Sometimes I feel as though the phone line is broken.  Communication is down.  Sometimes it seems as though words have no meaning, or ears have stopped working.  I am speaking here of obedience.  The biggest criticism or attack on the message of this website is the cry of “legalism”.  The book of 1st John tells us to examine whether or not we obey Christ  to determine whether or not we have been truly saved.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that a tree is known by its’ fruit.  Christ also tells us in Matthew 3 to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.  All of these texts have one thing in common.  They clearly teach that good works follow conversion.  Yet whenever these things are discussed, or a website like this encourages an examination of one’s faith, people get offended and make accusations of legalism.  It is NOT legalism.  Legalism is the teaching that one must earn salvation by doing good works.  This is not at all the same idea or even a similar idea to what is being taught by Jesus Christ and John in these texts.  Legalism can be found in many religions (Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, Emergent Church and Islam all teach this) but it is not what is taught in Scripture.  Fruit grows on a tree that is already there, and a life trademarked by good works and a lack of sin is lived out by a person who is already saved.  It seems that this message is almost always twisted, and the message never gets through.  Hopefully the phone line is working today.