Spiritual disciplines should not be seen as a spiritual checklist by which we are legally obligated to complete, but rather as boundaries that help keep us safe and provide freedom to love others rather than concern ourselves with those things which do not last.  Throughout the New Testament we see that the early church struggled with the tension between Law and Grace.  Paul adamantly affirms, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, but the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9).  There is nothing that we can do to achieve or maintain our salvation, only the grace and the gift of God are sufficient for salvation.  However, in the same breath, Paul states, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).  We are those who are at once rescued by God by his graciousness and those called by God to do his will on Earth.

• Discuss the following points related to this topic:
  • What is the difference between legalism and discipline?  Choose a ‘controversial’ topic below to discuss in your initial post:
    • If you choose to observe the Sabbath, is that legalistic?
    • Is it legalistic for a Christian to abstain from certain foods outlawed in the Torah?
    • Is it legalistic to prohibit a Christian from drinking alcohol?
    • Should a Christian get a tattoo or piercing?
    • Is it legalistic to pray at a certain time of day? Or maybe a prepared liturgy?
  • What defines legalism within the church and what practices are designed to allow a Christian to live a life of liberty?

• • For your responses, remember to state whether or not you agree or disagree with the other student’s position and why.   Provide evidence from scripture and thought-provoking questions for them to answer.

• • Review and follow the expectations of quality discussions from Week 1.

Support your work with scholarly academic resources, textbooks, or other sources provided.  Quoting or paraphrasing from any source in discussion posts requires APA format by including an in-text citation and listing the reference at the end of the post.