Tag Archives: Legalism
The Largest Idol of All
Drifting Christianity
We must never let the Christian life drift from a relationship with Jesus Christ into merely keeping religious rules — however important those rules may be.
It Is Not the Doing of This Thing or That Thing
It is not the doing of this or that thing, but the doing of all things by Christ commanded; not a loving of friends only, but of enemies; not a denial of the ways of ungodly men only, but a denial of self and the world ; not a doing hurt to none only, but a doing good to all ; not a hatred to evil men’s ways only, but a love to their persons; not praying and hearing only,—but giving alms, communicating, showing mercy, exercising loving-kindness in the earth ; not a mortification of pride and vanity only, especially if as to others in any outward appearance,—but of envy, wrath, discontent. In a word, it is “perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord” that is required. If men professing religion, who are almost devoured by world, or flesh, or envy, or faction, or idleness, or uselessness in their generation, would but lay their hearts to the rules we have considered, they would find they had but little cause to hug themselves in their ways and walking.
Performing for God
Legalism keeps insisting that Christianity is all about how we perform for God; the Gospel keeps proclaiming that Christianity, ever and always, is all about how God in Christ performs for us.
Man’s Standards Always Fail
If standards are raised which are not really scriptural… it can only lead to sorrow. If we try to have a spirituality higher than the Bible sets forth, it will always turn out to be lower.
Legalism Aborts Relationships
Legalism aborts relationships with God and others by its negative focus. The evil we seek to avoid grows — with concentration — into targets we cannot miss. Instead of limiting our sin, rules define sin, rivet our attention to it and lead us to desire it. In legalism, the flesh is in charge, taking the Holy Spirit’s place, and thus is strengthened.
Rockwell L. Dillman in K. Neill Foster & Douglas B. Wicks, eds., Voices on the Cross, p. 44
