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The Cross Centered Life: Breaking the Rules of Legalsim

August 27th, 31e by Brett Wagner

oldbible“One of the greatest hindrances to keeping the gospel central in our lives is our creeping tendency toward legalism.  It’s an age-old foe to God’s plan of salvation through faith alone.  From the earliest days of the church, legalism has thrown Christians off course and sidetracked them all over the place.

And it’s just as active and destructive today as it ever was.

It’s important to understand that a legalist isn’t just someone with higher standards or more rules than you.  A lot of us wrongly stereotype a legalist person as one who doesn’t go to the movies, or who thinks that any music with a beat is evil.  Legalism is much more subtle and serious than that.

Here’s a simple definition that I use: Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.

In other words, a legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance.  Thomas Schreiner writes that “legalism has its origin in self-worship.  If people are justified through their obedience to the law, then they merit praise honor and glory.  Legalism, in other words, means the glory goes to people rather than God.

Are you starting to see what a serious problem this is?  Though we might never state any of its underlying assumptions in plain English, the implications of legalism are staggering in their arrogance.  Legalism claims that the death of Jesus on the cross was either unnecessary or insufficient.  It essentially says to God, “Your plan didn’t work.  The cross wasn’t good enough and I need to add my good works to be saved.”

Of course, no Christian would dare utter such terrible words.  But when we shift our concentration away from the gospel, legalism slowly and subtly twists our thinking until our lives make this awful statement on their own.  They speak more plainly than words.”

Taken from “The Cross Centered Life” by CJ Mahaney

Do you know how to discern legalism in your life?

  • When you think of God’s attitude toward you, do you think of God as disappointed with you or delighting over you?
  • If you think of God being disappointed in you, do you try extra hard to do what is right to please God?
  • If you think of God being pleased with you, is it because of your ‘good week’ or your abstaining from certain sins?

We must be aware of the seeds of legalism taking root in our lives!  We must be on guard against thinking our godly practices and good works will somehow contribute to our right standing with God.  It is Jesus’ work and not our own that are the basis of our forgiveness and acceptance by God!

“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.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

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