Three Signs of Legalism
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”
Jesus and his disciples walk leisurely through a field and are picking the heads of some grain to chew on as they go. But to the Pharisees this is considered a terrible sin!
Today, that’s not a sin, it’s a vacation!
What is does show however, is how tightly bound in religious performance the Pharisees were in their view of God. Their warped way of relating to God had created legalistically warped lives that had squeezed the life out of the simplest of pleasures; a walk through a field on a sunny afternoon.
Legalism is certainly still around today. It might not sound exactly like this, but it is still a trap believers can fall into.
Are you a legalist? What are the signs of legalism?
A legalist:
- Creates New, Absolute Rules – Beyond what the bible is clear on, there is nothing wrong with rules per se (there are many good uses for them). Many Christians carry personal convictions that are universal to all believers. However, legalists go wrong when they over-reach personal liberty by creating an absolute rule where the bible does not.
- Compares their Moral Performance – The legalist is prone to living their life by comparing their morality with others around them. This produces pride in the individual comparing their moral virtue against other, more carnal individuals. By making oneself as the moral standard, the legalist loses sight of both the holiness of God and the mercy of God by which He relates to us.
- Conforms, rather than Transforms – Legalism demands outward compliance to their expected set of behaviours and norms. How you appear to be is more important than how you actually are. This requirement to conform to external appearances comes at the cost of the pursuit of true transformation by the Spirit of God.
Jesus came to release you from the trap of legalism. His standard for you is not your performance, but your relationship with Him. He will guide you into all truth, and empower you to live rightly before Him (not others).
PRAYER: Father, forgive me of my legalism. I ask you for a revelation of where I have relied on my own moral goodness rather than your empowering grace to live pleasing to you. I take my eyes off others and set them upon you Lord. Thank you for loving me, In Jesus name, Amen.
