What is legalism?

[Foster]

Legalism, what it's not and what it is.

To begin with I think it's essential to exactly define what we as Christians mean when we talk about legalism. I think understanding what legalism is not is a good place to start.

Obedience to God is not legalism.

Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Hebrews 5:8–9

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

Teaching that the bible is the objective standard of right and wrong is not legal.

All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17

Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”John8:32

Teaching against sin is not legalism.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 2Timothy. 4:3

Holding other Christians accountable is not legalism .

Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Heb.3:12-13

Emphasizing the whole counsel of God is not legalism.

how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,
for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Acts 20:20 and 27

So clearly, trying to be saved through our own works is a faulty way to view Christianity. You may even be asking yourself how any Christian could ever view Christianity through the lenses of legalism. However, one of the fundamental dangers with legalism is that no one wants to believe they are infected with it.

Next post...What is Legalism

 

[Nannette]

Here is a start on Legalism:

1. Legalism distorts the law of God in the opposite direction of antinomianism.
2. Legalism elevates human traditions to the level of divine law.
3. Legalism binds God’s people where God has set them free.
4. Legalism majors on the minors and minors on the majors.

The Pharisees were guilty of another form of legalism. They added their own laws to the law of God. Their “traditions” were raised to a status equal to the law of God. They robbed people of their liberty and put chains on them where God had set them free. That kind of legalism did not end with the Pharisees. It has also plagued the church in every generation.

 

[JLB]

Obedience to God is not legalism.

Amen.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14

 

[Dizerner]

Salvation being contingent is not legalism.

 

[Obadiah]

Yes, it's not dependent on good works.

 

[JLB]

Yes, it's not dependent on good works.

Obedience is what we are discussing.

 

[Soyeong]

If it were legalism for God to graciously give His law or for Jesus to set a sinless example for us to follow of how to walk in obedience to it, then legalism would be good. It is not legalism for someone to think that the laws of their country should be obeyed or that one of many laws should be obeyed, but rather legalism is in regard to following a law without regard to its intent. For example, Leviticus 19:12 prohibits swearing falsely by God's namely, so someone who was following the spirit of that law would understand that we are not to wear false where someone who was legalistically following the letter of that law would understand that we are free to swear falsely just as long as we swear by something other than God's name, which incidentally is the practice that Jesus was addressing in Matthew 5:33-37. God's law was never given as a way of earning our justification, righteousness, salvation, or eternal life even as the result of having had perfect obedience, so trying to do that would also be legalism.

 

[Obadiah]

Obedience is what we are discussing.

Thanks for the heads up.

There are only two kinds of people in the world, those in Adam and those in Christ. And that is where is where our obedience comes from.

"choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

To be righteous before God means that God judges us to be without guilt and as those who have obeyed him in every way. The disobedience of the first Adam brought death and sin, but the obedience of the second Adam brings life and a righteous standing before God.

 

[JLB]

Thanks for the heads up.

There are only two kinds of people in the world, those in Adam and those in Christ. And that is where is where our obedience comes from.

"choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

To be righteous before God means that God judges us to be without guilt and as those who have obeyed him in every way. The disobedience of the first Adam brought death and sin, but the obedience of the second Adam brings life and a righteous standing before God.

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7

 

[Phoebe]

It's all about love. If you love Him you will obey Him.

Our love for God cannot be perfected so long as our love for man is imperfect.

“If a man say, I love God; and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” I John 4:20

Love is the highest commandment of the Bible. It is the basic quality of life, and without it man can never please God or live victoriously. It is impossible to love God and not love man also, and no amount of twisting and turning can change this eternal truth. To say, “I love their souls,” will not do. We must find it in our hearts to love people.

“And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” I John 4:21