By Steven Jacoby

This article takes a look at the difference between obedience and legalism in an easy to understand explanation

Legalism defined

Legalism is defined “strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.” –Dictonary.com. Often when we try to be obedient to God’s laws, others will call us a legalist. We must remind them that a legalist is someone who searches to find loopholes in God’s laws and to pervert the intent of His laws for personal gain or comfort. Those who attempt to know the spirit of God’s law and to obey them please God. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes were legalists. They did not strictly adhere to the intent of the law but instead appeared outwardly to adhere to the letter of the law. They added laws in which to adhere, in order that they would appear righteous to themselves and others. Many of their man-made laws were created in an attempt to circumvent the laws of God that they did not want to follow.

“As time passed on the “words of the scribes” were honored above the law. It was a greater crime to offend against them than against the law. The first step was taken toward annulling the commandments of God for the sake of their own traditions (Mark 7:13). The casuistry became at once subtle and prurient, evading the plainest duties, tampering with conscience (Matt 15:1-6; 23:16-23).”—Smith’s Bible Dictionary.

Present day lawyers are a perfect example of this as they take a law and pervert its original intent for their gain or another’s determent. This is what the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes of Biblical time did to the Ten Commandments and the Laws of Moses. We are now able to see by past and present examples the difference between obedience and legalism. We may find by inspection that we too are, in practice, legalists because we do not follow the intent of God’s Law but instead are seeking loopholes or manipulating scripture to match our own wishes.

“It is evident that in New Testament times the scribes belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, who supplemented the ancient written law by their traditions (Mat 23), thereby obscuring it and rendering it of none effect. The titles “scribes” and “lawyers” (q.v.) are in the Gospels interchangeable (Mat 22:35; Mark 12:28; Luke 20:39).”—Easton’s Illustrated Dictionary.

Once we are able to distinguish the difference between God’s law, that He leads our spirit to obey, and our own deceptive thoughts we will find that God’s way is better for us. In the end, we all will be guilty of sin before God but what will be determined is whether we will receive punishment for our sins or whether Jesus Christ has already received the punishment for us because we accept that He did. This has nothing to do with how many times we sin but instead on the faith that Jesus already paid for every one of our sins.

So in this, do we find any reason that we should not obey every command God makes aware to us? We do not. God draws us all to obey His commands out of love. In this, we request His mercy and grace to allow Jesus to take the penalty for every rebellion against His law through out our lives. Our obedience to God’s commands in no way will contribute to our salvation because even one sin that we have committed in our lives carries the penalty of death and cannot be covered by any action of our own. Only the blood of Jesus or our own blood in death is enough to pay the penalty of our sin.

Jesus said, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:20 (NKJV). By this Jesus was not saying that the scribes and Pharisees were righteous but that they were not. It is also saying that without Jesus’ righteousness in our stead we cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.

We are not “under the law” because God’s grace helps us want to obey the law in our spirits. God’s mercy gives Jesus to pay the penalty of our transgressions. He gives us His righteousness in place of our own unrighteousness. This does not mean that those chosen by God for salvation do not have a duty to learn and obey God’s laws. This does mean that out of thanksgiving to God for His mercy and grace we do search out His laws and obey them.

Before we are saved, we may know some of the commands of God and done them, naturally or purposefully. After we are saved, we have a desire to seek God and to know all His commands for our life. We joyfully obey them, knowing our actions will not bring us salvation but instead that our actions will honor God. In this way, we thank Him for His redemptive action on our soul. Wanting to know and obey God’s commands due to a leading to be faithful and from selfless joy is not legalism.

We are not “under the law” because God gives us the faith to seek after love and obedience. When we love God we admit our sins, hate them and turn from them back to obedience to God (Psalm 51:3-4; Joel 2:13). If we rebel and refuse to obey the laws God presents to our hearts and minds we will likely find ourselves to be restless, uncomfortable, and depressed. God hopes we will obey Him because if we do not we will find it difficult to communicate and spend time with God. God wants to be in our lives and to have nothing that will keep us apart from Him.

Tags: legalism, obedience