Toward a Cross-Centered Life: Part 8

While I was reeling from the Thomas Schreiner quote (see my last post), Mahaney continued to drive the point home in his book:

The implications of legalism are staggering in their arrogance. Legalism claims that the death of Jesus on the cross was either unnecessary or insufficient. It essentially says to God, 'Your plan didn't work. The cross wasn't enough and I need to add my good works to it to be saved.'

Of course, no Christian would dare utter such terrible words. But when we shift our concentration away from the gospel, legalism slowly and subtly twists our thinking until our lives make this awful statement on their own.

I felt like a microscope had been held up to my heart. Here was the truth about what I had been unconsciously saying and doing: I had, in my pride, spit in Jesus' face and said, "That wasn't enough. If I work hard enough, if I am good enough, I will earn God's acceptance and approval more completely than You could earn it for me."

Forgive me, Jesus.

Next: Part 9 - Never move on