How’s your New Year going so far? Are you feeling anxious because you know the credit card bill is coming in the mail? Did you do enough at Christmas… give enough… too much… did you give the “right” gift… did it all go well? All these are questions you may ask yourself after the holidays. All too often we expect a great deal out of ourselves. This sometimes leads us to question what we have done and what we have left un-done. Everyone has shortcomings and yet sometimes we simply wish we could do it all. And we feel guilty when we can’t get it all done. Even in our faith life, if we could just “do more” then it will be enough.
I recently read an article by Dr. Roy Gane. He addresses our overt need to live up to others expectations and our own. We live in a society where performing well is praised and failing is frowned upon. He says that from the time we are children, we are taught lessons about “getting it all done.” Many people fall into the trap of believing that their entire self worth is wrapped up in living up to “a standard.” It is likely engrained into our subconscious that we just aren’t doing enough. This is just another form of legalism. Jesus attacks such legalism in Matthew 5:17-18 by saying that He “has come not to abolish the Law but to fulfill the Law.” Also this in Ephesians 2:8 by saying, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
People of Jesus’ day and ours get caught up in legalism. In other words, rather than the Law protecting people and serving them, the Law was used to oppress some people.
Gane names two common ways that we get caught up in legalism. This occurs when there is a latching onto non-essential views and creating an elitist atmosphere for those who agree and condemnation for those who don’t. I am reminded of a story about a little girl whose Grandfather told her that Sunday’s were made for worship and she should be prayerful and slow. The child walked by a horse in a fence. The horse had his eyes closed and looked relaxed, the girl shouted, “Old fella… you must be a good Christian horse!” In other words, if you don’t act accordingly, you must not have the right faith. The second form of legalism is that of having works righteousness or what I call “a get-of- hell-free card” in your pocket (if you have ever played the game of Monopoly you know what I am talking about). That is when someone actually believes that if they are “good” God will be happy and welcome them into heaven. Obedience to God is not simply living by lots of rules.
The answer lies in the fact that we all, no matter what we do, fall short. But, we really don’t get what we deserve… God’s wrath. We get what we do not deserve and that is grace, forgiveness, and love. The problem with any form of legalism is that we hear a false gospel. God’s love is not dependent on our obedience or lack thereof. It is legalism that causes the Pharisee to be proud in the presence of a tax collector. It is legalism that causes a missionary in Africa to believe that God is more pleased with him than the businessman in America. It is legalism that causes the Christian in the pew to feel superior to the golfer on the tee. And it is legalism that causes the preacher to think God is more pleased with him than with the tatooed woman sitting in the bar.
The truth again… God loves you and is wholly and completely in love with you. You are the child God always wanted and God has made each of us pure, not by our work, but by the work of Christ on the cross. Christ’s blood shed for us all is the gospel. We are loved. That is why we want to be obedient, because God first loved us and we are so thankful. Examine yourself and rely totally upon Christ. May you be blessed and freed by reading this message! Until next time, in Christ!
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