This evening I am sharing a great post on legalism in the church. Great points here and a great read.
Every once in a while I think it is important for me to get back to the whole reason I started this blog: legalism within the Church. There are plenty of other people talking about Bruce Jenner, don’t you think?
In the following article I will attempt to:
- define legalism, and then
- give five possible reasons one might want to become, or remain, a legalist.
Defining Legalism
Before we look at why a person would want to be a legalist, let’s make sure we understand what legalism actually is. Below are a couple of good definitions.
The first one is from GotQuestions.org (which I recommend). I would advise reading the whole piece on their website. The following is an excerpt:
The word “legalism” does not occur in the Bible. It is a term Christians use to describe a doctrinal position emphasizing a system of rules and regulations for…
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Truth in Palmyra 
June 30, 2015 at 21:07
Good reblog, Wally.
The legalism versus grace discussion can be a difficult one, mostly because it tends to trigger people emotionally. I fall somewhere in the middle, grace is all powerful, but there are still standards expected. But, we are seldom ever qualified to judge those standards! A homeless guy drinking wine out of a box may be a better Christian than I am. That is a tough pill to swallow, but it’s the truth. We can’t see into people’s hearts, we can’t see where they’ve walked, we can’t know what God has asked of them and how obedient they’ve been.
Also, when it comes to standards, legalism, there’s a human desire for all things to be equal and fair, to apply the same to all people. We know however, that someone who is starving and steals a loaf of bread is a lot different than somebody who steals for fun revenge, entitlement, envy, whatever. Just the same, we do know that “thou shall not steal” is a commandment and the guy who was starving may need to avail himself of forgiveness even more than anyone else.
So, there is my very complex and rather confusing perspective on legalism. Far too often what we call “legalism” actually just means church bureaucracy, adding yet another element of confusion to the mix 😉
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July 1, 2015 at 05:16
Hey IB, thanks for coming by. Lots of great points there about a confusing subject. I am kind of like you, being in the middle somewhere. Grace is everything, but some things do seem to be expected. Of course, I am really a rule and order type of guy, so I recognize it could be very easy for me to slip in the wrong direction. Youf point about people being different is valid as well. I tend to be very self disciplined and not really running to frivolity. Because of that I find myself looking at frivolity sideways and in a judgmental way sometimes. Some people are fun and silly. That doesn’t make them backsliding sinners(note to self).
I’ll share a sort of funny story. I am really into modesty in dress for guys and girls; it’s just my preference. I admit to being inflexible about it sometimes. But a while back my step daughter wanted to..gasp…..get an extra set of earrings, you know up in the cartilage besides just in the lobe. Not wanting to offend, my wife sort of passed the issue to me for final revue. I think everybody just knew I would be totally opposed. Well…odd thing happened. I prayerfully considered it and honestly it just didn’t seem like a big deal to me.It actually looks very nice!
Funny part(or not so funny really), is an encounter the poor girl had afterward with a pastor’s widow who is a member of our church. This lady sort of curled up her lip and said..”Well, I guess you are all in the world now?” Sigh…I’m thinking that defines legalism, especially in light of the fact that my step daughter is a wonderful young lady, and one of the most God loving young people I know.
Is church discipline legalism? I mean, if a person is conducting their lives in open, unconfessed, notorioius sin and we confront it, is that legalistic? Nah, but some would say it is.
The opposite of legalism would be license, where we say it’s all ok because we are covered by grace. You know the, “I can do what I want because I’m heaven bound, saved by the grace of God!”
I guess my point, which I have buried in her somewhere, is you are correct, it is a difficult subject. I think the key is for whom are we acting and whose standards do we apply? If the answer is our preferences and our standards, then we have a problem. Like most things in this Christian life, if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will do just fine.
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July 1, 2015 at 08:45
You make some really good points, Wally. I think you’ve nailed it here, “whose standards do we apply?” That’s why our own walk is so important, so we can come to know what is His voice and what is just ours. Our own will is seldom motivated by love, where as His is wise beyond measure.
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July 1, 2015 at 08:54
Amen!
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