Dear anonymous, (regarding legalism)

I sympathize with your struggle. I also carried the heavy baggage of legalism for a long time but I dropped it because it wore me out. You also need to drop it and trust Christ alone. Today I try to focus on Jesus Christ and not the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ is no longer my Savior. It used to be. But no longer. I used to convert people to the COC (rather than to Jesus Christ). I used believe that I had to be saved by a moral code that I couldn't keep. I excluded people from other denominations because they didn’t do the ceremonies like us. I actually thought that the COC was the only true church. I no longer believe or teach this way. You shouldn’t believe this way either. Let go of all of that. I have a history. I am a reformed legalist. I’m a recovering alcoholic. I have been broken by my own sin. I know that the only reason I am saved is because God loves me. I’m saved by his grace and love. I’m not saved because I got the doctrine right. I didn’t have the doctrine right – I was wrong! I’m still wrong about many things. I still struggle with sin. But I’m so happy today because I know I don’t have to be good for God to love me. He loves me all the time just like I love my children all the time regardless of their behavior. God may discipline me but he will not disown me because he cannot disown himself. I am his and so are you. Believe it. Accept it. It will free you up to obey him. It will give you motivation to keep his commandments. I am saved because Jesus died on the cross for my sin and God raised him from the dead. God saved me by faith in Jesus Christ alone! My behavior and my understanding do not contribute to my salvation. God did it all. Everything I have is a free gift from God. Even my faith and repentance are gifts from God. God caused me to repent and gave me the faith to believe. He saved me completely So today I follow Jesus. Today I try to follow the Bible. And I know that there are Christians in all the denominations that follow Jesus and the Bible as they understand it. Who in the world I’m I to think any different. I have been forgiven of so much. I am saved by grace alone. I am so happy to get out from under the burden of thinking that my salvation depended on whether or not I played Amazing Grace with a guitar. I just focus on Jesus. If other’s see it different I love them and say “God bless you!” and move on. I try not to get side tracked by spliting hairs over minor issues. I am very grateful to every church that preaches Christ. I'm even grateful for churches that are legalistic because, I figure, at least they are talking about Jesus. I respect them. But I can never go back. I hope this helps. Grace and peace, Jeff