Legalism vs Grace

If you have been around spirit-filled circles for a while you have probably heard the term legalism. The problem with “Christian verbage” is that most people don’t understand what you are talking about.

Legalism is trying to gain God’s love, favor, and salvation by following the Law from the Old Testament.

Many think that following the rules and regulations in the Law is what brought them to God, yet nothing could be  further from the truth.

The purpose of the Law was to show mankind how impossible it was to get to God. Perfection was required. The Law was designed to show us the impossibility of anyone being good enough to be saved. It was to drive you to the realization that you needed someone to help you.

That someone is Jesus.

Salvation can come ONLY through God’s grace.  Jesus came, lived the law perfectly and then died in our place to answer the fact that sin HAD to be paid for.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all of your sins-past, present, and FUTURE! This is because when you become born again, you have traded that old sinful spirit we all were born with for God’s  Holy Spirit.  That’s why you cannot be BOTH an old sinner and saved by Grace.

After Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, God (now Father) can now offer the FREE GIFT of salvation to ALL that believe in John 3:16.

                                            “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Now, the problem is that many believe that you are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) but that to maintain your salvation you now have to follow all the rules.

The Apostle Paul had this problem in the early church with what he called Judaizers. These were Jews that had been saved but felt that Christianity was just an extension of Judaism and believed that the Law was still to be followed.

He wrote in Gal 1: 6-7:  6) “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. 7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

In Galatians 3:1, Paul gets a little stronger with his message. “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes    Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”

So many Christians try to keep one foot in grace and the other foot in the law.  That’s what legalism is. We hear sermons of ‘if you don’t go to church or if you don’t tithe or if you don’t read your bible you’re going to hell.’

Folks, all of those things are good and needful, BUT that is NOT what saves you. Only Jesus and faith in Him and what He did for us is what saves you.
 
I used to tell the people in my church that you can’t do good enough to go to heaven and you can’t do bad enough to go to hell.  Salvation is not based on what you do. It’s based on whether you believe in Jesus as Savior.

At this point some will ask ‘what about confession of sins and living a holy life?’

Those things are necessary but not to keep you saved.  Confession and repentance and living holy (trying to) keep the devil from having an open door to kill, steal, and destroy you; John 10:10.

                                      “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

It all boils down to this. You are not saved by following the Law, but by believing in and receiving Jesus as Savior and LORD.

Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Jesus fulfilled every aspect of the Law and then was   sacrificed as the perfect Lamb of God to pay for every sin you have committed, or will ever commit. Glory!

To try and go back and live the Law is saying that Jesus didn’t do enough, so I have to cover what he didn’t do. What a lie!

If you have struggled trying to live perfectly to get God’s love and salvation then stop. Repent, relax, and accept what Jesus has done for you. Amen.

Doc