Legalism: The Real Danger
You wouldn't call a police officer a legalist if he or she gave a
motorist a ticket for going the posted speed limit in a blizzard. Some
traffic laws might even seem strange, yet we know deep down there is a
reason for them: public safety. Somehow, somewhere, somebody died or was
injured, and the law was put in place. (Likewise, the details of the
fourth
Commandment might seem strange, we might not understand them completely,
but
it is a law from God.)
Yet Christians who proclaim the im****tance of obeying all of the
Commandments are often called legalists. And even before the discussion
about grace can begin, they are said not to understand grace and are
labeled
Pharisees. The debate ends, and the confusing rhetoric provides more heat
than light.
Still, this is an im****tant concern, because the Pharisees treated
God's
law in such a way that changed its nature, and Jesus rebuked them for it.
They added religious pomp and circumstance to not only gain favor or merit
with God (in fact, they really seemed to merit favor with people), but
also
to control the religion itself and His people (Matthew 23:15).
But the Jews, or even Jesus, never questioned the Pharisees' zeal for
the 10 Commandments themselves, only that they had altered their purpose;
loyalty to God's law was a must for any Jew. In fact, Jesus told His
followers that the standards set by the Pharisees was in fact too low to
enable human access to heaven (Matthew 5:20).
He told the Pharisees that their outward obedience to the
Commandments
did not hide the sins in their hearts. Our outward show of obedience to
the
Commandments cannot disguise from God the filthy rags we wear beneath our
legalistic robes-God sees the filthy rags of lust, deceit, and murder in
our
hearts. Jesus said that how the Pharisees behaved was altogether different
from their hearts, but that their outward behavior was, in fact,
appropriate. In this sense they followed the letter of the law, but
forsook
its spirit (Matthew 23:27).
The Pharisees changed God's law from a measuring stick to show us our
need of God's empowering grace into works that could get us into heaven.
But
this is not a real representation of what God meant for the Jews, who were
always to be saved by grace in Jesus Christ. The New Testament tells us
that
it wasn't works that made Abraham righteous; it was his faith in God's
promises. If he didn't believe that God would do as He promised, his
obedience would have been for nothing. Yet his works are considered a sign
of his faith. Had he no works, no obedience, would he be remembered as the
"father of the faithful"
Was the New Testament calling Abraham a legalist (James 2:21-22). No.
It was calling him a Christian-an early version, perhaps, but still a
trusting, obedient Christian.
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