Are you a legalist? A lot of Christians are, whether they know it or not. In so many words, legalism says, “I don’t do this or that; therefore I am pleasing to God.” Legalism is the Worst Kind of Sin because it doesn’t look like sin, but it fosters pride, arrogance, Judgementalism and self righteousness. While most sinners know they are sinners, legalists don’t even recognize their legalism, instead they boast in it!
Why is legalism so bad?
It deceives us into thinking that we are better than others.
It enslaves us into a rigid lifestyle of performance we can never reach.
It exploits us and renders us vulnerable to the accusations of the enemy.
It condemns us and leads us to criticize and judge others.
There are three different shades or kinds of legalism.
Mosaic Legalism. The desire to be under the Law.
Galatians written to defeat the deadly curse of Legalism. Gal 5:1-2
The law has passed away Matthew 5:17-18
It has come to an end Romans 10:4
It has been “Abolished” Ephesians 2:15, 2 Corinthians 3:7, 11
It has been “Wiped out” Colossians 2:14
It has been “Changed, replaced” Hebrews 7:12
It has been “Annulled” Hebrews 7:18
It is “Obsolete” Hebrews 8:13
Religious Legalism. The desire to impose our convictions on others.
This is where we impose extra-biblical rules on others.
This is known as the “thou shalt not” lifestyle.
Behavioral Legalism is also known as Judgementalism.
This is a legalistic, critical attitude.
I know of no affliction which is more devastating.
Many Christians and many churches are quenching the Holy Spirit.
The law of Christ is the one law Christians are supposed to obey.
There is nothing wrong with obeying the Word of God.
Jesus told us, “If you love me keep My commandments.
Legalism is the reigning philosophy of the religious world.
Every religion teaches good works must be done to please God.
Christianity teaches you are saved by God’s grace!
If we give in to legalism, we look like every other religion in the world.
Legalism deceives us 11-13
Circumcision is the rite of entrance to Judaism and the Old Covenant.
Jesus says that His circumcision is not physical. “Performed without hands.”
Spiritual Circumcision is of the heart. Romans 2:29
“Circumcise the foreskin of your heart.” Deuteronomy 10:16
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. Ez 36:26
Water Baptism reminds us that Christ died and rose for us!
Spiritual Circumcision shows that Jesus forgave us all our wrongdoings.
Physical Circumcision is spiritually useless.
Only Jesus can Forgive us. Only when Jesus is Mohel, the circumciser of the heart, is their forgiveness. Do you see the weakness of the law? The first and most important ritual of the Law is powerless to change the heart of mankind! Rituals and ceremonies and good works are powerless to change the heart. That’s why we need Jesus! That’s why we need a Savior!
MESSAGE
Are you a legalist? A lot of Christians are, whether they know it or not. While secular humanism is the reigning philosophy of the secular world, Legalism is the reigning philosophy of the religious world. Legalism is an innate, human, obsessive conformity to an artificial standard for the purpose of making yourself look good to God and to others. And don’t we all want to put ourselves in the best possible light? Thus we are all in danger of falling prey to legalism.
In so many words, legalism says, “I don’t do this or that, therefore I am pleasing to God.” Or it says, “Compared to other people, I’m pretty good. God must be very pleased with me!”
Legalism is rigid, grim, exacting, and lawlike in nature. Pride, which is at the heart of legalism, works in sync with other factors like guilt, fear, and shame. It leads to an emphasis on what one should not be and what one should not do. It flourishes in a drab context of negativism.
Legalism is the Worst Kind of Sin because it doesn’t look like sin. But it fosters pride, arrogance, Judgementalism and self righteousness. While most sinners know they are sinners, legalists don’t even recognize their legalism, instead they boast in it!
Why is legalism so bad? Because it deceives us into thinking that we are better than others. But eventually it enslaves us into a rigid lifestyle of performance we can never reach. Whether we know it or not it exploits us and renders us vulnerable to the accusations of the enemy. And then it condemns us and leads us to criticize and judge others who do not meet our standards, cutting them down in order to build ourselves up.
Simply put, Legalism elegantly masquerades as genuine Christianity, but it is an imposter; a brilliant imposter! It is so cunning that most of us cannot even identify it. It is so insidious that most of us never even notice it in those around us; in fact we often applaud the legalist! It is so devious that millions are blind to the fact that they have unwittingly subscribed to the legalistic lifestyle!
But today we are going to cut through the high sounding phrases of the legalist and expose it for what it is. Once and for all, I hope that you will finally throw off the chains of bondage to legalism and break free to live the life you were meant to live. Isn’t it surprising that anybody would ever want to return to bondage? Surely, that must grieve our God.
There are three different shades or kinds of legalism that I want to define for you today. The first is Mosaic Legalism. This is the easiest to identify and it is the one most often condemned in the Bible. Yet there are many who cry foul if we try to tell them that we are no longer under the Law. Did you know that there is an entire New Testament book, the book of Galatians written to explain the deadly curse of Legalism?
Galatians 5:1-2 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage to the law. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
In fact the New Testament uses 7 different words to explain that the Old Testament legal system Mosaic Law has been dismantled. 1. It has passed away Matthew 5:17-18 parelthē. 2. It has come to an end Romans 10:4 telos. 3. It has been “Abolished” Ephesians 2:15 katargeo 2 Corinthians 3:7, 11. 4. It has been “Wiped out” Colossians 2:14 exaleipho. 5. It has been “Changed, replaced” Hebrews 7:12. 6. It has been “Annulled” Hebrews 7:18 athetésis. 7. It is “Obsolete” Hebrews 8:13 palaioo.
We are meant to be New Covenant Christians, not Old Covenant believers. We Christians are not to place ourselves under bondage to The Old Testament Law in any way shape or form, And yet we do.
The second form of Legalism is Religious Legalism. Religious Legalism is the cause of much of the sin in the church. Religious legalism is where we impose extra biblical rules and commandments on ourselves and others. There are rules about the way we dress, rules about the songs we sing, rules about who we can associate with and rules about where we can go and what we can do. These are rules that, though they may have been at one time practical, are not found in the Bible, and are part of a drab and lifeless “thou shalt not” lifestyle.
Let me give you an example: a young man asked: “I am in earnest about forsaking ‘the world’ and following Christ. But I am puzzled about how to live for Jesus.”
Came the reply: “Colored clothes for one thing. Get rid of everything in your wardrobe that is not white. Stop sleeping on a soft pillow. Sell your musical instruments and don’t eat any more white bread. You cannot, if you are sincere about obeying Christ, take warm baths or shave your beard. To shave is to lie against him who created us, to attempt to improve on his work.”
Quaint, isn’t it — this example of extrabiblical scruples? And perhaps amusing. The list has constantly shifted over the 1,800 years since this one was actually recorded. But today we still impose a set of extrabiblical rules upon ourselves and others. You may recognize some of these from the past and the present; You must wear a tie to church, especially if you are the pastor. Women can’t wear slacks. You can’t play cards. To eat or drink, or talk or laugh in the sanctuary is forbidden. Thou shalt not go to the movie theater. Don’t eat fish on Friday. And the list goes on and on.
A third form of Legalism is Behavioral Legalism, otherwise known as Judgementalism. This is a legalistic, critical attitude. Some people are more prone to it than others, due to their personality type or their upbringing. Some people are constantly negative about what’s going on in the church, or they are constantly criticizing others for their perceived shortcomings. They are not committed enough, they are too committed; they spend too much money on frivolous things, they are too lazy… There is always something to criticize. Other people are always doing something wrong.
I know of no affliction in Christendom which is more widespread, and more devastating in its destructiveness, than this. Across the world today many churches are sunken into a pall of lifelessness and futility largely because of the legalistic spirit which has throttled their spiritual vitality. In their legalism, Many Christians and many churches are quenching the Holy Spirit.
Jesus warned us to judge not lest we be judged. Paul asked, “Why are you judging your brother for whom Christ died?” Jesus told us to first take the plank out of our own eye before we take the splinter out of our brother’s eye. In other words, “cut it out! Stop being so judgemental!”
However, There is nothing wrong with having rules. We need them. Let me say what legalism is not. Legalism is not obedience to God’s word. Jesus told us, “If you love me keep My commandments. The law of Christ is the one law Christians are supposed to obey. And what is the law of Christ? It is the New Testament. But specifically, the Law of Christ commands that you would place your faith and trust in Jesus alone for salvation, by Grace through faith.
And that leads me to circle back to something I said at the beginning of the Sermon. Legalism is the reigning philosophy of the religious world. Every religion in the world teaches that there is a list of things that you must do to please God or you can’t get into his heaven; they call them good works. Whether it is keeping the Sabbath or praying 7 times a day, or fasting, or going to confession, every religion has a list of rules you must obey or else you cannot be saved.
Christianity is the only world religion that says, “you are not saved by your good works, you are saved by God’s grace! Nor do you maintain your good status before God by works, you must walk and live by faith!” Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy he has saved us!
Now think about this – If we give in to legalism, here’s what happens: Legalism makes Christianity look like every other religion in the world. When you fall into legalism, you fall prey to the works based, false premise that you must do good and be good to please God. Instead of the grace based promise that Jesus will save you if you have faith, and Jesus will empower you if you live by faith!
This is the danger of Legalism. Creeping legalism wants to turn our church into an imposture! So this is PART 1 of the sermon on Legalism. Let’s get into it: Why is legalism so bad
1. It deceives us 11
Legalism deceives us into thinking that the way to God is through rituals, and ceremonies, and through Good Works. Mosaic Legalism is a complex system of laws that claims to show us how to get right with God and stay right with God, but the truth is that It is completely unable to offer forgiveness or an entrance to the kingdom.
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
“In Him you were circumcised.” Keep in mind when reading these verses that to the male Jew, physical Circumcision was the rite of entrance to Judaism, and thus the kingdom.
In the Hebrew, B’rit milah, is literally, the “covenant of circumcision.” It is the oldest religious rite in Judaism. Male circumcision is the oldest known human surgical procedure.
When God called Abraham and Moses He told them that Circumcision is the physical representation of the covenant between God and Israel and is required for the inclusion of males in the Jewish faith. There is no similar requirement for females. Jewish males were typically circumcised at the age of eight days, as a sign of their membership in a covenant people.
A treasured Jewish legend holds that the prophet Elijah is present at every b’rit milah. The legend says that after his showdown on Mount Carmel, Elijah complained to God that Israelites had neglected circumcision. Thus according to the story, God told him that because of his zeal, whenever there was a circumcision, Elijah would be supernaturally present to bless the family. Jews, therefore, set aside a special chair for Elijah at the b’rit, with the baby placed in the chair prior to the circumcision.[i]
Customarily, two candles are lit in the room where the ceremony is to take place as symbols of the presence of God. During the circumcision, the father recites the following blessing: “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us through Your Law and has commanded us to bring our sons into the covenant of Abraham our father.” Following the circumcision, a prayer is said for the baby in which his Jewish name is used (and thus announced) for the very first time. It is customary for the parents to keep the baby’s name a secret until this time. Like a wedding, the circumcision is celebrated with a festive meal.
Circumcision is a big deal to the Jew. You can’t enter into a covenant relationship without it! The ritual of Circumcision is the first step in becoming one of the chosen people of God.
An uncircumcised believing Gentile would have read this and asked the question, “How and when was I circumcised?” The answer in verse 11 is that the circumcision is not physical. This circumcision was performed without hands. In most Jewish circumcisions, a circumciser called a Mohel would wield the knife. In the case of believers, there was no Mohel, no medical personnel, no human present. It was not a physical circumcision.
In Romans 2:29 Paul tells us that in the case of a believer “circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
And in Deuteronomy 10:16 God sternly commands, “circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.”
And in a prophetic passage, God promised the Jews in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
This is the how and when of spiritual circumcision. When we humbled ourselves before Jesus, God the Holy Spirit did a work of circumcision on our old hardened heart of flesh, cutting it away, and He gave us a new nature.
At the same time we were “baptized into Christ.” That means the Holy Spirit placed us into the body of Christ, the family of God. Water Baptism is the recognition of that moment when Christ’s death, burial and resurrection became our death burial, and resurrection. And then these words.
13 And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings,
The Gentiles were uncircumcised. Physically nothing had changed. They were physically uncircumcised before they believed, and physically uncircumcised after they believed. But because Jesus Christ is the spiritual Mohel, or the spiritual circumciser, he cut away the old, hard, sinful heart, and gave us a new heart and a new spirit. And then these all important words: “having forgiven us of all our wrongdoings.”
Let me let you in on a secret; For thousands of years the Jews have been involved in a bloody business, the circumcision of their children. There is nothing wrong with it; in fact there are some obvious health and sanitary benefits to it. But there is one HUGE problem with it as a religious rite. No child, youth, or adult who has ever been circumcised has ever received forgiveness because of their circumcision.
Only Jesus can do that. Only when Jesus is Mohel, the circumciser of the heart, is their forgiveness. Do you see the weakness of the law? Physical Circumcision is spiritually useless. The first and most important ritual of the Law, is powerless to change the heart of mankind! Rituals and ceremonies and good works are powerless to change the heart. That’s why we need Jesus! That’s why we need a Savior!
And when we sinners humbly submit to him, in faith, believing that Jesus paid for our sins in our place, it is then that genuine spirituality begins. It is then that a genuine relationship with God begins. It is then, because of a powerful faith without the works of the Law.
[i] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3819109/jewish/Why-Is-There-a-Chair-for-Elijah-at-a-Brit-Milah-Circumcision.htm
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