What is Legalism, Exactly?
And, what is it not . . .
Oh boy . . . this is gonna be fun isn’t it? The word legalism is thrown around so much these days that it is beginning to lose its meaning. Basically, anyone who follows more traditions or who is more conservative than you when it comes to your theology and doctrine gets called a legalist.
You don’t approve of dancing, but your cousin does? Legalist!
You only think women should wear a dress? Legalist!
You think Christians should go to church? Legalist!
I bet you can probably find yourself in one of those situations, or maybe you have another one in mind. Just about any time we end up talking about some difference in religious beliefs, someone is going to start throwing around the word “legalist.”
But what exactly is legalism???
Legalism in the Bible
Legalism is not just a modern thing. In the Bible, legalism was very prevalent in the New Testament. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, the legalists were the Pharisees. Later, after Jesus had ascended to heaven and the early Church was growing, a new form of legalists arose: the Judaizers.
The Pharisees
Today, we occasionally use the word “pharisee” in place of “legalist.” This spawns from the Pharisees whom Jesus opposed during His earthly ministry. He called them out for two reasons.
First, they added their manmade traditions to the Law, claiming that these traditions had to be kept by all who truly followed God. These traditions included weekly fasts, adding to the requirements on the Sabbath, and elaborate washing rituals before eating. The big problem was that they gave their traditions equal, if not higher, importance to God’s commands!
Second, they were motivated by pride. Keeping both their traditions and God’s actual commands made them look good to people. In fact, they would take great pains to make sure people could tell just by looking at them how piously they were fasting and how extremely reverently they prayed. While they may have thought that this would get them in God’s good graces, they were more concerned that the people notice how religious they were.
Jesus warned the people about the Pharisees in Matthew 23:4-7:
“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.” (ESV)
The Judaizers
As the Gospel began to spread to the Gentiles after Jesus’ ascension, a new group of legalists began to infiltrate the Church. This group, known as the Judaizers, wanted to add to what a person, particularly a Gentile, had to do to follow Jesus.
The Judaizers taught converts that to obtain Salvation, they had to become a Jew first and then a Christian. Salvation is from the Jews, right? Therefore of course all new converts should be either Jews or proselytes.
The biggest thing to these people was circumcision. Circumcision was the all-important sign God gave to the children of Israel to mark them as His chosen people. In the minds of the Judaizers, circumcision was necessary for salvation, and they made it known to those Christians who were Gentiles.
However, the apostles, especially Paul, were quick to set the confused new converts straight in Galatians 5:2-6:
“Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”
And, in 6:13, he points out the Judaizers’ motivation:
“For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.”
Just like the Pharisees, the Judaizers were motivated by pride. They wanted to be able to boast about the works of the new converts: specifically circumcision.
The Common Thread?
There were two mistakes that the Pharisees and Judaizers had in common:
Adding to God’s Word
Motivated by pride
Adding to God’s Word
Pharisees added extra commands to the Law. The Judaizers claimed that works (specifically circumcision) were needed for a person to become a follower of Christ. Both of these teachings add to God’s Word.
We don’t need any man-made traditions or works to save us from sin! Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
If we are saved by God’s gift of grace when we place our faith in Jesus, then no work can save us. And do you notice why it works that way? So that we can’t take pride in our own actions!
Prideful Motivation
The reason why works-based salvation was so appealing to the Pharisees and the Judaizers (and to people today) is simply pride. Our pride tells us that we can do it ourselves through works, even though we know we will never measure up to God’s commands. Moreover, we can take pride when someone else follows in our footsteps, just as the Pharisees and Judaizers did.
By God’s grace we are saved, not by our own works. The only thing we should be taking pride in is Jesus!
“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
(2 Corinthians 10:17)
Wrongfully Using the Word “Legalist”
Here’s a basic definition of the word “legalist” based on the Pharisees and the Judaizers:
A person who, being motivated by their own pride, adds to God’s Word by claiming works (whether biblical commands or not) are necessary for salvation.
There are certainly people today who exemplify legalism. But at the same time, many people have wrongfully been labeled a legalists even though they do not claim works-based salvation.
The problem is that people often equate honoring the Lord with our actions with attempting to obtain salvation by works. Just because someone thinks that it is honoring to God that women only wear dresses does not make them a legalist. Now, if they start telling women that they must wear dresses to be a Christian, then they have crossed over to legalism.
Just because a person thinks that it is honoring God to go to church does not make them a legalist. But, if they say that a person must go to church to become a Christian, then they have stepped over the legalistic line.
If a person believes that it is honoring God to take a Sabbath each week (whether on Sunday or Saturday), that does not make them a legalist. However, if they say that you must observe the Sabbath on a certain day to become a Christian, then they are.
Striving For Unity
God has called many people from many walks of life to follow Him. And as we read the Bible, we tend to interpret things differently. Moreover, sometimes our previous lifestyles are heinous to us, and we cannot imagine that doing what we used to do, saying what we used to say, and going where we used to go is at all God-honoring. While it may be ok for us to do those things, we are so convicted in our hearts that we swear those things off completely.
And often, we will be called a legalist for our interpretation and/or conviction.
Or, we may be tempted to call someone else a legalist due to their own interpretation and/or conviction.
This should not be! While we may have differences, we are still linked together by the bond of our common salvation. We are one family, and while we have our arguments, we must keep in mind that we are all washed in the same blood: that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And here’s the thing: if someone is truly a legalist, if they think that works are necessary for salvation, then they are sadly confused. Moreover, if a person’s faith is in their works in not in Jesus Christ, then they are not saved.
“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
— Romans 3:28
“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
— Galatians 2:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16
So don’t throw the word “legalist” around. By doing so, you are essentially calling your brothers and sisters in Christ unbelievers, unsaved, pagans, and heathens. Instead of loving one another, we are sowing seeds of strife.
If someone is leading people astray into legalism, call them out. But make sure that they are truly legalistic first.
Moreover, if you yourself are placing your faith in works rather than in Jesus Christ, think about what you’ve read here today. Works are not evil, but they will not save you. Only Christ can do that. Any works that we have done are null and void. The only work that truly matters is what Christ has done for us!
Let’s Pray:
Lord,
Let us be more loving to our brothers and sisters, even when we have different convictions. Help us not throw around the word “legalism” all the time as has become so common. Do not let us place our faith in anything but Your glorious act of love for us.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Related Song:
This could arguably be a Christmas song. Too bad! Cause the second verse is very applicable I put it in here regardless of the semi-seasonal first verse and chorus.
Thank God He isn't obsessed with my sin, but rather looking forward to preforming His next miracle.