Legalism, I'm not a Legalist, Am I? by Martin R. De Haan II
How would you or I know if we were? At the mention of the word
legalist, many negative terms may come to your mind words like
intolerant, rigid, and insensitive. But do those words accurately
reflect what legalism is all about? Is legalism a problem today?
This booklet will attempt to clarify the issue by first defining the
term in a way that reflects the Bible's perspective. What will become
clear very quickly is that legalistic living does not please God. In
the following pages, Kurt De Haan offers help to identify and avoid a
legalistic way of life.
Martin R. De Haan II
* Disguised
Have you ever bitten into a delicious looking apple and found a worm
inside or worse yet, only half a worm? Maybe you ordered one of those
great looking gadgets advertised on TV for $19.95, only to receive in
the mail some cheap hunk of junk that quickly self destructed. Or maybe
you bought a car that looked great but spent more time in the
mechanic's shop than on the road. Appearances can be deceiving.
Even biblical sounding religious ideas can be misleading. Many
preachers, gurus, lecturers, and TV personalities are peddling answers
to humanity's most basic spiritual needs but the ideas are really full
of worms. They may promise us a home in heaven if we follow certain
rules. or they may outline a plan for achieving instant holiness that
is nothing more than an emphasis on the appearance of godliness.
Although promising life, these plans for attaining a higher
spirituality actually deliver death. Promising freedom, they bring
slavery. Promising success, they deliver a gnawing inner sense of
failure. Promising peace with God, they actually build barriers to
knowing Him.
These disguised messages have plagued and threatened true faith ever
since Adam and Eve took a bite into a piece of fruit that looked too
good to resist. Christianity has had to fight error ever since Christ
founded His church on the truth.
In the opening chapter of Paul's New Testament letter to the first
century churches in Galatia (central Turkey), he warned of a dangerous
religious system that was threatening the early church. In verse 6 he
said, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called
you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel."
What was the different gospel being taught in Galatia? It was a form
of religious legalism. But that leads to the next question: What is
legalism? In the biblical sense, the term legalism describes human
attempts to gain salvation and/or spiritual maturity through self help
and conformity to a list of religious laws. A person who sees legalism
as a way of salvation and continuing acceptance by God is called a
legalist.
le gal ist n. A person who thinks that he can gain God's approval by
outward conformity to a list of rules, and who minimizes the importance
of motives, the work of Christ, faith, and the dynamic role of the Holy
Spirit in daily living.
Legalism is often disguised as spirituality, holiness, commitment,
godliness, freedom, the path to God's approval, or obedience. This
booklet will help explain how we can detect legalism in its many forms.
We will be referring often to what Paul said to the Galatians, because
what he said about legalism in the first century will help us recognize
and fight legalism among us today. The solutions are much the same,
although the problems are disguised in slightly different forms.
* Do I have the Marks of a Legalist?
How would you recognize:
a counterfeit $20 bill? a spy? a child who has chicken pox? a
poisonous mushroom? a drug addict or an alcoholic? a skunk? a good
husband, wife, or child? a hard working employee? a popular restaurant?
a winning football team? a car that's a lemon? a legalist?
In order to find what you're looking for, you need to have certain
characteristics in mind and a keen eye. It may be easy to spot a child
with chicken pox if you know the difference between pox and measles or
an allergic reaction. It may be easy to detect a skunk either by
following your nose or by looking for the characteristic white stripe.
Drug addicts have certain patterns of behavior. A poisonous mushroom
can be difficult to spot, though people who know what to look for can
tell the difference between the delicious and the deadly.
We can spot a legalist or recognize our own legalistic tendencies if
we know the telltale signs. In this section we will ask five questions
and examine five different characteristics of legalism. Your answers to
these questions will help you to put legalism in its proper perspective.
Legalism Self Exam:
(1) Am I Self sufficient? (2) Am I Self serving? (3) Am I Shallow?
(4) Am I Law bound? (5) Am I Hypersensitive?
(1) AM I SELF SUFFICIENT?
Some people like to think they are self made success stories.
Whether a millionaire, musical artist, real estate tycoon, popular
national politician, award winning athlete, TV personality, movie idol,
or business executive, a person likes to attribute his success to his
own ambition and abilities, not handouts or "free rides" from anyone
else.
Then there are those who think they are religious successes because
they are self disciplined, they try hard, they do the right religious
activities, they avoid doing what is unacceptable, and they use the
right words. As a result of their efforts, they assume that God will
accept them into heaven and that somehow they have become one of the
spiritual elite. Most religions of the world, in fact, encourage this
kind of thinking because they emphasize following a prescribed path to
attain a level of holiness that pleases God. The name of the game is
outward conformity and "earning points" with God.
Is there something wrong with trying hard to be good and holy? No.
Just don't think that it's all up to you. Don't forget what God has
done and can do for and in you. Don't think that you have to reach a
certain level of goodness on your own before God will accept you or
help you.
Self discipline, an orderly life, and careful attention to high
ethical standards are important. Good things can lead to bad results,
though, when they squeeze out the truth of what God has done for us and
has made available for us through faith in Jesus Christ. These good
things can lead to wrong conclusions if they cause us to ignore God's
offer of undeserved forgiveness and help. And these high ideals get us
into trouble if they lead us to emphasize religious rules and certain
conduct codes in order to measure up to God's expectations.
Where did the confusion come from? Man has an age old tendency to
substitute laws he can keep by his own strength for laws that can only
be kept by a dependent relationship with God. Christianity has had to
deal with this error from the very beginning. In Galatia during the
first century, certain people were trying to make Christianity an
addition to Judaism instead of recognizing that Christ fulfilled and
replaced the old covenant with its rules and regulations for daily
life. Instead of seeing Christianity as a new building that is set on
the same foundation as the old covenant, they saw Christianity as a
room added on to the house of Judaism. Those people who taught this
were called Judaizers.
Pastor John MacArthur were causing great confusion in the churches
and were seriously distorting 'the gospel of Christ' (Gal. 1:7). They
taught that Gentiles must become Jews by circumcision before they could
become Christians and that all Christians, Jewish and Gentile alike,
were righteous before God only if they remained bound under the Mosaic
laws, regulations, and ceremonies (see 2:3 5,11 14; 3:3 5; 4:8 11,21
31; 5:1 4; 6:12, 13)" (Galatians, p.xi).
What was the answer the early church needed to hear? They needed to
hear that God is looking for an internal dependence on His Spirit, not
merely external conformity to law. The apostle Paul summed up his
argument against this heresy by saying:
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey
the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among
you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive
the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are you
so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect
by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:1 3).
Paul attacked the Galatians' mistaken notion that keeping the Old
Testament law was essential to gaining eternal life. He carried this
argument further in Galatians 3 as he referred to Abraham, the father
of the Jewish people. Abraham was declared right with God not because
he responded in faith to what God said to him (vv.6 9). Paul went into
greater detail with this argument in Romans 4.
How has their problem become our problem? The same type of error is
seen today even among churches that call themselves "Christian, "
"evangelical, " "fundamental," or "orthodox." These churches may
emphasize participation in certain rituals as part of the process of
gaining salvation. Or they may suggest that true salvation is
accompanied by strict adherence to certain established church standards
concerning dress, church attendance, and conformity to guidelines about
specific social activities. These churches may mention that Christ died
on the cross for our sins and that we need to put our trust in Him for
forgiveness, yet the issue of faith is almost buried under the heavy
emphasis on traditional or cultural activity and on what the person
must do to "measure up" to certain standards.
How are some people more self sufficient than others? This matter of
self sufficiency is not a black and white issue. There are all sorts of
shades of gray in between. The spectrum goes from those who are very
self sufficient and godless to those who are very godly yet fall into
self sufficiency at some points in their lives.
For instance, a person may believe that Jesus is the Savior who died
for our sins yet think that he must somehow earn the forgiveness God
offers. Such confusion may cause a person to fail to see that Christ
offers forgiveness solely by faith by trusting in Him not by trying
hard to earn the right to enter heaven. Or a Christian who acknowledges
that salvation is solely by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8, 9) may
neglect to depend on the Lord for the spiritual strength and direction
he needs for daily life. He may take pride in his own self discipline
in avoiding certain sins. Or he may neglect to ask the Lord's help in
making decisions or in facing situations in life. Though subtle, such
attitudes reflect a self sufficiency that says, "I can please God on my
own; I can please God through my own self efforts and without constant
dependence on the Holy Spirit's power."
The apostle Paul summed up the argument against self sufficiency
most eloquently in Philippians 3:7 9. He pointed to his impressive
record as one who was zealous for his religious system. But then he
labeled all those good actions as religious garbage, devoid of any
merit when it comes to gaining God's approval and spiritual life. In
God's eyes, what counts is our acceptance of what Christ has done for
us, not what we can do through our own human efforts. It was [Paul's]
very zeal for the Law that had blinded him to the revelation of God's
righteousness in Christ. George Eldon Ladd
Thinking it over. A person who grew up in a Christian family could
assume that he deserves greater recognition by God because of his
spiritual heritage. What's dangerous about that kind of thinking? Have
you recognized that the only "work" God requires from you to gain
salvation is that you believe on His Son? (John 6:28, 29). What is the
right place of works in the life of a believer? (Eph. 2:8 10; James
2:14 26).
(2) AM I SELF SERVING?
Remember how as a child you often tried to get the biggest piece of
pie or the last piece of candy for yourself? Come on, admit it! Even as
infants, we thought that the world revolved around us to satisfy our
every need for food and comfort. As babies we were incredibly self
centered. Sad to say, we never seem to outgrow that tendency. Even in
our religious efforts, our motives are often mixed with a desire to be
noticed, to look out for number one, to further our own comfort in life.
Maybe you've heard the person in church who makes sure (subtly of
course) that everyone knows he spends 2 hours in prayer every morning
and gives 20 percent of his money in the offering. Or maybe you've felt
a surge of smugness as you've thought about your faithfulness in church
attendance while others seem to have "forgotten their priorities." Or
maybe the real reason you read your Bible every morning is that you
think you're going to have "bad luck" that day if you don't take a few
minutes to read and pray.
How can something good be bad? A legalist does good things for the
wrong reasons. Among those wrong reasons is the desire (consciously or
unconsciously) to feel good about himself and have others notice how
good he is. Instead of giving credit to the Lord for what He is doing,
the legalist promotes his own agenda and takes pride in his own
efforts. He is self serving.
In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he describes this self serving
tendency as he warned about the false teachers who were troubling the
believers. He said:
As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these try to
compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep
the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in
your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and
I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation (Gal. 6:12 15).
These false teachers were promoting pride and adding more trophies
to their collection of people they had won over to their point of view
(cp. Gal. 4:17 and Matt. 23:15).
When do self serving actions work against the good that God wants us
to do? When we are more concerned about pleasing ourselves than
pleasing God. The Judaizers, for example, wanted to avoid persecution
(Gal. 6:12). By downplaying the cross of Christ and what He
accomplished through His death and resurrection, and by emphasizing
Jewish tradition and ceremony, these Judaizers tried to avoid a big
split between Judaism and Christianity but at the expense of the truth
about the cross. Instead of teaching how Christ fulfilled the Mosaic
covenant and established a new covenant, they compromised the truth and
took away much of the "newness" of Christianity. They were only trying
to save their own necks.
We do the same thing today when we refuse to confront legalistic
ideas because we would rather preserve our own sense of well being.
Instead of promoting truth, we become more concerned about preserving
peace, or we become more concerned about our temporary security than
the eternal condition of others.
When do good deeds become showy? They become display of egotism when
they are done to call attention to ourselves. Jesus warned about self
serving, phony goodness that was done for show. If you read through the
gospel of Matthew, you will find these examples of what Jesus thought
about being self serving:
Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be
seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven
(6:1). And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen by men (6:5). Moreover, when you fast,
do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they
disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward (6:16).
But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their
phylacteries broad and enlarged the borders of their garments. They
love the best places at the feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, "Rabbi, Rabbi"
(23:5 7).
Jesus obviously did not think too highly of religious looking
actions that were done to call attention to oneself rather than to
honor God. He addressed the mistaken notion that spirituality was a
game to promote one upmanship.
One such account is the parable about the self righteous Pharisee
who stood up and publicly prayed, "God, I thank You that I am not like
other men extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax
collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess"
(Luke 18:11, 12). That Pharisee wanted people to know how "godly" he
was but it was all a show. Jesus commended another man who stood a
distance away and confessed his sinful unworthiness. Jesus then said,
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the
other; for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted" (v.14).
Thinking it over. Why do you go to church? Why do you read your
Bible? Why do you place money in the offering plate? How will true
spirituality show itself in self sacrifice and humble service to others
rather than in self service and pride? (see Matt. 20:25 28; John 13:1
7; 1 Cor. 4:1 5, Phil. 2:1 11).
(3) AM I SHALLOW?
Do other people know the real me? Or do they see a clever facade
that makes me look good in front of others? Do I like people to think
of me as a religious person? Do I ever admit to anyone that I struggle
with certain areas of my life, or do I give the impression that I "have
my act together"? Can I pray and sing and enter into biblical
discussions at church but seldom think about God during the week? Can I
praise God in one breath and in the next breath curse some reckless
driver or utter some words of contempt for a spouse or neighbor? These
are important questions to ask because the answers show the depth of
our faith.
Popular "words of wisdom" tell us that:
Beauty is only skin deep. You can't tell a book by its cover. Words
are cheap.
It's true appearances and words can be misleading. The term the
Bible uses to describe a person who deliberately uses deceptive words
and actions to present a false front is a hypocrite. Many other
synonyms may come to mind, words like: fraud, con artist, counterfeit,
cover up, fake, phony, imposter, impersonator, actor, masquerader,
bluffer, and pretender. We have many terms to describe the hypocritical
person who tries to make a certain outward impression while hiding
inner or ulterior motives.
In Galatians 6:13, Paul described the hypocrisy of those who were
promising legalism when he said, "For not even those who are
circumcised keep the law."
Jesus also described the shallow legalist. When speaking to the
hypocritical Pharisees He said:
For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are
full of extortion and self indulgence (Matt. 23:25). For you are like
whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautifully outwardly, but inside
are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also
outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy
and lawlessness (Matt 23: 27, 28).
When did this shallowness begin? Cain is the first recorded example
of a person who went through the outward motions of trying to please
God, even though his heart was not right with Him (Gen. 4). We read
that Cain and his brother Abel brought offerings to the Lord. But the
Lord rejected Cain's offering because he was not right with God (Heb.
11:4).
How did this shallowness grow? As Paul told us in Romans 1:18 32, we
humans have a sinful tendency to reject God's way and try to build our
own way to heaven. Human pride and the desire to exalt oneself have
blinded man's eyes to the righteousness that comes through faith in the
one true God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Legalism became a problem among God's people under the old covenant
not because there were laws to keep but because people developed the
wrong attitude about the laws. This occurred even though Moses had
repeatedly told them that the motive of love for God was all important.
After presenting the Ten Commandments, Moses said to the people, "You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your might" (Deut. 6:5). The heart motive behind obeying
the law was to be love for the God who delivered them from bondage
(6:20 25; cp. Deut. 7:9; 10:12; 11:1, 13,22; 13:3; 19:9; 30:6, 15 20).
History reveals that God's covenant people often fell into shallow
religious ceremonialism. Over and over again, God's prophets confronted
hypocrisy and called for true faith. For example:
I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled
against me... To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to
Me?" says the Lord (Is. 1:2, 11). I hate, I despise your feast days,
and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt
offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them (Amos
5:21,22). He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord
require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with
your God? (Micah 6:8).
King David reminded Israel of the kind of faith that pleases God:
For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not
delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a
broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart these, O God, You will not
despise (Ps. 51:16,17).
What's missing? A legalist exhibits loveless religiosity. His
actions may be right and his beliefs orthodox, but love is absent. He
may desire to please God, but he does so out of a cold sense of duty or
even self glory rather than from a heart overflowing with love for God
and His people.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul said that having spiritual gifts is
meaningless unless they are used in love; the most sacrificial actions,
if not done in love, are worthless. Such acts, though having an
appearance of self sacrifice, are actually self serving when love is
omitted.
Shallow or deep? The choice is yours and mine. Are we going to go
through life trying to impress others with our outward show of
religiosity and morality? Or will we develop a faith relationship that
comes from deep within our being? Will we be constantly looking for the
approval from people, or will our lives be characterized by a desire to
please God at any cost?
Thinking it over. Would your fellow church members, co workers,
friends, spouse, and children be shocked to find out what you are
really like on the inside? What kind of things do people do to try to
make a good spiritual impression on others? How could religious
phoniness destroy a church, a family, or a friendship? How would a
commitment to love and honesty transform those relationships?
(4) AM I LAW BOUND?
Do you feel like fences? You do if you associate them with security
and privacy. But what about barbed wire barricades? And what if the
fences were not made out of concrete, metal, brick, or wood, but words,
rules, and regulations that outlined nearly every move in your life?
Some fences are necessary and beneficial. Some rules are needed for
our well being. But many fences and laws are imprisoning and oppressive.
When are laws bad? Even good laws become bad when they become
substitutes for a heart relationship with God. In his letter to the
Galatians, Paul warned against thinking that a mature believer is an
individual who achieves righteousness by obeying certain rules and
regulations. He specifically had in mind the Old Testament laws that
regulated the lives of the people who, under Moses' leadership, entered
into a covenant agreement with God. He also referred to the kinds of
laws or regulations that are produced by people who "major on the
minors, " who added their own ideas to what God has said, and who are
more concerned with culture than with Christ.
The apostle warned that people who try to be right with God on the
basis of law keeping "have fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4). They fell out
of God's favor instead of gaining it. Paul was not saying that they had
lost their salvation, but that they had departed from the way God
wanted them to live. They were living by law rather than by grace.
Paul had a lot of personal experience with such efforts. He had been
a staunch defender of tradition encrusted faith that did not recognize
the truth of the gospel of Christ. In Galatians 1:14, he described his
previous way of life:
I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own
nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
In Philippians 3:4 6, Paul also mentioned his previously misguided
efforts to attain a righteousness apart from faith in Christ.
The apostle learned that although he had been sincere he had also
been wrong. Love for tradition had replaced love for God. Focusing on
years of accumulated tradition had kept him from seeing the truth in
Jesus Christ.
The believers in Galatia were facing a similar threat. Zeal for the
Mosaic law and religious traditions, together with a tendency to make
up their own regulations for living, were obscuring the truth about
Christ and the new covenant relationship believers were to have with
the Lord. They failed to see that the cross of Christ signaled the end
of the old covenant and the beginning of the new. They were failing to
see that God accepted them solely on the basis of faith, not because
they kept rules and regulations.
The law, even when kept to the best of a person's ability, is
nothing but a prison, a death row cell where one waits for eternal
execution. John MacArthur
Why isn't lawkeeping enough? We were not made to know and love laws;
we were made to know and love God. A mother and a father do not gain a
sense of parental fulfillment because their infant doesn't climb over
the side of his playpen. What they long for is a smile, a giggle of
recognition, and a hug of affection. As the baby grows, obedience to
household rules is not a fitting replacement for a warm relationship
with his mom or dad. Taking out the garbage and cleaning up a room is
no substitute for the words "I love you." So too, what God wants from
us is not mechanical adherence to certain regulation no matter how
noble. He wants us our love and our loyalty.
As fallen people, we have a tendency to get off track on this issue.
We get the idea that all God wants is obedience, so we work hard to
obey. But in our obedience we lack love, which should be the underlying
motive for that obedience.
Paul said that we are not to live as little children who lack
insight but to live as mature adults who have the benefits of the
indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 4:1 7; 5:16 26).
Hasn't God warned about the danger of overemphasizing and
multiplying rules? Yes, He has. As Moses related the commands of God to
Israel, he said, "You shall not add to the word which I command you,
nor take anything from it..." (Deut 4:2, cp. 12:32). And the book of
Proverbs also says, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those
who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove
you, and you be found a liar" (30:5,6).
Upholding biblical standards is not legalism. A wrong attitude,
however, poisons obedience to even a good law.
The "traditions of my fathers" that Paul mentioned (Gal. 1:14)
included the Mosaic law as well as a large collection of
interpretations of the law. Over hundreds of years, these oral
traditions expanded to cover all types of minutiae to moral, legal,
ceremonial, and religious activities. Even the experts had a hard time
keeping up with all the rules.
Where did they go wrong? Instead of simply teaching the law, they
reinterpreted the law so that it would be more convenient for their own
purposes. For example, the legalistic Pharisees and teachers of the law
criticized Jesus' disciples because they broke "the tradition of the
elders" by not ceremoniously washing their hands before eating (Matt.
15).
Jesus responded to them by saying, "Why do you also transgress the
commandment of God because of your tradition?" (v.3). He then exposed
their hypocrisy in creating a loophole in the law whereby they could
escape their financial responsibility to their aged parents (vv.4 6).
Jesus then quoted from the teaching of Isaiah as He accused them of
"teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (v.9).
But don't rules have a proper place in the Christian life? Yes, they
do. Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is by grace through faith
and that there is no way we can earn the right to enter heaven. But
what about becoming a person who truly pleases God in all areas of
life? Aren't some rules essential to guide us toward godliness?
God's standards for holiness, purity, and love for God and man are
timeless. What are not timeless are the specific ceremonial and
cultural expressions of His eternal laws. Jesus said the entire Old
Testament law could be summed up in two timeless commands: Love God and
your fellowman (Matt. 22:37 40). Paul echoed Christ's words in
Galatians 5:6, 14. He also made it clear (as did Christ in Matt. 5 7)
that a life of faith expresses itself in heartfelt and Spirit led,
loving obedience to God's moral law (Gal. 5:13 6:8).
The Galatians had been confronted with persuasive teachers who told
them that to be good Christians they needed to follow the Old Testament
practice of circumcision and observe the covenant laws proclaimed by
Moses. Paul condemned their misplaced emphasis on keeping special days,
months, seasons, and years (4:9 20; cp. Col. 2:16 23).
The Galatian believers did not grasp that Christ was the reality,
and that the Old Testament sacrifices and ceremonies were only a
shadow. The book of Hebrews explains how Christ fulfilled the Old
Testament sacrificial system, how He is now the mediator of a new
covenant, and how faith in Him is the essential element in our
relationship with God.
What rules are appropriate for today? The apostle emphasized in
Galatians 5 and 6 the kinds of rules that we should keep clearly in
mind as we develop our relationship with God through Christ and live by
the power of the Spirit. We could list them under the categories of
do's and don'ts.
DO's
serve one another in love (5:13) live by the Spirit and by His power
produce spiritual fruit (vv. 16, 22,23) keep in step with the Spirit
(v.25) do good to all (6:10)
DON'Ts
adultery (5:19) fornication (v.19) uncleanness (v.19) lewdness
(v.19) idolatry (v.20) sorcery (v.20) hatred (v.20) contentions (v.20)
jealousies (v.20) wrath (v.20) selfish ambitions (v.20) dissensions
(v.20) heresies (v.20) envy (v.21) murders (v.21) drunkenness (v.21)
revelries (v.21)
In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul gave an even more
extensive listing of the right kinds of do's and don'ts of the
Christian life (Eph. 4 6). It is clear, then, that while God does not
want us to live legalistically, that does not mean we are to live
lawlessly. To become more like Christ means that we will hate sin and
reflect His holiness.
Is it wrong to be traditional? Not necessarily. Some traditions can
highlight biblical truth instead of taking away from it. For example,
Jesus commanded us to remember His sacrificial death by participating
in a ceremony where the cup and the bread represent His blood and body
(1 Cor. 11:23 26). The tradition of observing communion is helpful to a
congregation of believers.
There is no wisdom in jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
And if in our flight form legalism we fell into lawless license, our
last state might well be worse than our first. J.I. Packer
Traditions become detrimental, though, when we begin to think that
the traditional way is the biblical way. When the starting time for
church, the order of service, the types of hymns sung, or the kinds of
instruments used become inflexible and equated with the right kind of
worship, then tradition is stifling. When a Christian subcultural
practice restricts the work of God's Spirit in His People, then
something is very wrong.
Traditions and man made measurements of spirituality can become
burdensome, making the quest for holiness a pain instead of a pleasure.
Burdensome is a fitting word for the elaborate system of rules that the
Pharisees placed over the heads of first century seekers of God (Matt.
23:4). But the very rules that were presented as a way of pleasing God
were actually leading people away from Him (Matt. 23:13 15).
The apostle Paul condemned the returning to certain practices that
falsely conveyed the idea that spirituality was somehow inseparable
from observance of those practices. In Galatians 4, he wrote, "...now
after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that
you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire
again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and
years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain" (vv.9
11). Paul said similar words to the believers in Colosse (Col. 2:16 23).
True spirituality is not achieved by our own energy.
Francis Schaeffer
How do we major on minors? We major on minors when we take matters
of personal preference or even matters of personal conviction and
equate them with the non negotiable truths of Scripture. We major on
minors in doctrinal areas when we become dogmatic and intolerant of
debatable views of future prophetic events, which the Bible does not
clearly explain. We major on minors when we talk more about the evils
of clothing styles and certain fads than we do about deepening our
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We major on minors when we
place greater emphasis on our rules than on the God we serve. We miss
the point when we worry more about such things as giving 10 percent to
the church than we care about showing love and forgiveness to a
struggling child of God (Matt. 23:16 24).
Thinking it over. How can we tell if our beliefs and practices are
more legalistic than biblical? Ask these questions regarding specific
issues:
What does Scripture clearly say about it?
What biblical principles apply?
When, where, and why did the particular belief or practice begin?
Will it be right 30 years from now?
How does the particular practice further the life and witness of the
church?
What eternal difference will it make?
(5) AM I HYPERSENSITIVE?
Allergies can be a terrible nuisance. People who suffer from
allergies can have serious, life threatening reactions to outside
irritants. The body's normal immune system goes "haywire" and
overproduces antibodies to fight the invading substance (antigens).
Those who suffer from hay fever know the discomfort that tiny bits of
pollen can create. Dust or smoke can have similar effects. Other people
live with the awareness that a single bee sting could kill them, so
they carry an antidote to correct their body's overreaction. Some
people react to strawberries, eggs, milk, or chocolate. Still others
have strong reactions to dyes or certain chemicals.
Then there are those people whose "religious system" is
hypersensitive to the presence of any idea or behavior that is not
exactly like their own. They respond in judgment and intolerance. The
slightest difference of opinion on a minor issue can elicit from them a
reaction that is neither biblical in representing the truth nor
biblical in the spirit of confrontation.
Remember, when you point your finger at someone else, three fingers
are pointing back at you! M. R. De Haan, M.D.
Am I like that? Am I judgmental, condemning, touchy, unloving, and
intolerant? Do I judge other people by appearances, even though I don't
know their motives or heart? Do I find it hard to fellowship with a
professing believer who holds a differing view on prophecy or reads a
different Bible translation, or who belongs to a different political
party, or who attends social events that I would not? Am I
hypersensitive?
Do you look pretty good after answering the above questions?
Consider this: Could it be that one of the characteristics of a
legalist is that he is blind to his own hypersensitivity? Let's explore
this issue further to see whether we may be hypersensitive after all.
What is the connection between legalism and hypersensitivity? The
legalist has allergic reactions to many types of people and ideas
because his "religious system" has overproduced laws and rules. These
rules go beyond biblical guidelines and reflect culture, tradition, and
personal preferences rather than a true expression of biblical faith.
Paul encountered some people who were hypersensitive and judgmental
on issues that they had no business judging. In Galatians 2, he told
about an incident in his own life when some legalists put pressure on
Peter (and others, including Barnabas) to go along with their erroneous
ideas about the distinction between Jew and Gentile. They taught the
necessity of submitting to Jewish customs, especially circumcision,
before a Gentile would be accepted as a true child of God (2:11 21).
Bending to the wishes of the Judaizers, Peter withdrew himself and
refused to eat with the Gentile believers. On this issue Paul said:
But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of
the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live
in the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel
Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of
the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Gal. 2:14 16).
Peter should have known better, for the Lord specifically told him
how the barrier between Jew and Gentile had been broken down (Acts 10).
Peter had even taken a stand against the Judaizers at the landmark
meeting of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). In Antioch, however, he
gave in to the pressure, and Paul had to speak out in an attempt to
correct the problem.
How did those who were hypersensitive treat Jesus? The legalists
were continually condemning Jesus the Son of God for what He said and
did. They reacted against Him when He broke their rules about
associating with "sinners" in order to reach them for the kingdom of
God (Matt. 9:9 13; 11:19; Luke 15:1, 2; 19:7). They condemned Him for
breaking their ideas on how to observe the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1 14).
They were upset with Jesus when He overturned their method of operating
the temple (Mark 11:15 18). They condemned a woman caught in the act of
adultery (John 8:1 12), yet Jesus had to teach them how to apply the
spirit of the law to their own adulterous thoughts (Matt. 5:27 30).
Since Christ has set us free, we dare not imprison [fellow
believers] behind the legalistic bars of our own opinions, traditions,
or personal preferences. Charles Swindoll
Ultimately, the hypersensitive reaction of the religious leaders
caused them to reject Christ as their Messiah. So they arranged for His
crucifixion. The perfect, totally sinless Son of God was condemned by a
bunch of legalists who were so wrapped up in their own man made
religious system that they condemned Jesus for violating it. It seems
amazing, yet Jesus is rejected by people today for the same reason.
When do people today display hypersensitivity? People today reject
Christ for the same kinds of reasons many did in the first century He
didn't fit into their preconceived notions of religion. This legalistic
attitude is seen today when people won't welcome others into their
church because they aren't wearing the right clothes, or their
hairstyle is unacceptable, or their skin color is different, or they
hold different political views. Legalism runs rampant when a person
trying to seek lost sinners with the gospel is rejected and publicly
maligned by church leaders because his methods differ from church
policy. Legalism is at work when a faithful believer is condemned for
starting a neighborhood Bible study without getting an official permit
from the church board. These are just a few of the many examples that
could be cited.
But isn't there a proper place for judging what is right and what is
wrong? How sensitive should we be? In his letter to the Galatians, Paul
warned against this kind of hypersensitivity that ends up hurting
oneself and other believers. But he also talked about the right kind of
sensitivity to issues on which we should take action.
He was very protective of the truth of the gospel. He would not
tolerate those who tampered with and perverted the message of salvation
by faith in Christ. Now would he tolerate legalism, with its phony self
righteous condemnation of others that was not based on the truth of
God's revealed Word. Paul made judgments, but those judgments were
based on what God had said, not his own theorizing and tradition.
In Galatians 6, Paul offered a contract to the legalistic method of
condemning others. He said that is you discover someone has fallen into
sin, "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" and with a humble
realization of your own human weaknesses (Gal. 6:1 5). Paul's inspired
approach to judging others is based on humility and God's truth, not
legalistic standards or attitudes. The mark of spiritual maturity is
not the ability to judge your brother but to restore him.
Thinking it over. What types of beliefs or behavior should we be
sensitive about? If we are offended by the beliefs or actions of
another person, how should we deal with the problem? Why must we be
careful not to judge the motives of others? What is the difference
between biblical essentials, personal convictions, and personal
preferences?
* Helping You Help Others
The following questions are for you to use when teaching or
discipling others. We suggest that these questions be discussed prior
to studying a specific section of this booklet.
Am I Self sufficient? 1. How do religious groups differ on
approaches to attaining spirituality and reaching heaven? 2. Why was
Paul so upset with the believers in Galatia? (Gal. 1:6 10; 3:1 3).
Am I Self serving? 1. How can you tell if someone is trying to
impress people instead of pleasing God? 2. Why is pride so damaging to
our spirituality?
Am I Shallow? 1. What is a hypocrite? 2. Why did God get angry with
the Israelites even though they offered sacrifices? (Is. 1:1 17). 3.
What must be behind every action? (1 Cor. 13).
Am I Law bound? 1. Why would a parent be discontent if his children
were obedient but lacked affection toward him? 2. Is it wrong to be
traditional? 3. How do churches major on minor issues?
Am I Hypersensitive? 1. Why must we be careful about judging others?
(Matt. 7:1 5). 2. Why do we like to "put down" other people? 3. How did
Jesus offend the Pharisees? (Matt. 9:9 13; 11:19; Luke 15:1, 2; 19:7).
* The Mirror Test
Have you spotted any legalists roaming around your neighborhood,
your church, or your home? Have you checked in the mirror lately?
It would be more comfortable to look for legalism in others rather
than in ourselves. But to do that is one thing many legalists are good
at (Matt. 7:1 5). That's why we need to conclude this study with a
reminder to examine ourselves first, and as the saying goes, "If the
shoe fits wear it!"
This matter is at the heart of our relationship with God. If we
don't recognize and deal with legalism in our lives, it will suffocate
our relationship with Him.
Maybe during your honest reflection on this issue you've come to
realize that you have never put all your hope and trust in Christ alone
for your salvation. Maybe you've always had the idea that what Christ
did for you wasn't enough, that somehow you had to earn your way into
heaven. Stop trying, and tell God that you accept the free gift He's
offering you right now (Eph. 2:8, 9).
Or perhaps you began the Christian life by faith but have gotten
sidetracked judging yourself by your faithful abstinence from a list of
cultural taboos and by your disciplined practice of spiritual looking
activities. And inside your heart you know that you're not close to
God. If that's the case, run to the Lord. Confess your legalistic ways:
the self sufficiency, the pride, the superficiality, the emphasis on
rules, and the judgmental attitudes. If you're honest, and if I'm
honest, we both have some confessing to do.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, (c) 1979,
1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
"I'm Not A Legalist, Am I?" by Kurt De Haan. Copyright 1988 Radio
Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Used by Permission.
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