500 years ago, Martin Luther is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation. This wasn't so much a battle against the Roman Catholic Church, but legalism- a battle that Christians must fight continuously in denominations, churches, and in the hearts of individual believers. On the other hand, there sometimes seems to be an overreaction to legalism. "Legalism!" is the standard reply to almost any church group seeking to uphold a moral standard that the accuser disagrees with. In actuality, I don't think the problem is an overreaction but rather a misunderstanding of what legalism is. So what is legalism, really?
Jesus battled legalism in an insightful dispute with the Pharisees in Matthew 15:1-9. They asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Now, there was nothing necessarily wrong with this question, depending on the way it was asked. In their tradition, "hand washing" had nothing to do with hygiene, it was a ceremonial dipping of the hands in a bowl of water to demonstrate concern for purity laws in the Old Testament. It was like a baptism, but only for the hands. Because they probably shared a bowl, this "washing" actually helped spread germs! Although the practice wasn't commanded in the Old Testament, the Pharisees saw it as a helpful way to focus on Old Testament purity laws, similar to how Christians today have a tradition of praying before we eat to keep our focus on God during the day (praying before eating is sometimes modeled in the Bible but never commanded).
Traditions like this often are helpful. But watch out for two things. First, we must never think that doing any kind of deed, even those commanded in Scripture, are necessary to maintain our goodness or God's favor. Second, we cannot elevate traditions to the level of a command we believe everyone should follow. Jesus' response shows that the Pharisees were guilty of both, and also a third issue that we don't usually associate with legalism- lawlessness. However, when you think about it, these three things (works-based salvation, imposing traditions on others as commands, and lawlessness) are all inevitably tied together. Seeing why they come together helps us get to the root problem, which is what Jesus does in his response.
"Jesus replied, 'And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?'" (Mt. 15:3). First, notice that he is not defensive in his answer. He doesn't give excuses or even an explanation for his actions. Instead, he goes on offense. Jesus isn't fooled at all. He knows this is more than an innocent question. He sees the Pharisees' hearts (15:8). He knows they are really saying, (and not asking) "Some Rabbi you are! You and your disciples don't measure up to us and our goodness because you don't even wash your hands before you eat."
Second, Jesus doesn't really attack what we would expect. We expect him to go after the judgmental way in which they seek to impose their own human traditions on those around them. While he does do that, the main thrust of his attack is actually against their lawlessness - they "break the command of God," (Mt. 15:3) and they "nullify the word of God." (Mt. 15:6)
Finally, Jesus identifies the underlying issue. They don't actually like God's law, and they don't like God's law because they don't like God! Although they set themselves up to be the only legitimate followers of God, they don't even like him. Jesus says that their hearts are far from God (Mat. 15:8).
Lawlessness is probably best captured by the question, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" (Rom. 6:1) This was a common reaction to the message that God freely gives complete righteousness to any person, no matter how sinful, that puts their trust in Christ. "If that's the case," the skeptic asks, "what will keep someone from becoming even more sinful?" This is actually a legalistic response, based on the assumption that following the law is a necessary component of one's right standing before God. However, in an effort to avoid legalism, some groups in church history have actually embraced the mentality of "everything goes."
The "Adamites" are an early example of this, dating back to the 2nd Century. They held that their actions could never be good or bad, so they considered themselves free to disregard moral laws. They did not marry because, they argued, Adam didn't get married. They also worshiped nude!
This kind of behavior seems to be the opposite of the oppressive, rule-obsessed Pharisees. But Jesus is saying that they are actually one and the same. Here are the steps to full-blown legalism:
1. Dislike God's law. View it as a burden imposed on us by a tyrannical God.
2. React to the Gospel in one of two ways.
A. One way is the classic, legalist response: "I've been sacrificing and straining under this law for years now. Certainly that must count for something!" Those responding this way will always seek to hold on to their own works as something that contributes to their salvation in some way.
B. The other is the classic lawless response: "I am completely forgiven no matter what I do? Yes Now I can do all the sins I want to do an not worry about any consequences!" This group will use "Legalism!" as the standard excuse to disregard preaching that emphasizes the importance of God's law or growing in holiness.
3. Replace God's law with human rules and traditions. Ultimately, both groups implement a law of their own making that replaces God's law. Jesus gives a specific example of how the Pharisees did this in Matthew 15. The "lawless" Adamites also did this. To "fit in" with them and join in their worship you had to conform to their man-made rules: no clothes in worship and no getting married. In reality, both groups are motivated by the same thing and both groups wind up in the same place. They both insist on following man-made rules to truly "belong" among God's people. In short, I think the best definition of legalism is what Jesus says in Mat. 15:6, "nullifying the word of God for the sake of your tradition."
Roman Catholics also did this. Luther's 95 theses specifically responded to the idea of selling "indulgences," a way in which one could purchase an official document from the church that would
bring an end to a person's suffering for sin (usually a deceased family member). Grace was for sale! Luther gave the same response that Jesus gave to the Pharisees, "You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition." Here the legalists were creating a works-based salvation (pay money) in contradiction to the word of God (repent and believe in Jesus) in order to make the gospel more comfortable (and profitable) for those who don't truly love God's law from the heart. The root problem of legalism has come up again and again both before the reformation and since.
What is the remedy? In part, it is to remember that salvation is by God's grace and not our works. However, I would caution that most legalists will say that they believe in grace. The Pharisees believed that salvation was by grace. Jesus summarized the Pharisees' attitude with a parable in which the Pharisee was quoted as saying, "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." (Lk. 18:11-12). Notice that he is clearly a legalist. He thinks God will be impressed with his works. But he also believes in grace, crediting God that he is not sinful like others, "God, I thank you that I am not like..."
Roman Catholics also taught that salvation was by grace, and yet... you had to do certain things to get that grace. It wasn't simply receiving it by faith as the Bible proclaims, but attending mass, saying certain prayers to the saints, or even purchasing indulgences.
Grace will always devolve into grace + works (which isn't really grace) without one key component, which is to truly love God and thus love his law and his commands. The commands are not a burden but rather a gracious revelation of the way to true joy and peace. Jesus put it this way, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Mat. 11:28) Jesus was not taking about rest from a burdensome law, but rest in the law. He continued, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me," learn what? His commands. God's commands.
All of us are in danger of legalism, including those who are truly saved. Even Peter slipped into legalism. Even after preaching some of the greatest sermons on God's grace, Paul had to rebuke him for slipping into legalism (see Galatians 2:11-16). The way out is to renew our love for God. This is also what Martin Luther experienced in his life. After years of struggling, and I mean struggling, with the weight of the law, Luther suddenly shifted in his view of God while reading Romans 1:17. Once he saw God as primarily a loving God, rather than a judging God, he was free to see that salvation really is by grace alone by a God who is ready and eager to save the worst of sinners. We must always keep our eyes on Christ crucified, the ultimate demonstration that God is a loving God. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
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