Far too many of us have forgotten about grace. As a result, legalism often surfaces. Legalism can be defined as a self-righteous attitude that rates spirituality by how well a person follows rules. A legalist often has a sliding scale mentality—the more rules and regulations a person follows, the more spiritual he or she becomes. The legalist often forgets that we are saved because of what Christ did, not by what we do. He or she may have the tendency to view struggling Christians as counterfeits because they don’t measure up to a certain standard. Most Christians will struggle with legalism from time-to-time, that’s why it’s important to discuss it, and avoid it.
It’s been said that grace is one of the most misunderstood of all Christian doctrines. If abused, a person may continue in sin and see nothing wrong with it; if grace is neglected, one may never experience true freedom in Christ. A well-known pastor, Chuck Swindoll, once said, “The liberating truth about our freedom in Christ flies in the face of do-it-yourself religion and challenges Christ’s followers who are enslaved to man-made rules and regulations to break free.” He adds, “At the same time, grace promotes a powerful devotion to Christ and obedience to His word, not to someone’s guilt-giving list of DOs and DON’Ts.”
We should never allow legalism, or preference, to divide the body of Christ. For example, I have friends who differ with me on issues such as Bible translation, eschatology (end times theology), prophecy, Sabbath worship, baptism of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, church government, total depravity, free will, eternal security, women in leadership, and so on. Although these are important issues, they are not “essential to salvation.” Whether we go to church on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday we are saved because of what Christ did, not by what we do. When we make these things “essential to salvation,” and start believing that our church or denomination is “the only right one,” we can be sure that legalism is present. If God seems distant, Bible study boring, and church irrelevant, it’s probably because legalism is suppressing the work of the Holy Spirit. Get rid of it!
When legalism occurs, we can have church growth but no humility; numbers, but no love; enormous buildings, but small hearts. We have riches, wealth, and prosperity, but neglect the weightier matters—love, mercy, and forgiveness. When legalism reigns, we can easily become insensitive, indifferent, unforgiving, unloving, unmoved, and self-righteous. And this is exactly what we’re seeing today in many churches—“they know not that the Spirit of the Lord has departed from them.”
The key is to be humble and teachable, and broken before the Lord. We must be united in the essentials, allow liberty in the non-essentials, and let love guide us in all things. We must learn to recognize what glorifies Christ and what clearly does not—then choose accordingly. Grace does not relieve us of responsibility; we actually live under a higher standard when grace, not rules, guides our decisions.
On the flip side: In our zeal to lead people to Christ, we often paint a false picture of discipleship, or water it down altogether. Jesus didn’t say, “Follow me and you won’t have to change anything”; He said, deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Me (Matthew 16:24). Jesus wants us to understand what’s involved when we follow Him.
Oswald Chambers offers this perspective, “[Jesus] never pleaded, He never entrapped; He made discipleship intensely narrow, and pointed out certain things which could never be in those who followed Him.” Chambers adds, “The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to hurt and offend. Jesus Christ has no tenderness whatever toward anything that is ultimately going to ruin a man in the service of God.”
“Where does Christianity destroy itself in a given generation? It destroys itself by not living in the light, by professing a truth it does not obey” (Tozer). Are you living in the light of God’s grace, or under the constraints of legalism? God doesn’t let our relationship with Him hinge on “measuring up,” or on “following rules.” He wants us to come as we are, recognize our need for a Savior, and commit our life to Him. If the shackles of legalism are binding you, ask God to remove them today. It may involve leaving your church, ending negative relationships, or humbling yourself, but you’ll never regret that decision.