Legalism vs Obedience

Today will be one of the most important sermons i have ever preached.

Today we are going to be setting the record straight.

If you do not understand the difference between legalism and obedience it can lead to major problems including heresy and even apostasy.

Legalism:

One of the things that we are warned about more than pretty much anything else i9n the NT is the danger of legalism.

In fact we have a whole book in the bible that deals with the dangers of Legalism: The book of Galations.

But we find warnings in pretty much every book.

Perhaps one of the great scriptural summeries is:

2 Corinthians 3:6 KJV 1900

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

What is legalism?

Legalism is the false belief that a person must earn salvation by following the Law.

And make no mistake: It is a false belief:

Galatians 2:16 KJV 1900

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

So in a nutshell we are warned against the false belief that Rule following will earn us anything with God.

But now we enter into the true tension:

Obedience

As much as we are warned against legalism, we are equally commanded to be obedient.

1 Peter 1:14 KJV 1900

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

2 Corinthians 2:9 KJV 1900

9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

Galatians 3:1 KJV 1900

1 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?

and of course:

2 Thessalonians 1:8 KJV 1900

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Thessalonians 3:14 KJV 1900

14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

So we can clearly see that obedience is vital to the christian faith.

But what exactly is obedience?

“Who-pak-quae” and it means: To conform or comply.

In other words to be obedient means to obey or follow the rules.

But hang on, i thought we were just warned about the foolishness of rule following in legalism?

This dilema right here is a theological knife edge. Go to far in one direction and you end up in legalism and are damned.

Go to far the other way and you end up in what is called “Licence” as in licence to do whatever you want and you also end up damned.

So how do we navigate through this problem?

Well its actually not that hard, so long as you know the scriptures.

Matthew 22:29 KJV 1900

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

What is Legalism?

It is the belief that you can merit your salvation through good works ie: Rule following.

So in legalism notice the order solutis:

First you must follow the rules, then you will be saved. The rules come before salvation.

But of course as we have seen this will never happed AND it contradicts the order solutis found in scripture

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Notice in this verse: It is Faith that proceeds our salvation NOT works/ rule following/obedience.

Again we read:

Galatians 3:2 KJV 1900

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

This is an important verse because the Holy Spirit is the seal of our salvation.

Ephesians 1:13 KJV 1900

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

So legalism is when you put the rules BEFORE salvation AND the motive for following the rules is the fear of condemnation.

So now:

What is obedience?

Let us look at the biblical order for when obedience is called for:

When are we called to be obedient?

John 14:15 KJV 1900

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Notice: First is to love the Lord, THEN comes obedience.

That word Love is the Greek Agape, and a person who is in an agape love relationship with Jesus Christ is a person that is ALREADY saved.

So according to Jesus we learn a great deal about obedience from just this short verse:

1: The call for obedience is not in order to get saved, but a call to a person who has already been saved by grace through faith.

AND

2: The motive of obedience is not fear of condemnation, but rather love for Jesus Christ.

So we can see that legalism is obviously different from obedience both in the order AND in the motivation.

But here is our next hurdle:

If we are indeed called to be obedient, then obedient to what?

Now we might be tempted to over simply the answer and just say “The whole Bible”, but that is not the most accurate statement.

After all:

Romans 6:14 KJV 1900

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

So we need to distinguish between the Law of the Letter and the Law of the Spirit.

Romans 8:2 KJV 1900

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

So how do we distinguish between the two?

The answer is simple: Through the teachings of Jesus Christ Himself and the subsequent Spirit inspired writings of the apostels we can know that every NT command, even those that reiterate OT commands are all the Law of the Spirit.

What is the difference between the Law of Moses and the Law of the Spirit?

Well its the difference between Legalism and Obedience.

The Law of the Spirit is NOT works to make us worthy of God’s love and forgivness.

The Law of the Spirit is NOT followed to be saved.

The Law of the Spirit is NOT followed on the basis of fear.

Conclusion:

“Spiritual maturity isn't measured by how high you jump in praise but how straight you walk in obedience.”

Let me tell you: Disobedient christians love to label obedience as Legalism or being religious and love to falsely quote:

1 Thessalonians 5:19 KJV 1900

19 Quench not the Spirit.

Church listen very carefully:

Who inspired the bible?

2 Peter 1:21 KJV 1900

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

If the Holy Spirit inspired the bible, then how can following the commands given to us by the Holy Spirit be “quenching the spirit”?

Its nothing more than an excuse to do whatever they want.

1 John 5:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.