Legalism – a silly, meaningless word

Actually, John Wesley said that. “Do not stupidly and senselessly call holiness legalism—a silly, meaningless word. Be not afraid of being under the law of God. Rather, fear being under the law of sin.” (See Wesley’s sermon at the end of this paper.)

Of course, “legalism” is a real word with a meaning. Wesley’s point is that some preachers and teachers use the term in a “silly, meaningless” way. In his sermon, “Holiness is not Legalism,” he shows how these spiritual guides nullify the Scripture’s doctrine that Christians are to be holy and zealous of good works by fabricating a false doctrine they call, “Legalism.” Legalism, they say, is the foul rival of Grace and is “the doctrine that salvation is gained by good works” (dictionary.com).

If that were the real meaning of Legalism, I cannot think of anyone who would disagree with them. But I have never met, or even heard of, a Christian group that believes a man can save himself by being good, or earn his salvation by doing good works. Every man has sinned, is estranged from God and has disqualified himself. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can repair his impossible situation and save his soul from Hell. So John Wesley is right, this kind of Legalism is a silly, meaningless word – nobody believes it or practices it. It’s also a raging red herring. Because what these Protestant teachers really mean by “Legalism” is something else:  the belief that a Christian is obliged to keep the commandments of Christ. Not true, they say. “Christ has already accomplished and suffered everything for us…His righteousness is imputed to us; therefore, we need none of our own” (Wesley).

These people disparage Christians who are striving to deny the flesh and do good. “Legalism!” they cry, “You can’t earn your salvation by good works!” But these honest seekers are not trying to gain their salvation, they’re trying to maintain their salvation. Nevertheless, the “Reformed” scholars and doctors of the Scriptures claim these believers have fallen into grave heresy.   

Wesley says, “Wherever this doctrine of easy grace is received, it leaves no place for holiness. It forbids all such exhortations as might excite a desire for holiness. Nay, it makes men afraid of personal holiness, afraid of cherishing any thought of it. For they fear that any step toward holiness might be a denial of the faith, and a rejection of Christ and His righteousness. So that, instead of being ‘zealous for good works,’ good works are a stench to their nostrils.”

Christ and the Apostles taught everywhere that God desires and expects our good works. Jesus said, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Mat 5:16). The apostle Paul wrote, That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2Tim 3:17). Peter, Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that…they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation (1Pet 2:12). James, Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only (James 2:24). And John, Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous…He that committeth sin is of the devil (1John 3:7-8).

Corroborating this truth are many passages that depict God judging Man according to each one’s works at the last day. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2Cor 5:10). For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works (Mat 16:27). And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Rev 22:12). Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth…tribulation and anguish. But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good (Rom 2:6-10).

The honest Christ seeker is convinced by these Scriptures that strict adherence to the commandments and teachings in the Word of Christ cannot be Legalism – or else Legalism is good, sound doctrine. Now, I believe that Legalism is a very real danger, but I do not accept the Protestant definition that Legalism is the idea that salvation is gained by doing good works. Nor can it be obeying the commandments of Christ. As Wesley said, that would make it a silly, meaningless word.

Then what is Legalism?

Everyone, including the Protestant teachers, hold up the Pharisees of Jesus’ day as the prime example of Legalism. The Pharisees were the foremost religious group in Judaism, professing to uphold the Law of Moses in every important detail. They had organized schools and councils to study the Scriptures, and their scribes, lawyers and doctors of the Law were the de facto leaders of Jewish religion. Most were not priests, but religious Jews who had taken it upon themselves to study and interpret the Old Testament for the people. Unfortunately, the Pharisees were far from God and His Truth. They were vain, wicked men, full of extortion and excess, and their interpretations of the Law was the leaven of hypocrisy (Mat 23:25; Luke 12:1).

Jesus spoke kindly to all – seekers, doubters, beggars, harlots and sinners. But not to the Pharisees! Indeed, we are surprised by how harsh He is, calling them a “generation of vipers…tombs full of dead bones…children of the Devil” (Mat 12:34, 23:27; John 8:44). If the Pharisees were Legalists, then whatever it is, Legalism is a very serious sin. So let’s dig deeper into Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees to understand this error.

The stand-out feature of the Pharisees was their appalling hypocrisy and iniquity (Mat 23:28). Their problem was not that they were doing too many good works! Far from it, they had no good works. They were hypocrites – claiming to be pious and good when in fact they were full of ravening and wickedness (Luke 11:39), adept at robbing widows, bearing false witness, persecuting the righteous, committing adultery and corrupting true seekers of God. They were an evil and adulterous generation (Mat 12:39).

Jesus never rebuked the Pharisees for strictly following the Law, or even for thinking that keeping the Law would save them. On the contrary He affirmed that belief and practice, telling the rich young ruler, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments (Mat 19:7). But the Pharisees fell far short in that activity. Jesus said, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:20). He taught the people, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it (Luke 11:28). And, Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me (John 5:39; also Mark 1:44; Mat 23:3; Gal 3:12; Mat 23:23; Rom 7:12).

No, the error of the Pharisees was not trying to be saved by keeping the Law (see Lev 18:5; Eze 18:21), but the deadly sin of hypocrisy. They claimed to be Abraham’s children but did not do the works of Abraham. Instead, they did the works of the Devil, a murderer and liar from the beginning (John 8:39-44). A hypocrite is someone who acts in contradiction to his stated beliefs. The Pharisees claimed to be Moses’ disciples and careful keepers of the Law, but Jesus revealed them to be fraudsters. They were not keeping God’s Law (John 9:28; 7:19), but phony doctrines that their scribes and lawyers falsely declared to be God’s Law.

Jesus exposed the Pharisees’ technique to accomplish this sleight of hand:  Laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition (Mark 7:7-9). Their doctrine was false. By subtle legalese and cunning interpretations, they manipulated the Scriptures to serve their own interests (Mat 16:12).

Jesus gave ugly examples of their lawyerisms – how their scribes and doctors had twisted the Word of God to completely nullify the fifth commandment to honor thy father and mother (Mark 7:9-13); and how their many additions to the Law, like the washing of pots and hands before eating, was nothing but commandments of men (Mark 7:1-8). He also rebuked them for their “oral law” regulations that made it unlawful to work miracles on the Sabbath.

The Pharisees were experts at using specious definitions and legal arguments. They twisted and made the Word of God of none effect through (their) tradition, thereby overturning the laws of God which their evil hearts did not like. This was the leaven of the Pharisees – circumventing the true teaching of the Word by dishonest explanations of it. A particularly disgusting example is what I call, “legal adultery.” The Pharisees had invented a legal way around God’s commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery. They would “marry” a woman for one night and put her away the next day.  

The mal-practice of the Pharisees demonstrates the real error of Legalism. Their lawyers studied the Law, not to learn more about God, but to find loopholes or ways to re-define terms in order to completely invalidate the Law’s intention. This evil device is one of deadliest in the Devil’s toolbox and dishonest Christians today have utilized it to lead people even further from God than the Pharisees did. Satan, whispering into fleshly minds of men, has gotten them to twist and manipulate the Scriptures to concoct their own doctrines and pass them off as God’s doctrines. Instead of rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2Tim 2:15) they wrest the Scriptures – but in the end, to their own destruction (2Pet 3:16).

Legalism in Bible teaching

While the sin of Legalism can be found upon any church bench, the fact is that the Protestant preachers who teach that “Man’s good works are filthy rags to God” are the real Pharisees here – not those Christians who are strictly keeping the commandments of Christ. Using the Pharisees’ own technique, these teachers have succeeded in “making the Word of God of none effect by their own doctrine.” For, taking one particular verse, they nullify the rest of the Word of the Truth. And oh, the terrible effect this has had upon the churches of Christ, for there is absolutely no bounds to Legalism in the hands of a hypocrite Pharisee. The most abhorrent, anti-God practices imaginable have been allowed by legalistic preachers and teachers wearing the very guise of the Christian religion.    

In spite of Wesley’s warning, many Christian groups have unwittingly legitimized the term, “legalism.” It has been repeated so often that we instinctively accept its existence – that people are trying to earn their salvation by their good works. “Did you know that those people don’t let their young people go to music concerts? They’re legalistic. They think that their works are going to save them.” This strawman argument has deceived many.

What about all the verses quoted above? Jesus pointedly warned each of the seven churches, I know thy works. The Scriptures are very clear on this. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Gal 6:7-8). Again, nobody is out there preaching that we can be saved by doing good works – only the mercy of Christ can do that – but the Scriptures are emphatic that every Christian WILL manifest a life of good works.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1Cor 6:9-11).

Do not be deceived by the present-day leaven of the hypocrite Pharisees who deny what is Biblically obvious. A Christian cannot live in unrighteousness. Don’t try it, or you will wake up in Hell.

We said earlier that the Pharisees were not trusting in their good works for salvation. That’s because they wantonly believed their blood-ties to Abraham would save them (Mat 3:9). God had promised and sworn it! (see John 8:39-44). They were so sure of their salvation on account of being Abraham’s children that they freely sinned willfully. John the Baptist’s repentance message pricked the guilty hearts of the common people, but the hard-hearted, legalistic Pharisees had fabricated a religion that did not need humility, repentance, good works, or the fear of God. Sound familiar?

Legalism in Anabaptist churches

The dangerous error of Legalism exists in conservative churches too, but not in the way that Calvinists have told us. Instead, it is the same duplicitous handling of the Word of God – this time in unwise additions to the Word of God that are presented as commandments of God. The Pharisees required the washing of pots and hands before meals – practices which the Law had not specified. The Jews however, apparently thought those washings made them more holy. And they went a step further and made it a sanctionable offense, for what they deemed holy shall be holy for all – else you will be cast out of the synagogue along with the man who carried his bed on the Sabbath (John 5:10).    

Jesus told the Pharisees, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts (Luke 16:14). Who are we trying to please, men or God? (see 1Thes 2:4). Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in (Mat 23:13). The churches of Christ are responsible to rightly divide the principles of the Word to keep away from wickedness and fleshly desires. Jesus is not looking for a people who outwardly look pious by regulating the body, but an actual inwardly holy nation that shews forth His praises (1Pet 2:9); that is the final purpose of church guidelines.

Jesus warned the disciples to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known (Luke 12:2). At the end of time, when every soul of man is gathered before the great White Throne, the hypocrisy of many will suddenly be revealed (Mat 7:21-27) and the foolish arguments of Legalism, in all its forms, will stand naked and open before Him (Heb 4:13). Thinking to “interpret” the Scriptures to fit your own mind is the ultimate height of foolishness! At the very worst moment, everyone is going to see how silly it is to gainsay the Judge of all the Earth. God will not be mocked. Those legal loopholes will not stand before Him; those man-made definitions will fail before His questioning.  

Some men’s sins go beforehand to the Judgment, and some follow after (1Tim 5:24). Be careful to take care of your errors and sins here, so that when the books of your life there will be no surprises (Rev 20:12). Continue in the grace (pardon and power) of God (Acts 13:43). Send those bad deeds ahead of you to the Judgment so that they will not pop up at that very worst of all moments (Eze 33:12).

In conclusion, all churches should learn from the sad example of the Pharisees. We need to do what God has said is important to Him – not what our mind thinks important to Him. To do that, we need to carefully and reverently handle the Word of God to learn and keep His commandments and not a set of manmade rules that do not aid in the battle against the flesh (Col 2:23; Tit 1:14). Rules are good and necessary, but they need to be firmly based in Bible principles. Polygamy, suicide, abortion and pornography are not explicitly condemned by Christ and the Apostles, yet the churches of Christ must condemn those wicked practices by rightly teaching and applying the Scriptural doctrines concerning marriage, murder and uncleanness. The Pharisees among us will find ways to justify those sins using the very Word of God.

Good works are filthy rags?

The French philosopher Rene Descartes said, “No statement is too absurd for people to accept; you just have to convince them that most people already believe it.” The intellectual class in Christianity (theologians, pastors, authors, elders, seminary scholars) has greatly profited from this human predisposition. Why is a mind trained in “Reformed Theology” so unmoved by the serious Scriptural doctrines against it? One reason is encapsulated in Descartes’ wry observation – they are convinced that the best and brightest theologians already believe it. I speak from experience.

The Divine text is neither obscure nor difficult to understand, yet we are constantly told that it must be “interpreted,” which implies that it was written in a special language or code that a select few have learned to decipher. It is the same strategy of the Pharisees. “You need a lawyer, a doctor of the Bible to interpret what this phrase means.” And then they proceed to completely circumvent the plain intent of the passage.   

Perhaps no single false doctrine has been so repeatedly hammered into the conscience of contemporary Christianity as the statement that God views Man’s attempts at good works to be nothing but filthy rags. It has been written and preached as a basic truth of soteriology. Many are the souls that believe it, in spite of dozens of passages which emphatically teach otherwise (see page 2).

Let’s look at the primary proof text used for this “absurd” idea. It is found in the middle of Isaiah’s pleading prayer on behalf of wayward Israel, which I will condense for brevity’s sake.

So it is Isaiah (not God) who says that Israel’s good works are as filthy rags. And his intention is to evoke the depth of Jews’ rebellions, not to make a theological statement. They had not simply neglected to do one of the laws, or disobeyed one of the commandments, but had wholly and terribly forsaken God to such extent that their best deeds were as filthy rags. And that’s why God would not help them in their time of trouble. This was the basic theme of the prophet Isaiah, given to him by God at the beginning of his ministry, and which he repeatedly preached to the children of Israel (i.e. Isaiah 1:13-20).

As we have shown earlier in this paper, the truth is that the Scriptures everywhere teach that God notices and blesses those that perform good works. He loveth righteousness (Ps 33:5). His eyes are upon the righteous and His ears are opened to their cry, but His face is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth (Ps 34:15-216). This is clearly seen even in Isaiah’s prayer: Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness (v5). From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus confirmed this fact of God, saying, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled (Mat 5:6).

The hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 is filled with outstanding men and women who did great works for God. There is not one exception. That’s because He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6) and His written Word calls us to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work (Col 1:10). And He soberly warned the contrary-minded that, To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Heaven is not going to be filled with people who knew what the Bible commanded and yet did otherwise.

As any good father rejoicing to see his children walk in good works, God is pleased to see His children doing the same. Astonishingly, this truth is plainly evident in the very text that Calvinists use most to teach the opposite. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph 2:8-9). I have heard whole sermons on this beautiful passage, where the preacher will careful avoid reading into the next verse: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10). Isn’t this verse every bit as important as the previous ones?

Now, let’s be a careful farmer and be sure to put the horse before the cart. According to this passage, salvation does not result from doing good works, but good works result from being saved. Note the same distinction in Titus 3:5-8, “We are saved by His mercy and grace so that we might be careful to maintain good works.” Salvation is solely based on God’s gracious pardon of whosoever will come to Him in humble repentance. No man can boast that he was saved on account of his own good works. And that means we are truly His workmanship:  saved by grace through faith and hence, “created for good works.” The problem with the Calvinist idea that salvation needs no evidencing works is absolutely fatal. This farmer is not looking to correctly position the horse and cart! He doesn’t even have a cart – all he has is a horse.

What is God’s desire?

God is making for Himself a holy, peculiar people that to glorify His name. A called-out Church that abstains from fleshly lusts and abounds in good works (1Pet 2:9-12). This is what pleases Him:  To do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God (Micah 6:8). Here is the pure religion and undefiled: To visit the afflicted and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). Jesus told His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Mat 16:24). These verses simply overflow with action verbs – good works that will follow the saved of Christ. “abstain, do, love, walk, visit, keep, come, deny, take up, follow.” Legalism, in all its forms, turns us away from doing God’s pleasure by focusing on high-brow semantic arguments and unbeneficial frivolities.

Some theologians even deny that Man has the freedom to will and do, obliviously ignoring that they are denying the course of their own lives and the history of mankind. Faith, or the general ability to comprehend, believe and act accordingly, was designed by God to be the basis for a man’s salvation (Heb 11:6). Man’s faith induces God’s grace. Thus, He created Man with an intelligent, sentient mind capable of judging, choosing, revising and determining his steps in life. Humans alone have this ability to hear, analyze, believe, accept and act according to his own mind. This living by faith is innate in Mankind and native to the human experience.

What is God’s deepest desire for us? I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Rom 12:1). A living sacrifice is a life which has laid Self – dead and still quivering – on the altar for a burnt offering to God; it is a life which has counted all to be utterly loss in order to gain Christ (Php 3:8). It is that life which is alive to walk humbly with God, but dead to the Satan, Self and Sin (Rom 6:11). Such worship ascends to throne of God a sweet-smelling savour, well-pleasing and precious in His sight (Eph 5:2). Gathering together for praise and sermons is good, but the continual living sacrifice of souls with faith is what ultimately fulfills God’s good pleasure.

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