Sweet and Sour Words

My wife and I had the opportunity to go and hear one of our favorite artists at Prospect Park on Saturday night [essentially for free, what a blessing!]
This woman is not a Christian, but is a great songwriter that writes and sings great stories. She is a rather unassuming and gentle singer, sweet really. But here is the lesson in opposites, this sweet singer who sings with a soft voice between songs would fill the void with profanity laden discussions. While it was disappointing, it brought to mind this verses,
"From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." [James 3:9-12 ESV]
The humbling reality is that as I considered those verses, it struck me that my tongue still needs much work. How often do I pray and thank God and then speak in a harsh tone to my wife? I need to be aware of the battle of sweet and sour words coming forth from my mouth and recognize that I need Jesus to help me guard my tongue, day by and moment by moment so that I am pouring out fresh words instead of salty ones.
The question today is how is our tongue doing?

Where is legalism creeping in?

CJ Mahaney in his book the Cross Centered Life defines legalism as

"..seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God."

and this thought can creep in so subtly, whether it's missing a Bible reading in the morning or committing that same sin again, we can think in those moments that God loves me less. But the reality is, when we come to Christ, repenting of our sin and trusting in Jesus full and final payment for all my sin, the wonderful truth is that God sees me in Christ as one who has always obeyed. As Jerry Bridges describes in his book, the Gospel for Real Life,

"...all that Christ did in his life and death is effective for us because we are legally united to Him."

And so instead of looking at obedience as our way of keeping our righteous standing before God, let us consider it instead our obedience as opportunities for us to express our love to God for His Son with our lives. Legalism sees Christ's death as insufficient but Christ calls us to remember His cry from the cross. "It is finished!" Our full and final forgiveness is settled through the death of Jesus and through His perfect sacrifice, His perfect life is transfered to us.

So, where is legalism creeping in for us?

Lawlessness

As I watched a guy in the subway station sneak through the ticket lane [or as they call it in the city fare hopping], my first thought was anger, "Doesn't he see the signs everywhere telling us that's against the law? Doesn't he know that's going to cost us more money now so the law can go after people like that?" Then I realized, I break the Law all the time even though God give me clear signals and warnings that it's going to cost me. Like when I look down a sweet pair of shoes on another person and covet or when I desire sleep instead of reading Scripture putting myself before God.
Thanks be to God that His son's perfect obedience to the Law is transferred to me at salvation, without that I would be guilty a hundred times over.
So before we get angry at another breaking the law, we must ask ourselves where am I tempted or where I am right now a Law breaker?