What is legalism? It is excessive conformity to the law, exceeding what God requires. A present-day example of this can be seen in the command of Paul to Timothy to “preach the word”, 2 Timothy 4:2. Instead of stopping where Paul stopped, we go ahead to add our own laws, 1 Corinthians 4:6.
To understand legalism, we have only to look at the Pharisees. They were the legalists of their day, while the Sadducees were the liberals. The gospels reveal forty confrontations Jesus had with the Pharisees. Usually, the issue was a legalistic matter.
Why is so much space given to these people? Could it be because God wants us to learn what legalism can do to Christians and ultimately to the entire church? If we look closely enough, we can often see ourselves. Most of us carry around some baggage of legalism. I have been guilty many times.
A legalist’s motivation is a noble one: to protect the laws of God. He often produces scripture which he believes justifies his position. On the surface, his motive is good. Everyone is for protecting God’s commands. The problem is, he does not always recognise when God’s laws stop.
In his zeal to protect God’s laws, he will, without realising it, go beyond what God through the Holy Spirit has authorised. To protect a law of God, a legalist will supplement new laws.
This becomes a serious matter when laws are made and imposed on fellow Christians which God has not ordained. This is binding where God has not bound.
This is why legalism is such a serious matter. It can become a very explosive force in a congregation, disrupting the peace and love between God’s people. People resent someone enforcing a law on them which God has not authorised.
The Pharisees personify legalism. They had a legalistic system which contained around six thousand rules and regulations, which they felt built up a wall of protection around the Law of Moses.
An example of this can be seen in their attempt to protect the Sabbath law. The law required that no work be done on the seventh day. They were not to pick up manna or sticks to build a fire, but on the whole, the Law did not define what constituted work. Less the Sabbath law was violated, the Pharisees devised a list of thirty-nine rules to define what was and what was not work.
A tailor could not carry a needle because he was carrying the tool of his trade. A scribe could not carry a pen because he used one in his work. A teacher could not read because this was part of his trade. However, if you were not a teacher, you could read.
If a fire broke out in your home on the Sabbath, you could carry out enough food for the next day, but no more. You could not put out a fire. A Gentile could put out the fire as long as you did not ask him to do it. They felt that by setting up these laws, they were protecting the Sabbath.
They served as a fence or wall to prevent violation of the Sabbath. When analysed, they failed to see the intent or purpose of the Sabbath law. They often criticised Jesus for what he did on the Sabbath. He reminded them that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man.
Legalists also have difficulty with fringe or grey areas. When it comes to fringe areas where God has not legislated, and there are countless areas like this, God has left it up to us to use our best judgement.
But a legalist does not feel safe in grey areas. A legalist does not want to slip up and do something wrong, thus missing heaven. To him, salvation rests on strict observance of law, even to devising laws to cover those grey areas. Everything must be black or white, never grey.
The temptation then is to set in force a rule to govern every situation that may arise. In time, regulations become traditions and traditions invariably become laws which must be obeyed.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew 15:3 for their traditions. “Why do you also transgress the commandments of God because of your tradition?” Often, their traditions violated what the law was.
This was because their traditions went against the intent of the law. Again, he said, “And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments (traditions) of men.”
Jesus warned his disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,” Matthew 16:6. They had elevated their traditions to the point that they were on an equal level with the law of God.
God leaves so much to our human judgement. If He legislated on every situation that might arise in our lives, our Bible would be composed of endless volumes. Our worship is one place where we often see legalism.
We are specifically commanded to sing, pray, partake of the Lord’s Supper, edify and give. But notice how often we go beyond what God’s law specifies. Some have erected walls around worship.
Again, the motivation for all of these unwritten laws is to protect God’s law concerning worship, which seems good on the surface. The New Testament does not set forth a prescribed or specific order for worship. This is one of those grey areas where God has not spoken. He leaves it to our best judgement.
The church I grew up in had a fixed order that never varied or changed. You probably did too. The problem with this is that when repeated over and over again for a period of years, the order can become as much a law as the items of worship we are commanded to engage in.
Another danger is that when repeated over and over again, it becomes formalism, and this in turn becomes ritualism. Thus, while our worship may be “in truth”, it ceases to be done “in spirit,” John 4:23.
Change has always been hard for us to accept, even if it is done for the best of the congregation. Any change upsets our old standards of order that we have used for years.
I would not belittle anyone who feels uncomfortable when we are asked to stand and greet our visitors, or someone who feels uncomfortable over a song leader who does something different from the way song leaders have traditionally led singing.
Sometimes there are things I feel uncomfortable with, but they are not matters of faith. What hurts me is to see Christians allowing themselves to become angry and bitter over something that is purely a matter of human judgement.
Why is it so difficult to tolerate human judgement, even human mistakes? No issue has caused more disturbance, disrupting the peace and unity of God’s people than have our church buildings. For the first three hundred years, early Christians had no church buildings unless they converted an entire Synagogue.
For the most part, they met in houses and public places. During the period of persecution by the Roman Emperors, they sometimes had to meet in secret places.
After the Roman government stopped persecuting Christians (around 306 A.D.), they started meeting openly in buildings. The Roman Emperor even gave them pagan temples to meet in. This would usher in the building of cathedrals, which were often subsidised by the Roman government.
There is no command, example or necessary inference in the New Testament that we have to meet in a church building. They are merely a matter of expediency. However, it is amazing at our perception of church buildings and especially how a church building is to be used.
We teach that the building is not the church, but nevertheless, I am convinced we have great difficulty in separating the two in spite of all our teaching about what the church is.
By our conversation and actions, it is evident that we tend to think of a church building as sacred. This, no doubt, is due to our using it as a place to worship and teach the Bible. Thus, it seems to be a sacred place rather than just a material building. This has led to the establishment of many human laws that God has never made.
Again, the motivation for these laws is noble in that we think we are protecting the church from abuses. But oh, the heartache and woe these human rules and regulations have brought upon the people of God, producing a divisive spirit within many congregations.
Hebrews 10:25 is an expediency. The attitudes of the Pharisees still exist today. It binds human judgment on other Christians by demanding conformity to certain unwritten laws.
Most of these laws come from sincere Christians who have a genuine concern about violating God’s word, but at the same time, these brethren can be dangerous because this type of reasoning often results in factions and dissension.
As these human interpretations develop, legalists are sure they have found a truth that will safeguard Christ’s law. Then the faith of other members is judged on the basis of their agreement or disagreement with their position.
The tragedy is that the dissension created is not over an actual command but over an extensive system of unwritten laws which they feel protect God’s law. For all of us who are loyal to what the Bible teaches, our basic problem is interpretation. Preachers and teachers spend hours determining what scripture means.
After much study, teachers explain to others the meaning of passages. This is why we have commentaries and other Bible aids to help us understand the meaning of scripture.
What we have to be careful about is when to stop, not going ahead to add to or take away from the intent and purpose of the verse or verses under consideration.
In spite of our best efforts, there will always be matters over which we will disagree. When this happens, it would be well for us all to recall the great Restoration motto: “In matters of faith unity; in matters of opinions liberty, in all things love.”
Legalists believe everything should be black or white. Some would deny that grey areas exist. Grey areas are areas where God has not spoken; we have to make a personal judgement on what to do or not to do. Some of these are very difficult to make a decision on.
For example, should a woman stand and use sign language to the deaf in public worship? Is a funeral service (prayer, singing, reading Scripture and preaching) worship? If so, should the singing be congregational or will a chorus be acceptable?
Should a preacher officiate at a funeral where instrumental music is used and a denominational preacher is assisting in the service? Should a Christian work in a restaurant or store where cigarettes, beer and wine are sold?
Can a Christian serve as a stewardess on an airline and serve alcoholic drinks to passengers? If the Jews gave a tenth whose economy was lower than ours, should Christians give less than a tenth today?
How much is “giving as you have been prospered”? In a Christian home, may the mother offer thanks for the food? What can money taken out of the church treasury be used for?
Endless grey areas could be added to the above. Because such issues do not have a clear answer given in the New Testament, you can see how a legalistic mind would want to set up laws governing these situations. But the big question is, what shall our attitude be when we differ over these grey areas? Will it be “In matters of opinions, liberty?”
The Pharisees were concerned about minute matters. In Matthew 23, eight times Jesus says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” Note what he says in Matthew 23.
Jesus was not saying they should not tithe their herbs, but they were neglecting things that were far more important. While being deeply concerned about trifles, they were leaving undone things which were of eternal significance. The Pharisees gave diligent attention to the most minute details of the law, forgetting the more meaningful obligations of the law.
They were so scrupulous about little things and so unscrupulous about big things; so particular about gnats and so indifferent to camels. They were like a man standing in the midst of a great landscape who sees the pebbles at his feet, but cannot see the mountains, rivers and valleys around him.
Today, a man who does not drink or smoke, does not permit his family to dance or wear immodest apparel, is regarded in the congregation as a model Christian father.
This same man can be materialistic, be covetous, given to rage, prejudice, engage in gossip, and a “hard-nosed” businessman who uses people to make money, and these things do not affect his image as a Christian.
Drinking (not drunkenness), smoking, dancing, and wearing sensual apparel sometimes involve a certain amount of judgement (such as what is modest) of Bible principles.
However, loving possessions, covetousness, anger, gossip, prejudice and financial exploitation of people are clear and specific violations of plain scriptural teachings. We often come down hard on one selected group of sins and ignore some that may be far more damaging.
We can get upset and angry with a song leader who leads a song in a way we are not familiar with, but never have any concern (mercy) about a lost soul who is sitting in our midst. The Pharisees were finger-pointers. They observed Jesus closely to see where they could find fault.
They were suspicious of Jesus and what he did. This is the nature of legalism. How easy it is to fall into the habit of opposing everything. What a tragedy to fall into a negative rut with mistrust for everyone. With the legalist, it is easier to “point the finger” than to show the way. It is easier to criticise than to encourage.
It is much easier and requires less ability and judgment to do destructive work than constructive work. It is much easier to tear down a building than to plan and erect one.
It is much easier and requires less goodness and knowledge of the Bible to find fault, to pick flaws, to criticise, and to destroy the peace and harmony of a congregation and the good work of others than it is to instruct, to edify and to unify them.
One can pray for unity and then bring about strife and division by constantly complaining about things that are merely matters of human judgement and not matters of faith. The legalists are always watching to catch something. They become suspicious of others. Often, someone becomes guilty by association.
The Pharisees murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners, and eats with them,” Luke 15:1-2. They were saying Jesus was guilty by association. It has been my observation that some legalists can be very harsh, showing very little courtesy (love) for others they disagree with. They can be very blunt and harsh instead of showing meekness and gentleness.
Does God hear us pray for a person we feel is in error as much as He hears us talk about him or her? When we are addressing or referring to a false teacher, always remember the words of Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.” After all, he is our brother in Christ.
It is wrong and inconsistent with truth to let our speech be seasoned with vinegar, gall and poison rather than with salt. Paul dealt with heresy in the books of 1 Corinthians, Galatians and Colossians, but did not name people or get into personalities. The Pharisees set others at nought, Luke 18:9-14.
It seems to be a human tendency to look down upon someone we may consider different from us in their belief. This is true where it is a matter of human judgement. Paul’s instructions on such matters are very plain.
However, be sure it is false teaching and not a matter of judgement. The Pharisees were great at hair-splitting. They were forever making distinctions where there was no difference. An example of this was in their oaths.
They were making distinctions that had nothing to do with the real issue of telling the truth. They were sticklers for the letter of the law, but wholly indifferent to its spirit. Isaiah said of them: “This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,” Isaiah 29:13.
The legalists were constantly objecting to this or that, complaining about anything that was not in harmony with their legalistic way of living.
Let me give you two examples of modern-day hair-splitting. Some years ago, I showed the Jule Miller film strips to a Wednesday night class. An elder was very opposed on the basis that the tape had singing on it at the beginning. But because it was played on a tape machine (mechanical), he said it became instrumental music.
In another congregation, a member opposed the film strips because “You are bringing ‘movies’ into the church.” This kind of hair-splitting still goes on today in the Lord’s church.
Legalists have difficulty understanding and accepting the grace of God. He believes that we save ourselves by strict lawkeeping. The person who thinks legalistically is quite willing to concede that the Law of Moses has been abrogated.
But to him, this means that the law of Christ has replaced Moses’ law and that strict law-keeping will save his soul. He fails to perceive that the law of Moses serves to illustrate the inability of law, any law, to make people righteous. There was nothing wrong with the law of Moses as a legal system.
Paul concedes this in Galatians 3:21, “Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.” The point is that no one can keep the law of Christ perfectly.
The alternative is that we must lean on Jesus. This is the essence of Christianity. God sent Him down to save us because we cannot save ourselves. This is why He had to die for us; there was no other way. The Christian does not obey the law out of fear.
The person who operates out of the mindset of fear is never completely satisfied with his salvation because he always knows that he has never done his best and could have done even better.
Christians should not be tiptoeing around on eggshells for fear they will fail at some point, but rather they know they can lean on Jesus. The Christian’s motive is different.
Serving the Lord out of love rather than fear is a far superior way of living. Legalistic tendencies can be heard in certain prayers we offer. We pray, “Lord save us, if we have been found faithful.”
The truth is that not one of us is going to be faithful in the sense of keeping all the commands perfectly. Another prayer often heard is, “Forgive us our sins since we last stood justified in thy sight.” The implication is that since our last prayer, we might have committed some sin and thus we are not justified.
This overlooks the fact that John tells us that “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses (keeps on cleansing) us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7. Our walking in the light will never be a perfect walk.
We will fall far short of what we should have done. New Testament obedience is a response to Christ’s sacrifice. It is given out of love and appreciation for what the Lord has done for us. Thus, service is done out of the motive of love and not out of fear and duty that I will be lost if I violate one single law of Christ.
Thanks be to our Lord that we can lean on Him, knowing His blood keeps on cleansing us of all our sin as we imperfectly walk in the light. This is what the grace of God is all about. One of the failings of legalism is that while they feel an obligation to worship weekly, it is only on Sunday mornings.
Obedience is consciously and deliberately held to a minimum. Probably no congregation among us enjoys as many in attendance on Sunday night as on Sunday morning. We are willing to obey minimally (to save our souls from hell), but not to do any more than the legal contract calls for.
We want to get credit for punching the time clock each Sunday morning, but we do not really care about the overall success of the Lord’s cause. Our hearts do not ache for the lost.
This attitude is not motivated by love for the Lord and our neighbours; our hearts are not really into putting the Lord and his kingdom first in our lives. It has been easy for us to have legalistic tendencies in our outlook because of our conviction and dedication to the word of God. We respect the need to obey every command God has given us in His word.
We see our religious neighbours completely ignoring plain and simple commands of the Lord. Thus, we want to be careful not to violate any law God has given us. It is easy then for us to seek an answer for every situation in life.
Our problem is in the fact that if there is no plain scripture, we rush in to set up a rule that will cover the issue. The result is legalism. Thus, it has been difficult for us to comprehend and accept God’s grace.
We believe that we save ourselves by strict rule keeping. If there is no rule, then we will make a rule, thus saving ourselves by rule-keeping alone. Grace becomes almost insignificant in our thinking as Christians.
Finally, there is the matter of culture. Culture and customs will change in different regions and from country to country. Legalistic Christians sometimes have a problem in this respect.
For example, the worship will contain the same items of worship we engage in our home congregation, but they may be done in a different way in another culture.
In many European countries, no invitation is extended at the end of the service. No law of Christ has been violated because we cannot read that an invitation and an invitation song were used at the end of the service in the early church. In poor countries, members sometimes bring rice (no money) and put it in a large sack. The church sells the rice and thus has funds to carry out its work.
An orthodox Jew converted to Christianity might still wear his prayer cap as he is accustomed to doing when he prays. A Muslim woman might still wear her veil or head covering because it is not socially acceptable for her to show her head in public.
A service might end in a song without a prayer. Nowhere in the New Testament do we have instructions about a “closing prayer.” A legalist would have a problem with many such customs because he is convinced that the way we conduct our worship in America is the only legal way to do it.
An older preacher told me years ago of going to conduct a meeting for a church in California. He was sitting at the front and asked the song leader at what point he was to begin his sermon. The song leader answered, “at the scriptural time”.
When asked to be more specific, the song leader said, “We have two songs, a prayer, a third song, and you will go to the pulpit to preach”. He was sincere when he said, “at the scriptural time.” As pointed out earlier, the order of worship can, over a period of time, become law.
Legalism is easy for us because of our respect for God’s word and the necessity of obedience to his commands. Our problem is knowing when to stop and not proceed to add to or take away from God’s law.
1. Legalists have a noble purpose to protect God’s law.
The danger is building up walls (rules) to protect God’s laws. Rules can become laws which are imposed on others, resulting in resistance.
2. Legalists have erected many laws about worship, church buildings and Christian living that cannot be found in the New Testament.
3. The legalist has a problem with grey areas.
Everything must be black or white. He does not he does feel secure in grey areas. He does not want to slip up and do something wrong, thus missing heaven. Thus, the temptation to make rules which apply to grey areas and then try to bind them on others.
4. A legalist does not think he has created a law when dealing with a grey area.
Most likely, he will produce scriptures which he feels set forth a law governing a grey area. He cannot accept a grey area as being grey.
5. Jesus severely rebukes the Pharisees (the legalists of his day) for binding their rules and traditions on men, Matthew 15:1-19 / Matthew 23.
6. The legalist majors in minor things and minors in major things.
He can be scrupulous about man-made rules and neglect major doctrines such as love, mercy and justice.
7. Legalists have difficulty understanding and accepting the grace of God.
8. Cultural differences from region to region and from country to country lead to a tendency on our part to go in and Americanize congregations to do things exactly as we do them.
9. Attitude is so important when we deal with differences.
While attending a lectureship in the late 50s, where the issue of taking money out of the treasury to support the Herald of Truth and orphan homes was being discussed, I heard brother Homer Haley, who was head of the Bible department at Florida Christian College, make the following statement.
“Brethren, if we divide over the support of the Herald of Truth and Orphan Homes, this may be the horse we will ride out on, but the real issue will be our attitudes toward one another. Brother B. C. Goodpasture once remarked to a fellow preacher concerning this issue: “They may be right, but they are wrong”, meaning wrong in their attitude.
Peter said some things Paul wrote were hard to understand, 2 Peter 3:15-16. Is it any surprise that we often disagree on a Bible verse? We are to shun the very appearance of evil.
What is evil appearance? Is it wrong to give Bible classes names? Should children sing motion songs? Should we give while visiting a congregation since giving is considered worship? Is it ok to call the preacher’s house a “Parsonage”?
Did Rahab sin when she lied concerning the whereabouts of spies? Could we lie and not sin if by doing it we could save someone’s life? Suppose someone came into an office where you worked with a gun pointed at you, demanding to know where a certain person was! You say he is not in because you believe he would kill him the moment he saw this person.
Do we have a guardian angel? Is it wrong to sing God Bless America in our worship? Is this a religious song? Are overweight people guilty of gluttony? Is it wrong to purchase a chance on a new car if the money goes to charity?
Should a Christian be a stockbroker since he puts people’s money at risk? Did Paul sin when he fulfilled a vow by going to the temple to worship? Should we use things of pagan origin, such as a Christmas tree? Seems to me that ‘common sense’ isn’t so common.