What is legalism? Ligonier ministries offers a helpful definition:
“Legalism exists when people attempt to secure righteousness in God’s sight by good works. Legalists believe that they can earn or merit God’s approval by performing the requirements of the law.”
This is true but legalism is more than that.
John Newton wrote, “Our sins are many, but His mercies are more: our sins are great, but His righteousness is greater: we are weak, but He is power. Most of our complaints are owing to unbelief, and the remainder of a legal spirit.”
That’s right – legalism is also a spirit or attitude of the human heart.
“…the inveterate yet subtle proclivity to seek to leverage Christ’s favor with our behavior.” (Dane Ortlund)
We must always be on guard against this sly but persistent attitude. There are many signs of legalism I’m sure but here are 7 that I have gathered together from my reading of Scripture and from my own Christian life experience.
Adding Rules to God’s Word
This is one of the most dangerous aspects of legalism - when we begin to treat human traditions or opinions as equal to the clear Word of God. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees harshly for this in Mark 7:7 – “…in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Focusing on the Letter of the Law
The letter of the law refers to obeying the words only while ignoring what was truly meant by those words – i.e. “the spirit of the law”. The Pharisees were known for focusing only on the letter while ignoring the spirit (see Mark 7:1-13). Jesus gives us many amazing examples of the spirit of the Law during his Sermon on the Mount.
Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:6 tells us that the letter kills: “…who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Lack of Grace
What is grace? It is a theological term for how God views us and treats us. In its simplest form it means “unmerited favour”; in other words, receiving something we never earned and quite frankly don’t deserve. The 19th century writer, Andrew Murray, defined grace this way: “The redeeming work of Christ and the righteousness He won for us, equally with the work of the Spirit in us and the power of the new life He brings, are spoken of as “grace”.
When we aren’t allowing God’s grace to seep into all areas of our life, we often find ourselves struggling, angry and bitter. Another tell-tale sign of a lack of grace is that we begin to judge others harshly.
One last note though. Relying on grace to become more holy (Sanctification) does not mean that we never make an effort. As Dallas Willard reminds us – “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.”
Lack of Faith
Or “unbelief” as Newton put it. It is absolutely imperative to understand the New Covenant we are under. The Law is referred to as the Old Covenant whereas the New Covenant is established by Christ and his work on Calvary. This new covenant tells us we must rely in faith on the promise of God to provide a Saviour. We are no longer under the Law.
Speaking of the Abrahamic covenant of righteousness by faith, Paul says in Galatians 3:17 “This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.” The covenant of grace actually came long before the covenant of the Law did.
The Law was “… added because of transgressions, until the offspring (Jesus) should come to whom the promise had been made…” (Gal 3:19). We must remember that salvation is not about our performance but rather our faith in God’s promise.
Too Much Asceticism
Asceticism means “severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.” This may sound holy at first but it can be abused. Colossians 2:16-23 talks much about asceticism and ends with this -
“These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Col 2:23)
As Roman 6:8 says - “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Ultimately it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we shall gain any mastery over our flesh and our sin.
Being Dominated by Sin
It is of the utmost importance that we control our flesh and do our best to put an end to our daily sin habits. The Bible tells us to mortify (or put to death) these things (see above). However, trying to do so in our strength often fails. Why? Perhaps it is because we are maintaining that “legal spirit”. Romans 6:14 tells us – “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
Paul later says - “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh… if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Gal 5:16,18)
Spiritual Pride
Nothing is so insidious or abhorrent to God than spiritual pride. A person may seem to have it all together and be obeying all the rules - all the while having this poison hidden in their heart. And we are reminded in 1 Samuel 16:7 - “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
I was blind to the spiritual pride in my life for a long time and to this day still struggle with it. It can destroy a person. We must pray often that God will keep us from spiritual pride which is all too often a symptom of that “legal spirit”.
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