to discover the truth in any given matter. At least, that is their stated purpose. But, as we have all seen at one time or...

Welcome to Day 2144 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 12 – The Claims of Christ – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 04/24/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – The Claims of the Christ Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle.  Three weeks ago, we looked at a Picture Of Legalism and how the Pharisees and religious leaders started to look for a way to kill Jesus. Their reasons were that he healed on the Sabbath, performed many miracles, claimed to be equal with God, and people were beginning to follow him instead of them. Since they brought up the subject, Jesus was compelled to support his claims of being equal to God.  Today’s passage is John 5:19-30, on pages 1655-1656 in the Pew Bible.  I am starting with verse 16 to give the passage context. Follow along as I read it. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.  In his defense, Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason, they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so, the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself, I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.   Let me start with a story today. As a distinguished-looking gentleman stood behind a microphone to rally his people in the name of Allah, he praised Jesus as a genuine prophet, a wise teacher, and a worthy example of human goodness. However, he then declared with remarkable confidence that this same Jesus never claimed to be anything more than a man—that He never claimed to be God. While it is true that no one ever recorded the exact phrase “I am God,” Jesus boldly asserted His deity in such precise, unambiguous terms that His enemies were outraged. They called Him a blasphemer for “making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). The...

Welcome to Day 2143 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 11 – A Picture Of Legalism – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 04/03/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – A Picture Of Legalism Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle. In addition, we are beginning the third significant section of John’s Gospel, which is the Authentication of the Word.  We now shift scenes to different snapshots and stories in today’s passage, John 5:1-18, located on pages 1654-1655 in the Pew Bible.  I will read the passage as we go through the message, so keep your Bibles open to follow along.   To review John’s Good News up to this point, the Lord’s ministry began well. A bold announcement by John the Baptizer immediately yielded five disciples with an unreserved commitment to following the Son of God. His turning water into wine strengthened His disciples’ faith. Flash forward three years to cleansing the temple. He taught Nicodemus, performed signs in Jerusalem, redeemed a Samaritan town, and healed the royal official’s son, resulting in multitudes from every quarter of Israel trusting Jesus as Savior. While the Lord’s ministry had not been without conflict, the general response to the Word had been belief. Then, something changed, like the first winter chill on an autumn breeze. Not everyone believed right away. A few began to oppose Him openly … followed by more. The Son of God came to shine the light of truth, yet some minds remained darkened. Instead of uniting Israel, the Word began to create sharp divisions. With Jesus being the very embodiment of the Word, we should not be surprised as we read in Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.   This passage explores how subtle and insidious legalism is, even in our age. The classic legalists of Jesus’ day were the Pharisees, a brotherhood of experts in religion, considered ‘the separated ones.’  Paula and  I grew up in churches that tended to be somewhat legalistic, where a list of do’s and don’ts reflected how spiritual you were. While these churches provided a reasonably solid teaching environment, we could not continue to raise our children in that environment.  Because legalism is a subtle, silent killer, it gradually robs you of being immersed in God’s grace. We need to understand this enemy before confronting it. We need to know what it is, how it appears, and why it is wrong.   What is legalism? Legalism is based on lists (legalists love their lists!). If you keep every item on the list of dos and don’ts, you’re deemed spiritually acceptable. In some ways, following a list of rules is more straightforward than allowing the Spirit to lead you through God’s Word. But if you don’t follow the prescribed standard, you are judged unworthy of God’s favor and others’ approval. So naturally, legalists always think they know how God judges, and they are more than willing to act on His behalf. How does legalism appear? Legalism that we personally were most familiar with was a list including being at the church every time the doors were...