I have been doing some thinking about legalism this morning. I was thinking about verses like the following that say we have to follow the commandments. Paul taught that we are free from the law, so why so much emphasis on keeping the commandments? Truly, these are only two of many verses in the Bible commanding us to keep the law.
“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” (Psalm 119.2).
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14.15).
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for an escape; some sort of loophole in God’s word which will allow me to escape the responsibility of this charge. Instead, the goal is to bring some clarity, so that obedience to this command does not result in self-righteousness.
Romans 2.15 says, “…they [Gentiles] show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.” I think this verse really unlocks the mystery of the law. The law is written on man’s heart. This is called general revelation. We do not need a written law to be able to tell right from wrong and certainly the Spirit of Christ is able to discern for us what is right. We already know what is right! Then the principle—if you love Christ, you will do what He desires. It’s not legalism in the sense that you are adhering to a list of do’s and don’ts in hope that you might at some point earn righteousness and salvation.
The defining factor between legalism and love, then, is that the one who loves, obeys because he wants to please his savior who has judged and pardoned him; the legalist obeys in hopes that he can pay his own penalty. But, sin is too great. We have no ability to save ourselves. “…Salvation comes from the LORD” (Jonah 2.9). It is only by submitting to the will and authority of Christ and obeying the greatest of all commands, “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22.37) that we are able to accept the free gift of salvation. It is at this point that our obedience ceases to be legalism and becomes love.
Obedience Out of Love not Legalism
