MercyMe Free from "Legalism"

The popular Christian rock band MercyMe, whose music is used in some independent Baptist churches, renounces “legalism” in its new album Welcome to the New. Lead singer Bart Millard says the title song is about “the liberty of not being under legalistic bondage” (“Band Ditches Legalistic Christianity,” Breathecast.com, Apr. 3, 2014). He says that “growing up in a legalistic church had him constantly working to please God rather than embracing God’s free gift of grace.” The cry against “legalism” is a foundational principle of Contemporary Christian Music which is based on a heretical view of Christian liberty. Whereas the believer’s salvation is 100% in Christ and the true Christian life is to live by the faith of Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2:20), and whereas the Lord’s yoke is easy and His burden is light (Mat. 11:28-30), this does not mean that the believer has no work to do. The free grace that saves, saves “unto good works” (Eph. 2:8-10) and teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12). If the believer is as free from “works” as Bart Millard claims, why does the New Testament warn about loss at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:11-14; 2 Cor. 5:10)? Why does John warn about the sin unto death (1 John 5:16-17) and why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira and the believers at Corinth who were abusing the Lord’s Supper (Acts 5; 1 Cor. 11:29-30)? Why did James call the brethren adulterers and adulteresses for loving the world (Jam. 4:4)? Why did Paul fear being castaway (1 Cor. 9:27)? Why did Paul instruct believers to always abound in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58)? The grace preached by the Contemporary Christian Music crowd is not biblical grace, and the liberty they embrace is not biblical liberty. It is rather a license to love this present world which is the enemy of God (James 4:4). It is a license to participate deeply in the wicked, end-time pop culture. MercyMe’s love for the world is evident in their “Cover Tune Grab Bag” series wherein they sing songs by trashy rock artists such as Van Halen, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Outkast, Vanilla Ice, R.E.M., and the Beatles.

(Friday Church News Notes, April 18, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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