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roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Legalism - a picture

This picture was drawn by my friend who just emailed it to me. I include her comments.

"Legalism" by Cindy McKenna
[img]http://www.thewayback.net/Images/art/Legalism.jpg[/img]

This piece is called legalism. I felt the Lord put the image on my heart and then later I had an amazing vision. The vision was of Jesus looking at us as the sheep heavily loaded with branches of our own self effort - he was laughing lovingly (like a parent would laugh at a child who is valiantly trying to dress themselves, yet is caught up in their own clothing) and motioning for the sheep to come to him so he could remove the tangled mess. There was no condemnation - just laughter, love, and ultimately freedom. It is wonderful to know that he actually enjoys each stage in our development. Ha! What a joyous freedom.


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Diane

 2006/2/21 20:44Profile
lovejt
Member



Joined: 2005/11/5
Posts: 124


 Re: Legalism - a picture

Thats nice! Jesus used so many illustrations. He is the true artist. I could also see putting bricks on the sheep as heavy burdens weighing us down.


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james thorpe

 2006/2/21 23:28Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: a light burden for the Lord

Quote:
I could also see putting bricks on the sheep as heavy burdens weighing us down.



When I first saw the picture, I too felt a bigger burden – like a HUGE pile of mangled branches on a tiny sheep whose legs were buckling beneath the weight.

But let us look at this image through Jesus’ eyes, as the artist did. To him the load is not heavy. He can pick it up off our backs easily. And that is why he is filled with joy when he works in our lives to set us free.

Legalism is a horrible affliction that constantly sidetracks us from our pure trust and rest in God. It keeps our eyes off of Christ. Legalism causes us to be self-absorbed while also focused on the wrongs of others. It causes us to weaken and sicken both emotionally and physically. Legalism destroys relationships. It can destroy the healthy spirit life of a family, a church, and other relationships.

We may find ourselves constantly struggling with legalism in ourselves and others, trying to control this, trying to rearrange the branches (and bricks). But let us keep in mind that all along our Lord is using the circumstances, the dialogues, etc to help us see our load, and then turn to him. It is a life-long process.

Our human efforts to fix it or eradicate it won’t help much, but praise God, he is doing that in his way and his timing. He lets us go to the end our our rope till we are sick of our futile self-efforts.

And isn’t that the whole reason he came to die for us - to liberate us from ourselves???????

We may see and feel only the heavy pile of mangled branches, but Christ sees the person – his beloved redeemed child.

Diane


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Diane

 2006/2/22 7:41Profile





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