Is Moralism A Problem?

[lsume]

What is moralism and is it a problem?

I would understand the terms "moralism", "legalism", and "externalism" to be basically synonymous for our purposes here.

Moralism is the focus on reforming behavior while ignoring unbelief in the heart. In Romans Paul talks about the obedience of faith and the righteousness of faith. He also says that whatever does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). What Paul is talking about is that true righteousness that stems from a genuine love for God and a confidence in his favor toward us.

Because of sin, all of us have a heart disposition of unbelief toward God and hatred toward God. This is the very essence of sin. The law is given to expose this slippery creature. But sinners have taken God's law and used it for moralism. This was both the Pharisees' problem and also the Jews that Paul is dealing with in Romans 2 who condemn others but do not condemn themselves. It's possible to ignore the inner desires and motivations of the heart and simply focus on conforming behavior to God's law. This is tithing mint, dill, and cumin but neglecting love and mercy. This creates self-righteous, arrogant, religious people and not merciful saints.

People don't just need moral reform, they need new hearts. This means that deep down people love and desire something other than God above all else. They need a new love for God which reigns supreme. The only way to get such a new heart is by the gift of the Holy Spirit through hearing the word of the gospel. As we hear about the beauty of Christ, the Spirit opens our eyes and softens our hearts to trust Him and delight in Him. True obedience to the law can only come from such a faith and delight in Christ. Any obedience to the law which comes from a different heart is actually sin.

This is why the message of "obey the law!" and "try harder!" can only ever discourage sinners or produce self-righteous Pharisees. We must go to the heart and expose the false loves and unbelief of the heart. We must remind ourselves and proclaim to others the beauty of Christ which is the only thing powerful enough to displace our false loves. Moralism is a huge problem that we've got to do all we can to avoid. Diagram attached.

View attachment 259621

It makes great sense that the greater ones faith the greater the obedience. When you absolutely know, you must obey. What one does is a reflection of their faith.

 

[fhansen]

It changes through an encounter with God's beauty. When we see Him as beautiful and the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, we desire him. Our hearts change by turning from the things they formerly desired to desiring God.

Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Another way to put it is that our hearts are changed by an encounter with God's grace. And we encounter God's grace through the means of grace and the Holy Spirit working to make them effective. The means of grace are the word, prayer, and sacraments.

Yes. Another way to put it is to say that we must come to know God, to gain the "knowledge of God" that was essentially lost at the Fall. Not just know about Him, but to know Him; this is the knowledge Jesus came to reveal.
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

"No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD." Jer 31:34

To know God is to love Him.

 

[fhansen]

The requirement of doing the works of the Jewish law in order to achieve salvation, that's why Romans mentions the topic of circumcision a lot.

David, Tree of Life is basically describing Catholicism. Here the Catechism contrasts the "Old Law" with the "New Law".

1962 The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. The precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it. The Decalogue is a light offered to the conscience of every man to make God's call and ways known to him and to protect him against evil:
God wrote on the tables of the Law what men did not read in their hearts.13 [St Augustine]

1963 According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good,14 yet still imperfect. Like a tutor15 it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a "law of concupiscence" in the human heart.16 However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God.

1965 The New Law or the Law of the Gospel is the perfection here on earth of the divine law, natural and revealed. It is the work of Christ and is expressed particularly in the Sermon on the Mount. It is also the work of the Holy Spirit and through him it becomes the interior law of charity [love]: "I will establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel. . . . I will put my laws into their hands, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."19 [Jer 31:33]

1968 The Law of the Gospel fulfills the commandments of the Law. The Lord's Sermon on the Mount, far from abolishing or devaluing the moral prescriptions of the Old Law, releases their hidden potential and has new demands arise from them: it reveals their entire divine and human truth. It does not add new external precepts, but proceeds to reform the heart, the root of human acts, where man chooses between the pure and the impure,22 where faith, hope, and charity [love] are formed and with them the other virtues. The Gospel thus brings the Law to its fullness through imitation of the perfection of the heavenly Father, through forgiveness of enemies and prayer for persecutors, in emulation of the divine generosity.23

The difference between the old and new covenants is that, in the new, man enters intimate relationship-or communion- with God, who, alone, can justify man, or make man just. We now don't attempt obedience first of all, by our own efforts as if we already possess righteousness; rather we turn to God first of all, in faith, who, alone, can cause us to obey as we should, who, alone, can cause righteousness in man as He 'places His Law in our minds and writes them on our hearts' (Jer 31:33), as He indwells us and opens the door to enable us, by grace, to follow Him in His way, the way of love. This is a work of His and yet a work of salvation that we must cooperate in (Phil 2). He wants us to "own" our part of it even as this is completely impossible to accomplish apart from Him. Adam basically thought he didn't need God. We're here to learn otherwise.

 

[fhansen]

So the antidote to sin is not "try harder". It's not behavior modification. The antidote is to fight to delight in the Lord. The fight for holiness is not a fight against sin so much as it is a fight to delight in the Lord. When we delight in the Lord we will not sin.

Yes, to put it another way the idea, the goal, is to fulfill the Greatest Commandments. These are the only commandments, incidentally, that cannot be faked and that are only possible to fulfill via a relationship with the Trinity. Love, by its nature, fulfills the law and excludes sin.

God's most basic command, that which He's been working to steer man to since Eden could be stated as, "Thou Shall love". It's both an obligation and the only authentic means to fulfill the obligation to be righteous, to be who God simply created man to be. And as this command is actually fulfilled in us, as God accomplishes His work, it comes to be done willfully, out of our own desire, and not out of the sense of obligation. Because then we really do love God.

 

[Halbhh]

It's possible to ignore the inner desires and motivations of the heart and simply focus on conforming behavior to God's law. This is tithing mint, dill, and cumin but neglecting love and mercy. This creates self-righteous, arrogant, religious people

Your general point is good and useful, but after Christ came, God's law is (as before, but even more clarified) love and mercy towards others, as He made so clear in His gospel.

Your broader point is good -- that it's not our own willpower, or self-righteousness, that is the correct way at all, but instead to remain in Christ, a branch on the Vine. And through real conversion, just as you wrote in other wording. In yet another wording, which I use a lot: because of looking to Him (remaining in Him), I'm able to love and forgive when I could not have otherwise.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

John 15:10 says,
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

"God is love" (1 John 4:8).

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23).

Yet, people today think you do not have to abide in his love and keep His commandments and yet we can still be saved.

But the Bible says,

"He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."
(1 John 5:12).

So you have to have the Son in order to have life.
We need to abide in Christ by keeping His commandments.
For by keeping His commandments we have the assurance that we know Him (1 John 2:3). Yet, the person who says they know the Lord, and they do not keep His commandments, they are a liar and the truth is not in them (1 John 2:4).

 

[ViaCrucis]

I tend to make a distinction between legalism and moralism.

Legalism is attempting to be righteous, or believing that one can be made righteous, according to God's Law.

Moralism is the attempt to reconstruct Christianity according to a moral paradigm, often by the introduction of new and additional strictures put in place upon the Faithful--do not touch, do not taste, etc.

The former is about God's commandment, the latter is about human attempts to introduce additional rules to observe. Seeing as the Law of God is impossible to observe, the Moralist has therefore created their own law in order to try and justify himself. It is as though the Moralist has said, "If I cannot be pious, at least I can try to look pious."

Legalism says that if I try hard enough to love my neighbor, then I can be justified.
Moralism says that I do not need to love my neighbor, I just need to "be moral", to play the part, to give the appearance of religion while denying the substance of it.

The Legalist at least knows what he ought to do, the Moralist chooses not to do it in favor of something else entirely, "Let me bury my father first" is his excuse.

But both, ultimately, kill.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I tend to make a distinction between legalism and moralism.

Legalism is attempting to be righteous, or believing that one can be made righteous, according to God's Law.

Moralism is the attempt to reconstruct Christianity according to a moral paradigm, often by the introduction of new and additional strictures put in place upon the Faithful--do not touch, do not taste, etc.

The former is about God's commandment, the latter is about human attempts to introduce additional rules to observe. Seeing as the Law of God is impossible to observe, the Moralist has therefore created their own law in order to try and justify himself. It is as though the Moralist has said, "If I cannot be pious, at least I can try to look pious."

Legalism says that if I try hard enough to love my neighbor, then I can be justified.
Moralism says that I do not need to love my neighbor, I just need to "be moral", to play the part, to give the appearance of religion while denying the substance of it.

The Legalist at least knows what he ought to do, the Moralist chooses not to do it in favor of something else entirely, "Let me bury my father first" is his excuse.

But both, ultimately, kill.

-CryptoLutheran

The problem is that your thinking does not align here with what 1 John 3:7 says.

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7).​

In fact, we are told not to be deceived on this matter.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The problem is that your thinking does not align here with what 1 John 3:7 says.

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7).​

In fact, we are told not to be deceived on this matter.

Let us know when you've attained righteousness by your own efforts to follow the Divine Law, as so far there's only been One, in the entire history of the world, who has been righteous and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[fhansen]

Let us know when you've attained righteousness by your own efforts to follow the Divine Law, as so far there's only been One, in the entire history of the world, who has been righteous and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God.

-CryptoLutheran

And yet, while man can never approach the glory and perfection of Christ, God wouldn't have created man to be unrighteous, to be a sinner. The whole Christian message proclaims one thing if nothing else: man cannot be who he was created to be; he cannot remain sinless, without or apart from God, without intimate partnership or communion with Him.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Let us know when you've attained righteousness by your own efforts to follow the Divine Law, as so far there's only been One, in the entire history of the world, who has been righteous and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God.

-CryptoLutheran

It is never by my own efforts alone. That is what you do not understand. For my boasting would be in God and not in myself because I believe it is God who does the good work through me (See John 15:5, Philippians 2:13).

Also, how exactly do you believe 1 John 3:7 in what it says?
You never really explained how you accept what that verse says.

 

[ViaCrucis]

It is never by my own efforts alone. That is what you do not understand. For my boasting would be in God and not in myself because I believe it is God who does the good work through me (See John 15:5, Philippians 2:13).

Also, how exactly do you believe 1 John 3:7 in what it says?
You never really explained how you accept what that verse says.

We must make a distinction between two kinds of righteousness: the righteousness Coram Deo, that is the righteousness which is before God; this is the passive righteousness imputed to us by grace which is ours as pure gift. This is the righteousness by which men are justified, freely, by God's grace alone through faith, as it is written, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" (Romans 1:16-17). There is also a second righteousness, a righteousness Coram Mundo, that is righteousness before the world, this is an active or civil righteousness. This is the righteousness by which I am not justified, but rather by which my neighbor is loved, treated well, and whose well-being is lifted up.

When we walk in the new obedience that is in Christ, by the grace of God, we are not justifying ourselves; but rather the works of God which are ours to do in Christ are done by the strength and power of God--so that I cannot boast in myself or my works, but only in Christ and His cross.

This active justice of loving my neighbor and new obedience in Christ is not for my salvation, for my justification, it is not for the benefit of God; it is for the benefit of my neighbor, for God's creation. It is my life lived toward God's creatures in love.

The one who calls Christ Savior only knows himself as a sinner before God, justified freely by the grace of God, and is called righteous only by the righteousness of Jesus Christ received as pure gift, as precious garment over his filthy and no-good works. And now justified walks in good works, not as though such good works are of any benefit to himself before God, but because the good command of God provides the way by which he should conduct himself in this life before the world, his fellow man, and indeed all God's creatures. To lay down one's life, in love, for the sake of others, in imitation of Christ our Lord.

The one who practices righteousness is the one who, in faith, seeks to do the works of God in love toward his neighbor; not toward his own justification and salvation before God, but rather toward the good of his fellow creatures in the humble new obedience in Christ. The one who practices sin is not the one who merely fails and falters as a sinner, but the one who spurns and spits upon the new obedience, demonstrating faithlessness, and shows disdain for the grace which has saved him.

Thus the Legalist and the Moralist do not practice righteousness, but rather practice lawlessness; for theirs is not faith, but faithlessness (and "all which is not from faith is sin"); they boast in their works, not in Gods grace. They proclaim themselves righteous by their works, not by the Christ who saves and covers them. They call themselves holy, not because of the Spirit who dwells in them and makes them holy by the mercy of God which is in Christ, but because they think that by their power, strength, and work they have attained holiness. These are those who shipwreck their faith, disdain the works of God, and prefer glory to the cross.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Bible Highlighter]

We must make a distinction between two kinds of righteousness: the righteousness Coram Deo, that is the righteousness which is before God; this is the passive righteousness imputed to us by grace which is ours as pure gift. This is the righteousness by which men are justified, freely, by God's grace alone through faith, as it is written, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" (Romans 1:16-17). There is also a second righteousness, a righteousness Coram Mundo, that is righteousness before the world, this is an active or civil righteousness. This is the righteousness by which I am not justified, but rather by which my neighbor is loved, treated well, and whose well-being is lifted up.

When we walk in the new obedience that is in Christ, by the grace of God, we are not justifying ourselves; but rather the works of God which are ours to do in Christ are done by the strength and power of God--so that I cannot boast in myself or my works, but only in Christ and His cross.

This active justice of loving my neighbor and new obedience in Christ is not for my salvation, for my justification, it is not for the benefit of God; it is for the benefit of my neighbor, for God's creation. It is my life lived toward God's creatures in love.

The one who calls Christ Savior only knows himself as a sinner before God, justified freely by the grace of God, and is called righteous only by the righteousness of Jesus Christ received as pure gift, as precious garment over his filthy and no-good works. And now justified walks in good works, not as though such good works are of any benefit to himself before God, but because the good command of God provides the way by which he should conduct himself in this life before the world, his fellow man, and indeed all God's creatures. To lay down one's life, in love, for the sake of others, in imitation of Christ our Lord.

The one who practices righteousness is the one who, in faith, seeks to do the works of God in love toward his neighbor; not toward his own justification and salvation before God, but rather toward the good of his fellow creatures in the humble new obedience in Christ. The one who practices sin is not the one who merely fails and falters as a sinner, but the one who spurns and spits upon the new obedience, demonstrating faithlessness, and shows disdain for the grace which has saved him.

Thus the Legalist and the Moralist do not practice righteousness, but rather practice lawlessness; for theirs is not faith, but faithlessness (and "all which is not from faith is sin"); they boast in their works, not in Gods grace. They proclaim themselves righteous by their works, not by the Christ who saves and covers them. They call themselves holy, not because of the Spirit who dwells in them and makes them holy by the mercy of God which is in Christ, but because they think that by their power, strength, and work they have attained holiness. These are those who shipwreck their faith, disdain the works of God, and prefer glory to the cross.

-CryptoLutheran

Still not explaining 1 John 3:7.
Please explain it.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Still not explaining 1 John 3:7.
Please explain it.

Like I said,

"The one who practices righteousness is the one who, in faith, seeks to do the works of God in love toward his neighbor; not toward his own justification and salvation before God, but rather toward the good of his fellow creatures in the humble new obedience in Christ. The one who practices sin is not the one who merely fails and falters as a sinner, but the one who spurns and spits upon the new obedience, demonstrating faithlessness, and shows disdain for the grace which has saved him."

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Like I said,

"The one who practices righteousness is the one who, in faith, seeks to do the works of God in love toward his neighbor; not toward his own justification and salvation before God, but rather toward the good of his fellow creatures in the humble new obedience in Christ. The one who practices sin is not the one who merely fails and falters as a sinner, but the one who spurns and spits upon the new obedience, demonstrating faithlessness, and shows disdain for the grace which has saved him."

-CryptoLutheran

Where does it say practice righteousness in 1 John 3?

1 John 3:15 says he that hates his brother is a murderer and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. So if one is not meeting this condition, they are not saved.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Where does it say practice righteousness in 1 John 3?

Seriously?

"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." - 1 John 3:7

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Seriously?

"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." - 1 John 3:7

-CryptoLutheran

Sorry, Modern Translations can sometimes be corrupt in what they say. I prefer the classic King James that has been around for hundreds of years long before the Modern Translations showed up. There are many changes, distortions, eliminations, etc. in Modern Translations. The devil has even added his name in place for holy things in Modern Translations, as well. This is not to say that Modern Translations cannot sometimes be helpful in updating the 1600's English, but they should not be our final word of authority.

What you need to find in the Bible is a place where you can sin and still be saved on some level as long as you generally live a holy life but you will always fall into sin at some point as a matter of fact.

But you will not find it because Jesus says, "sin no more" to two people (John 5:14) (John 8:11). John says "sin not" (1 John 2:1). If I told you to stop doing something, would you take that to mean that you simply meant that I was referring to how you should not practice such a thing? Surely not. Jesus would say, "Stop practicing sin." But that is not what Jesus said. Jesus said, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (John 8:24). How many times do you think you need to sin to be a slave to sin? It only takes one time. How many times did it take Adam and Eve to fall into spiritual death? Did they need to keep eating of the wrong tree to spiritually fall and send all of mankind into sin? Surely not. Eve bought into the lie of the serpent that she could break God's command and still be in right walk with God. The same lie of the devil is being pushed today.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Seriously?

"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." - 1 John 3:7

-CryptoLutheran

Also, if you were to look at 1 John 3:15, ask yourself: How many times do I need to hate my brother in order to qualify in the "hateth his brother" as per 1 John 3:15? I say this because if one qualifies in hating their brother as per 1 John 3:15, this person is said to have no eternal life abiding in them. Do you honestly believe it is impossible for you or any other believer within your ranks to not hate their brother?

Do you realize that just showing respect of persons involving your brother is enough to qualify in hating your brother? We can see an example of the brethren giving favor to the rich brethren and no favor to the poor brethren in the beginning of James 2. James whole argument that if they were to do this, they would have broken all of God's laws by not loving their neighbor (or brother) (i.e. The Royal Law).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth [not practices] righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7).

Doeth or Does righteousness is different than practices righteousness.
Rick who does lots of walking all day is not the same as...
Rick who practices lot of walking all day.

We would assume in the last sentence that Rick has a problem in walking sometimes so he needs to practice in walking in order to be like the other Rick who simply "does lots of walking all day."

 

[fhansen]

These are those who shipwreck their faith, disdain the works of God, and prefer glory to the cross.

All righteousness comes from God, but that doesn't mean that the state of righteousness won for man by Christ isn't real righteousness, the righteousness God has always planned man to have, rather than a merely imputed righteousness. Man is forgiven, but also empowered to 'go, and sin no more.' And because we're not forced to do so, to take up our cross and run with the gift given, God is pleased to give glory where glory is due, for our own good and betterment.
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life." Rom 2:7