The term legalism or legalist is an often improperly defined term. Despite what many may think, someone is not a legalist for being concerned about what they wear. Someone is also not a legalist for being cautious about where they choose to go. On the same note, someone is not a legalist for getting rid of their TV. What does make someone a legalist is when they do these things because they believe it will earn them a sense of righteousness that will recommend them to God.
Simply put, legalism is seeking to earn a righteousness from the law. A legalist is a self-righteous person. The Bible clearly states that nobody will be seen as righteous through the eyes of God based on the law. But, despite this truth, the legalist goes out and believes that he can and that he will.
Some questions will arise as to how legalism can be properly defined based on the Scriptures. Where is it seen? Who speaks out against it? How can Christians free themselves from a legalist approach to Christianity? What should I look for in my own life? And so on.
Where is legalism seen in the Scriptures?
A clear example of what legalism looks like and how it plays itself out in the Scriptures can be seen through the practices of the Judaizers. This group of people is not far off from some of the groups that are in the midst of Christianity today. The Judaizers believed in a Jesus-plus type of system. This means that they would say yes to Jesus but then also tack on good works, as though this completed the salvific work of Christ.
Scripture says concerning these Judaizers, “And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). At the heart of the matter for the legalist, there is a trusting in self rather than a trusting in Christ.
The purpose behind the book of Galatians consists of Paul speaking out against the Judaizers. In it, Paul declares that the gospel that the Judaizers were proclaiming is no gospel at all. Rather, it is a false gospel and should not be trusted. What was their gospel? In order to be saved, you need to add something to the work of Christ.
The work of Christ is a completed work. Nothing is to be added to the cross nor is anything to be taken away from the cross. All has been accomplished through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Modern-day examples of belief systems that operate like the Judaizers are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. At the core of most, if not all, false religions is a trusting in self rather than Christ. For the Muslim, it will be their good works that get them to their version of heaven. For the Hindu, it will be a good life that will advance them forward when they die. For the Mormon or the Jehovah’s Witness, it is the same type of approach with a slight twist.
Paul knew the Judaizers were wrong in their approach, and he relentlessly tried to prove this. Justification by faith alone was his message, and an imputed righteousness was its claim. The righteousness of Christ is imputed, also known as credited, to the sinner’s account. When this takes place, the unrighteous, in a single one-time act, is seen as righteous throughout his life. The perfect righteousness of Christ is now the defining mark of the Christian. What this also means is that the Christian cannot take away from it. If so, it would cease to be perfect. The Christian also cannot add to it. If so, it would never have been perfect in the first place.
The Christian is to throw himself entirely on the merits of Christ and the righteousness that is found outside of himself.
Who speaks out against legalism?
While we just noted that Paul spoke out against the approach of trying to earn a righteousness from the law, so did Jesus as well. His most famous opponents were the Pharisees. One of their most notable tendencies was that of legalism. Jesus spoke out against their practices of laying heavy burdens on the backs of others while not fulfilling their own demands. Jesus also noted that the Pharisees loved to receive the attention of man more than the attention of God. In doing so, He revealed the heart of a legalist who is more concerned about appearances than about pleasing God.
The condition of the heart is what Jesus is after. Jesus is not against strict law-keeping. Nor is Jesus against people doing what He asks of them. Jesus isn’t against people being concerned about pleasing God and the way that they sometimes take drastic measures to do so. If it is in the heart of man that Jesus is the only hope of salvation, and he goes out and does what Jesus is asking of him, then this is good in God’s eyes. However, if it is in the heart of man that a righteousness must be obtained through the law to be accepted by God, then this is far from Scriptural.
How can Christians free themselves from a legalist approach to Christianity?
To be freed from a legalistic approach to life, one must take note of the freedom that is found in Christ. Often, when the Scriptures speak of freedom, it is a direct reference to the law. Scripture says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). Christ has set the Christian free from what is referred to as a yoke of slavery. Elsewhere, the law is referred to as the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2). What or who is said to free the believer from this law? It is none other than the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Christ is the very source of freedom that those struggling with legalism need. Turn to Christ and experience the heavy load being lifted from your back and placed upon the back of another.
What should I look for in my own life?
In one sense, this question has already been answered. But it may help to detect legalism in your own life by looking at the life of another. The Judaizers were a group of people that added to the work of Christ. But there is yet another man in the Bible who trusted in his own merits rather than in Christ.
The man in reference is often spoken of as the rich young ruler. The story is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s Gospels. In it, a man approaches Jesus with a question as to how he can inherit eternal life. He asks, “…Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16). Jesus answers, “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God…” (19:17). This short exchange is telling. The rich young ruler calls Jesus good, asks if he can do anything good to inherit eternal life, and Jesus says the only One good is God. The rich young ruler should have caught the point that Jesus was making. He could do absolutely nothing to inherit eternal life. God had to be the One to grant eternal life.
They go through the commands, and the rich young ruler is feeling pretty good about himself for a while, until Jesus goes and tells him to sell all that he has. At this point, the man goes away sorrowful. Realistically, the man would not have kept the commands perfectly. The fact that he did not see himself accurately was one of his major problems. But the question revealed this man’s heart. He trusted in himself and his own merits.
If you are trusting in yourself rather than Christ today, turn from your self-righteousness and throw yourself upon the righteousness of another.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the ways that You continue to show me Christ. Help me to honor You and trust in the righteousness of Your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen.