There’s an odd battle that has been going on within Christianity since the days of Martin Luther in the 1600s. If we’re being honest, it even goes as far back as the apostle Peter being rebuked by Paul at Antioch:
But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. (Galatians 2:11-13)
This battle is about the difference between living in the freedom we have through Christ or living by a bunch of rules and regulations. It’s about whether any desire to say “no” to something for biblical reasons means we’re automatically wrong, or if there are grounds for doing (or not doing) things to the glory of God. It’s a battle over whether we’re living holy lives or giving in to legalism.
Legalism understood
Legalism has become something of a “witch hunt” word today. If there’s something that calls us to consider our beliefs or actions, and we don’t like it, we can just label it as “legalism” and feel like we’ve safely protected ourselves from a heresy that is sending many to Hell today. However, the true implications of legalism have become so diluted because of that mindset that the actual term has caused many Christians to be afraid to deny themselves anything, or do anything “extra” in their spiritual walk, for fear of it being legalistic.
However, genuine legalism is very easy to spot. One of the simplest ways to understand it is to consider who we’re giving praise and power to with a particular decision. Legalism is all about bringing glory to ourselves, often disguising it as doing it for “God’s glory” by showing how righteous, good, and obedient we are. Legalism puts us in the spotlight by wanting to show off to others, ourselves, or even God. It’s our desire to make our works noteworthy.
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:3)
Simply put, legalism is the belief that we earn righteousness, especially salvation, by our good deeds. It’s also the misunderstanding that we have to prove ourselves, whether by doing something good or refusing to do something we think is wrong. It says “Look at me! Can’t you tell how righteous I am by the life I live?”
The important thing to note with legalism is our motivations. Often, someone guilty of legalism will do the same things as someone who isn’t a legalist. They may both attend church regularly, read their Bibles, refuse to take part in certain things, and live a life that seems Christian. Perhaps they’ll have some more extreme ways of living, but what makes them a legalist isn’t simply that they do things that the culture finds strange. It’s the heart of these people that truly distinguishes them.
Holiness (mis)understood
Holiness can be harder to understand. Legalism tries so hard to mirror it that the two can become indistinguishable. However, we know that holiness is an important and expected part of the Christian life.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16)
Peter gives us a good start to understanding what holiness is and isn’t. The first part of his instruction may remind us of another passage:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
The first thing we should notice is that holiness is an intentional separation from worldly thinking and behavior. It’s a choice to take part in things that please God and refuse those things that don’t. It’s our willingness to hate the things of the world out of our love for Jesus Christ.
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death (Philippians 3:8-10)
When we pursue holiness, we recognize that the desires and goals of the world are set against the truth of Christ. And this shouldn’t surprise us. After all, people who hate God and refuse to worship Him must, necessarily, replace Him with something else.
So holiness is a desire to be like God. It’s not about conjuring goodness and right behavior in ourselves in order to be better. That’s legalism. Instead, it’s about the work that the Holy Spirit does in those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.
The word “holy” itself carries the idea of being set apart from other things. It speaks to a devotion to good and perfect things – the things of God. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all 100% devoted to what they know is true and perfect because it’s God Himself who defines what that is. As His people, we want to answer the call to “be holy as I am holy” by being in agreement with God.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8)
When we do something because we desire to be holy, we do it because we want to love what God loves. God desires good things for His people, and we want to enjoy those things He calls good, even if the world disagrees. When we refuse to take part in something, it’s because we want to hate what God hates. God doesn’t want His people to be like the world, so we want to stay away from those things that would pull us away from our Savior, even if the world tells us we are free to do it.
Dodging one to avoid the other
It’s easy to recognize legalism for the error that it is. However, in attempting to flee from legalism, we can miss out on a life lived in holiness. We don’t do this maliciously, but simply because human beings love to overcorrect. We assume that because we have the freedom to do anything without condemnation, that saying we shouldn’t do something is to remove the power of Christ’s atonement in our lives.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. (Colossians 2:16)
Christ has called us to freedom from the law. However, that doesn’t mean that we are free to indulge in whatever feels right to us. Instead, Christ has set us free to live as people who love God – participating in, or rejecting, all those things that mark us as God’s holy people.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)
All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. (1 Corinthians 10:23)
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:15-23)
The opposite of legalism isn’t enjoying things of the world. The opposite of worldly living isn’t legalism. Both of those things are two sides of the same coin. Worldliness allows us to indulge in our desire. Legalism allows us to indulge in our desire to be our own saviors. Neither is the result of someone who sets their mind on the things of God.
Legalism is based on fear and pride. It says “I must do this to prove how good I am,” or “I can’t do this so I don’t look bad or lose my salvation.” Holiness is based on our love for Jesus Christ. It says “I choose to do this because it’s what God desires.”
We must reject legalism. However, we cannot give up a lifelong pursuit of holiness because we fear legalism. Set your heart and mind on Jesus Christ and your desires will become more in line with God’s holiness.
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)
