Legalism: A strict adherence to a literal
interpretation of a law, rule, or religious or moral code. Dictionary.com states it is, “a strict
adherence to the law, especially the stressing of the letter of the law
rather than its spirit.” The Miriam-Webster
Dictionary even goes on to say that it is, “a strict, literal, or excessive
conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.” The word “legalism” does not appear in the
Bible but rather it is a concept often used by religious people to describe a
doctrinal position emphasizing a group or system of rules and regulations. These people are often called “legalists” and
they promote (and sometimes demand) a strict and literal adherence to set
behaviors which they believe are supposed to help a person gain salvation, and
then continue on to gain spiritual growth.
“For it is by free
grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and
made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through your faith. And this salvation is not of
yourselves (of your own doing, it came not through your own striving),
but it is a gift of God; not because of works (not the fulfillment of the
Law’s demands), lest any man should boast.
(It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can
pride himself in it or take glory to himself.)” –Ephesians 2:8-9 AMP
Christian
legalists tend to use the Law as an exact science: complete “this” list or order your life
according to “this” way of doing things and you will be saved, or you will grow
in your faith. The Law was never meant
to be just a list of rules and regulations to follow to gain and keep
salvation. The real purpose of the Law
was to be the catalyst that teaches and leads us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Legalistic believers tend to lose the ability
to be gracious to one another, judging each other instead of accepting and
helping believers whose faith is weak (Romans 14:1). For a good example consider the believer who
smokes, or drinks alcohol, or goes to movies, or dancing. If he avoids these things will he be
guaranteed salvation or spiritual growth?
“For it is by free
grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from
judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through your faith.” –Ephesians 2:8a AMP
“For we hold that a
man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart
from good deeds (works of the Law). The
observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.” –Romans 3:28 AMP
“If then you have died
with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the
world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you
live as if you still belong to the world?
Why do you submit to rules and regulations?” –Colossians 2:20 AMP
Gotquestions.org
re-states Colossians 2:20-23 in this way, “’Do
not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’ are rules destined to perish
with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of
wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh
treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual
indulgence.” Consider it this way; legalism will not bring about God’s
purposes because it is an “outward performance” instead of an “inward change”.
So,
just what is it that will maintain our salvation and bring spiritual growth? We must focus on God Himself. We must be reading in His Word every
day. He is our Creator and knows just
what we need to change and grow.
“Set your minds and
keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are
on the earth. For as far as this world is
concerned you have died, and your (new, real) life is hidden with Christ in God…and
have clothed yourselves with the new (spiritual self), which is (even in the
process of being) renewed and
remolded into fuller and more perfect knowledge upon knowledge after the image
(the likeness) of Him Who created it….Let
the Word (spoken by) Christ (the Messiah) have its home in your hearts and
minds and dwell in you in all its richness…” –Colossians 3:2-3, 10, 16 AMP (I strongly recommend you read the whole
chapter of Colossians 3)!
“Now may the God of
peace (Who is the Author and the Giver of peace), Who brought again from
among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood
that sealed, ratified the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), strengthen
(complete, perfect) and equip you with everything good that you may carry out
His will, while He Himself works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing
in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory
forever and ever to the ages of the ages.” –Hebrews 13:20-21 AMP
Brothers and Sisters in Christ: quit striving to be perfect and sinless. You just cannot accomplish that state of being through your own efforts. Focus on Jesus and allow Him to complete His redeeming work in you; only then will you be complete, perfect, and pleasing in His sight!
