Oh, we long to be in control. We love rules that we think we can achieve. Legalism is a list of those rules and the suggestion that if we strive a little harder we can control even God and guarantee his acceptance.
However both God and the devil want us to feel that our efforts are never enough. That’s because they are never enough. However, we then add a couple rules, hoping that just a little more effort, will bring us peace. We then wind up, like the pharisees, with 613 rules and no life.
Or we may water the law down to surface rules such as modest clothing and never drinking alcohol, (which is a good idea by the way), but we know these are never enough .
So we may choose, instead, to compare with others who, (in our opinion) aren’t doing as well so therefore we must be OK.
Or we may go pray at the alter over and over till we are tired and finally declare ourselves to be sanctified. Of course, we then have to avoid contact with the imperfect people lest we be contaminated, and we must not accept feedback as to our need to grow.
Or we give up and decide that striving to live by the law is hopeless so we might as well just give in to sin. “Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die”,(a very popular option these days.)
Or we may rant and rave against “legalism” and declare all things to be legal so don’t sweat it. Then we miss all the blessings of keeping the law and reap all the loss of doing it our way.
Just writing this list leaves me worn out. Thank you Lord for your grace!
Do you remember the phrase, “Love means never having to say you are sorry” ? Just what did that mean? If you love someone you will try to please them but will inevitably fall short. Then, in love, you will say you are sorry and make amends and get the help and accountability to do better. What love, (grace) does, is remove the fear of being rejected, of losing the relationship over our failures. Grace goes beyond removing the fear that God will throw us out of his family, or out of relationship with him. It also, forgives, cleanses and adds the power and support to help us deal with the problem. The ability, (if you will) to fulfill the law, even to go beyond the law.
Jesus says that he came, not to do away with the law, but to help us live up to the law, because the law is wise and good and brings life and power and health and impact on a needy world. Not one jot or tittle will be abolished till heaven and earth pass away. Now he has fulfilled the ritual sacrifice law by his own sacrifice and he abolished the power of the law to make us rejected, but if you keep the other laws, you will be healthier and he will help you live a healthy life and even go beyond the minimum.
What does healthy look like? The new law is love God with every thought feeling and effort of life. Love your neighbor as yourself. But how do I love myself so that I know how to love me neighbor? First, ask God to help you eat healthy food, savoring each bite, exercise daily, get a good nights sleep remembering that I am his beloved, do not hold on to bitterness, cast my cares on him. Without him these are all good intention but with him I can do all things.
To turn “Law” into delighted, blessed obedience, the Holy Spirit will help me to go way beyond the law.
Legalism: Don’t commit adultery
Grace: Don’t even look at them to lust after them. See all people as belonging to God and souls for whom he died. Look at older women as your mother, same age women as sisters, and younger women as daughters.
Legalism: Don’t steal
Grace: Get a job, make money, take care of your family then find people in need and give to them
Legalism: Don’t badmouth others, wait till they attack and then defend yourself
Grace: Bless them that curse you and do good them them that hurt you. Go to your enemy and work it out to restore relationship.
Legalism: Don’t curse or abandon your parents
Grace: Honor your parents, continue to seek their advice and help to meet their needs
Legalism: If someone hits you/take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Grace: Resist not evil but turn the other cheek, when they sue you and win, give them even more that the law demands. If they have the power to make you do what you don’t want to (as long as it is not sin) choose to do even more. If they ask you to sin, purpose in your heart to say no, but pull a Daniel appeal. (See Daniel 1)
Legalism: If you vow, keep the vow
Grace: You shouldn’t need vows. You should let every yes be yes and every no be no and if you promise and wish you had not, then keep your promise anyways.
Well, you get the point. Grace does not do away with the law. The law is good and is there to show us what healthy looks like. We just need the will and power to follow it and find the blessing that it produces, avoid the damage of doing things our way, and go way beyond. That is what Grace achieves.
The law serves as a truancy officer taking us to school. But then we sit there with a, “How much of this do I have to put up with?” attitude. Grace draws us to delight in the school of law and life and cry out, “More, give me more!”
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