Your Testimony
You may have an edifying story to tell. Has the Lord allowed you to experience an escape or an enlightenment which could bolster, encourage and help another seeker to a closer walk with the One who created us to be free in Him? If you would like to share it, please send it by attaching a Word doc. to your email to me at the following address:
Dear RLM,
I appreciate receiving the notice of your updated website and I enjoyed perusing it. Just a few comments in response to your questions:
Armstrongism (I'll use that term to cover the entire spectrum of the WWC community) did not have a monopoly on legalism. Paul addressed the subject because it was a major issue in his day, and I suspect it has continued to be an issue throughout the centuries since Paul's initial writings on the subject. My personal experience has been there has been some degree of legalism in all the churches I've attended since escaping from Armstrongism.
Legalism was just one of the faults of Armstrongism, there were many others: the false teachings of British-Israelism, the heresy taught on the nature of God, salvation, and so on, too numerous to list.
I think you would agree, God meets us where we are. Even while in the quagmire of Armstrongism, He was there for us, the Hound of Heaven.
How does one reach out to those in Armstrongism? The best way to begin a dialogue is to find common ground to meet on. And to always remember: conviction that is not under girded by love makes the possessor of that conviction obnoxious and the dogma possessed repulsive.
And if all else fails, pray for them. (I’m being facetious.) I'll leave you with this true story. Several years ago, my father and I went to the funeral of a Mrs. ______, a charter member of the New London Christian and Missionary Church, the church my parents left when they began attending the Radio Church of God. A pastor who had just left the New London CMA for another assignment just before my parents began attending the CMA church handled the funeral service. I introduced myself to the pastor after the funeral service. The pastor said excitedly, "Oh yes, your parents are Russ and Shirley, and you have a brother Richard and a sister Susan." I was taken back, and remarked that my family had never met him because he had been re-assigned before we began attending the New London CMA church.
The pastor said, "I know, but a New London CMA church member had kept in contact with me and had told me about your parents leaving CMA to join the Radio Church of God. My wife and I have been praying for your family ever since.
My parents left CMA in 1962. For over 40 years, this gentleman and his wife had been praying for the ________'s, a family he had never met. With tears in my eyes, I told him God had answered his prayers -and I told him of our story of leaving Armstrongism and returning to the body of Christ. The Hound of Heaven.
Good to hear from you,
Bruce
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Thank you for your email and information about your Internet site. It is great to hear from you and to know that you continue to educate and challenge people to consider the impact (spiritually and emotionally) of legalism.
My family (40+ years a WCG member) are current struggling through some extreme psychological issues with my children and in the therapy process we are learning the negative outcomes of our implementation of WCG legalism and related parenting practices were on our children. I feel like a child myself at 50 years old learning the basics of relationship building, unconditional love, freedom through Christ, communicating truth without judgement, relating to children without having to control them ... and many other lessons. The judgmental, emotionless, relation-less aspects of legalism are hard to unlearn. A life lived in Christian love, mercy, and grace makes us feel very vulnerable and requires we deal with the pain and reality of life. Jesus, if we really know Him, allows us to become free to trust, love unconditionally, be vulnerable and accept the pain of life for the sake of our love for others and the glory of God.
I am realizing that the spiritual problem of legalism will express itself in many ways ... not just in what we believe theologically. The sin of legalism expresses itself in our lives in many ways. I am learning that my trust in a legalist view of Christianity idolized behaviors, thoughts, people, practices, and beliefs that have generated consequences in our family that we are dealing with many years after the fact. (a) Breaking the stronghold of legalism and (b) managing one's fear to step out and totally trust Jesus requires spiritual power ... it is fully impossible without a connection with God's spirit.
Moving from legalism to grace is not easy ... I don't know if I'll ever unlearn all the habitual patterns of thought and reaction that were burned into my mind by my years in WCG and Ambassador College; but I am sure trying. The more I learn ... the more I realize how blinded I was and why many of our friends remain blinded to what legalism really is.
The WCG experience did teach me some exceptional lessons about how to succeed in the world ... my WCG experience certainly helped me learn how to deal with adversity, gain self-discipline, the process of setting goals ... persevering and being resourceful, sharing money with those in need, the importance of family and health, the disciplines of study and prayer, and other skills BUT ...
... in the disciplines of: spiritual power; ruthless trust (as Manning calls it); living faith; the glory of God lived out in our lives; sacrificial living; unconditional love; mercy; grace toward others; encouraging and nonjudgmental communication; spiritually empowered human relationships; and emotional connectedness ... I am truly an infant!
I am trying to lean on Jesus Christ for stability in a world where I feel very vulnerable and no longer in "control" of my life as I believed as a legalist. As a WCG and post-WCG legalist ... I felt very much in control and safe ... as I learn to be free in Christ ... there are days when I feel very vulnerable and naked in a dangerous world ... that is when I realize I have left behind the garments Christ provides. Those garments, when worn by humans who really understand and live by grace, enable us to take on a very dangerous world without fear and without a need for rules.
Legalism allows us to deceive ourselves into thinking everything is and will be 'OK' because we are doing all we believe we need to do to keep life controlled and understandable. I believe that many can't leave legalist beliefs because they can't fathom losing control over their lives or trusting a Sovereign God when life doesn't make sense ... having to be vulnerable, respond to the world in unconditional love rather than personal opinion and judgment, and to trust something that is totally conceptual and not tangible (the spirit of God and Jesus) requires submission to God that many choose not to accept. For many it is far easier, more understandable, and safer to trust their known ability to follow a set of beliefs, rules, and practices (that make us feel good about ourselves and in alignment with what a church teaching about what is necessary to "be a good Christian") ... than it is to follow a gospel of non-judgmental truth, love, grace, and trust in an unseen God.
I have been trying to recover for 8 years and not until the past 3 months have I realized that legalism is not about a church or denomination ... it is a pattern of thinking, being, living, and communicating that was entrenched within me. Whether I am a WCG member or Baptist or Presbyterian or whatever, the tendency towards legalism is within me (a human-spirit characteristic) ... legalism is simply nurtured by some churches more effectively than others.
I believe that legalist define the rules that will govern their lives and which allow us to believe we control our destiny ... I believe these are natural human beliefs and what make us sinners (non-believers in a God and in need of Salvation). Even if we are not spiritual legalists we are all human legalists ... we like the comfort of being in control to make and "know" the rules and outcome we expect those rules will create. We all feel comfortable with rules (ours, the churches, etc.). Daily trust in Jesus (enabled by salvation through belief in His death and resurrection) empowers us to love and trust in a non-legalistic manner if we will allow this sanctification to occur. Trust outside ourselves and our rules can be a very scary proposition if we don't have our eyes Christ and our heart set on accepting His choices for our life.
I am definitely recovering ... but like someone engaged in AA following a struggle with alcohol ... I doubt if we ever become totally recovered. Time will tell for us all. God can do amazing things in our lives.
God bless your work.
A fellow recovering WCG legalist.
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I want to thank you for sending me the tapes a few years back. The tapes helped me heal from legalism. I came to understand what Jesus did for me and all of humankind.
The main thing I came to understand is sin. Sin held us in bondage. Christ came to free us from bondage. An example is in times past to see a beautiful woman I would turn my head and try not to look so I would not lust under the law. Sin was always there, eating at my mind, don’t look you can’t handle it without lusting. What freedom in Christ did was free me from the bondage and constant awareness of sin. Now there is no thought of sin in my mind. I can look at a beautiful woman and thank God for his beautiful creation without any awareness of sin and lust. I am free to enjoy life without a constant worrying about sin. Thank God for our freedom through of Lord Jesus Christ
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Yes, we can be free from legalism. I am very thankful to have come out of that. I am enjoying life free from sin. Even if a legalist would look at my life, they would even say he is not a sinner. Freedom truly sets us free when you truly understand freedom. Not free to do whatever we want because the 10 commandment are great principles, but free to be ourselves without a constant awareness of sin. Most do not understand what freedom is. To never be held accountable for anything. As Christ said, removing our sins as far as the east is from the west.
I wish you success in you Fresh Beginning on the website.
Your friend always,
Jim
