Beware Legalism
Here’s another way that faithful Christians and Pharisees can sometimes get it wrong: they fall into legalism.
That’s a really churchy word isn’t it! We don’t really use that term anywhere else. Legalism, essentially, means obsessing over the do’s and don’ts. Seeing Christianity as primarily a moral code.
Understanding Legalism
The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable said this: “‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’” (Luke 18:11–12 NIV) So he went into God’s presence and began reeling off the bad things he’d avoided and the good things he’d done.
Many people see Christianity this way. They see our faith as primarily a moral code. This is a particular danger for those who have been Christians for some time, and would consider themselves faithful. It becomes really easy to slip into a type of spiritual life where you are ticking boxes the whole time! Read my Bible? Check. Prayed today? Check. Avoided lust? Check. Avoided dishonesty? Check. Fasted recently?... umm, God forgives me this one. Tithed faithfully?... ummm, God understands that things are tight.
And we start to measure ourselves, our holiness, our faithfulness, by checking off lists. And that’s a tragic misunderstanding of the life Jesus brings.
Relationship Over Rules
I’m prone to this myself. I remember spending some time with a prayer-partner at my previous church. We would talk and pray together regularly, and she came to me during one session and presented me with this little moulded model of a foot with a chain on it. And she said as she was praying for me, she had this vision of me with a shackle on my feet. And the shackle was a legalist spirit. It turns out it’s very easy for me to fall into this. I very quickly become a legalist – obsessing over dos and don’ts in my faith. And it shackles me - it shackles anybody who does it.
I want to tell you, that this is not the gospel! The gospel is not simply a moral code. Now, let me be clear on this: yes, Christianity is a moral faith. We believe deeply in holiness, as I have said all week. But the essence of our faith is not rules but relationship! It is a deep relationship with God that overflows into holy living - not a strict way of living that sometimes talks about God.
Do you remember the Prodigal Son parable? The story is about a young man who takes his father’s inheritance and blows it all on sinful things. He comes back expecting his father’s judgment but instead he receives a loving, warm welcome home. And the older brother is furious. Because he had kept all the rules. His list of dos and don’ts was flawless. But you know what he was missing? A deep love between him and the father. He was a legalist – trying to be moral to earn his father’s approval, instead of loving his father and living alongside his father with peace and joy, and finding himself ticking those boxes anyway because of that love.
Friends, be faithful. But don’t think that being faithful means being strictly moral in a way that will get God’s nod of approval. Come to God every day and realize this: He loves me not because of my morals but because I am His child, and I have embraced Him!!! And then live a holy life with all your heart because you are so in love with Him that you couldn’t bear the thought of breaking His heart!
Beware of Legalism
See the difference? Beware legalism friends. Be holy and faithful but never legalistic. Always rooted in love for the Father who loves you.
