Lesson 14. Legalism
There was a time when when someone claimed to be a Christian they lived like it. They had standards and convictions, they were supposed to conduct themselves as Christians. However due to new evangelicals and compromisers, standards are gone. Other Christians are saying those who have standards are legalists. False accusations, they are guilty of calling good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20) Satan tries to confuse us between what is right and wrong.
Personal separation-convictions and standards
Devil uses buzz words-takes a good practice and adds an evil word to make it look bad, or adding a good word to an evil word and making it look good.
Examples:
1. Abortion-an evil word. Attaches the good word “choice”
2. Standing against homosexuality-a good position. Attaches the buzz word “intolerant, or bigot” to make it look bad
3. Christians revealing their body to men whom their not married, mini skirts, shorts-bad (modesty is in 1 Timothy 2:9). But satan adds the buzz word “liberty” to make it look good,
Another negative buzz word is the word “legalist” given to those who preach and practice standards and convictions.
Statements concerning legalism:
1. For one to say that standards of separation equals legalism is an absurd and ridiculous thing to say. For to say that makes everyone a legalist. If standards makes one a legalist then that means that those who called us that are also legalists because everyone has some sort of standards they go by. If having rules of dress makes you a legalist then in order not to be a legalist you must be a nudist.
2. To say that standards equals legalism is to redefine legalism, for in the theological world it has historically meant the doctrine of salvation by works. In the courtroom, the definition of legalism is holding to the letter of the law without holding to the spirit of it. The spirit of the command of modesty in 1 Timothy 2:9, that is why they don’t wear mini skirts and the like. Those who call us legalists, since they can’t find a place saying something like “thou shalt not wear mini skirts” if they can’t find that word for word then they’ll go ahead and do it. Now that is strict adherence to the law instead of the spirit of it. Examples of true legalism: Acts 15:1, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 5:4
3. The Bible teaches that one who is saved should live a lifestyle of holiness, separation, of standards, and convictions
Romans 6:12-13 Romans 12:1-2,9 Romans 13:12,14
2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Corinthians 6:14-19 Ephesians 5:11
1 Thessalonians 5:22 2nd Timothy 2:19 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Titus 2:12 James 4:14 1 Peter 1:14-16 1 Peter 2:11
1 Peter 4:1-2 1 John 2:15 2 John 10-11 3rd John 11
These are in the epistles, and only sin in a general sense.
So therefore to reject these things and call it legalism is to reject what the Word of God clearly teaches.
4. It is entirely different to say that one gets saved by living right and to say that one who is saved ought to live right. To say one gets saved by living right is legalism. To say that one is saved ought to live right is Bible separation and holiness. Ephesians 2:8-10 (v 10 refers to what God wants us to do after we get saved)
Titus 3:8
5. A proper understanding of and a proper appreciation of the grace of God will result in separation and holiness. Titus 2:11-12. You’re going to want to live the way that God wants you to if you really understand the grace and mercy of God. Its not a big issue for people to give up things if they really love the Lord
6. For one to teach that the grace of God frees a person from living by the Bible, is an abuse of the doctrine of grace. (Romans 3:8; Romans 6:1-2, 15; Galatians 5:13; 2nd Peter 2:19; Jude 4)
7. Right living gives credibility to the Gospel (Titus 2:1-10; 2nd Samuel 12:14)
There is a teaching called “lifestyle evangelism” that says we shouldn’t tell people about Jesus by confrontation but rather live a good life and they’ll notice it and come to us to ask what is up. The Bible teaches that we should live right not as a replacement for our witnessing but to give credibility to our witness.
8. Those who call us legalists often do so as a smoke screen to mask and cover up their own disobedience to the Bible. Those who don’t preach standards draw attention away from the argument and attack the person, to take other’s mind’s off the strength of the other’s position (we saw 17 verses earlier that support standards)
9. Those who call us legalists are in many cases the true legalists themselves.
Example: A charismatic, who believes they can lose their salvation which is salvation by works, criticizing a fundamentalist who preaches Bible convictions and standards after a person is saved. The charismatic is the legalist for one who teaches salvation by works.
Galatians 5:4 shows that whoever tries to keep the law to be saved is making the grace of God of none effect. When one teaches that you can loose salvation, then they are the ones to whom this verse is applying to. If it is of works of the law then it is no more of grace. That person is a legalist.