Post by pitbull on Aug 20, 2006 21:23:21 GMT -5
From Liberty to Legalism
A Candid Study of Legalism, "Pharisees," and Christian Liberty
by Timothy S. Morton
________________________________________
Copyright, 1999
Timothy S. Morton
All Rights Reserved
All Scripture references and quotations are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
Chapter I : Legalism Verses Liberty
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1)
One aspect of salvation that seems little emphasized today is the fact that a born again Christian is free from the bondage of sin and the "yoke" of the law. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law...," purchasing our freedom with His blood, but as it was in Galatia in Paul's day, so it is today; there are still those who wish to take a Christian's liberty from him. Liberty must be jealously protected. If not, someone will invariably try to take it from him. From the influence of some "well meaning brethren," the Galatians were considering attempting to keep the Old Testament law along with receiving the work of Christ on the cross. Their "friends" were convincing them God would be more pleased and they would be more "acceptable" if they kept His "holy eternal law." Paul, however, rebukes them for such thinking and tells them only a "fool " would willingly trade liberty for bondage (Gal. 3:1-5). "Stand fast" he adjures them.
The old ways of man die hard. Even though a Christian is free from the law and the law is to be abandoned (Gal. 3:24), the tendency remains in him to devise codes and laws beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures for others to follow. This tendency to "judge" another's actions (or lack of them) by one's own subjective standards and imply holiness is obtained in the keeping of them is the manifestation of what we call "legalism." Legalists love to be an "authority" or judge over others.
It has been said "a legalist is someone who is just a little to the right (that is ideologically) of you," and from a strictly personal perspective this may be true. An Episcopalian may call some Presbyterians "legalists" (or pharisaical); in turn the Presbyterians may call some Baptists "legalists"; and some Baptists may call even other groups "legalists." But where is the line? What must a person believe, say or do to become a true legalist or a Pharisee from a biblical perspective? How far can a believer go insisting on "standards" or "convictions" before he infringes on another Christian's liberty? This relevant and timely topic will be the subject of the following.
Defining The Terms
Before we go on we need to define and explain our terms. Many Fundamentalists when confronted with the term "legalism" (or "legalist") quickly insist it only applies to lost people who seek salvation by works of the law. Though it can mean this, "legalism" is not limited to this narrow definition as any dictionary can attest. A more common and accepted term among Bible believers for groups that teach salvation by works is "cult" instead of legalist. The Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Mormons, and other groups who teach salvation by works are routinely known as "a cult."
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition defines "legalism" as, "strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious moral code." Nearly all other dictionaries define it much the same (some do add as a second definition, "the belief of salvation by good works").
By the above definition it is completely accurate for us to use the term "legalism" (or "legalist") in this article as, "conformity to arbitrary moral codes, rules, or laws to remain in God's will, favor, or blessing after one receives Christ." In other words a believer who insists other believers must follow his or his group's subjective standards before they can live a life pleasing to God is a "legalist." They insist one must follow their "legal" code of behavior to remain in God's will.
We are not saying by this that a professing, born again, "Fundamentalist" who believes in salvation by grace but preaches conformity to his arbitrary "standards" to remain in God's will is a legalist to the extent Jehovah's Witness or other cultists are, but only that any compelled conformity to "laws," rules, or codes to remain in God's favor beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures makes him a "legalist." He simply teaches or implies his own rules and regulations are "biblical" and others must adhere to them to be "godly." They could be called "Christian Legalists" since they are believers.
A "Pharisee" (or "pharisaical behavior") in this article refers to someone who, whether publicly or privately, manifests the negative or ungodly characteristics of the Pharisees as described in the Scriptures. Typically a Pharisee is someone who is more concerned with the outward "image" or the appearance they portray rather than true godliness and consecration of the heart. Christ characterized them as "hypocrites." Unfortunately, many of the traits of the Pharisees have endured the centuries and are quite obvious among many believers today.
When we speak of "liberty" or "Christian liberty," we are referring to the liberty or freedom every true Christian inherently has by being in Christ. "Liberty" is commonly defined as, "freedom or release from slavery, imprisonment, captivity, or any other form of arbitrary control." "Christian liberty" refers to a Christian's release and separation from sin, death (ultimately), hell, Satan, and the curse of the law by the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has freed use FROM the things that previously bound use, not IN them so we can continue to sin. Freedom FROM sin should not be twisted to mean freedom TO sin. Though with his liberty a believer can choose what he will do, unless he chooses within the realm of truth and righteousness, he places himself back into a form of bondage. True freedom is only found when one willingly places himself in subjection to God.
Must Liberty Be Protected?
Since man's creation it has been his nature to seek what he perceives to be freedom. Eve, thinking her and Adam were in bondage by not having a "knowledge of good and evil," exercised their "choice" and ate of the forbidden tree. The Serpent represented the tree as the source of freedom from their restraints but in fact it was the source of their ultimate bondage. By exercising their freewill, but in the process disobeying God, they became joined to sin and death and placed themselves under the subjection of the Serpent. Therefore, just having a freewill and the ability to choose is not the same as being free. Adam's choices became greatly restricted once he disobeyed. To truly be free one must have a source of liberty (God) and exercise their freewill within the parameters of that liberty (God's word and will). It has often been said, "with freedom comes responsibility."
Since the fall of Adam, however, an ugly side has been manifested in man's quest for freedom, in pursuing their own liberty many attempt (and often succeed) to steal it from others. Cain took his brother Abel's life thinking that would free him from the reproach of Abel's righteous life, but he was mistaken. Cain was marked for life for seeking his freedom at the expense of another or seeking it from the wrong source. Joseph's brethren, wanting to free themselves from his presence and influence, stole Joseph's freedom by selling him into slavery. However, while in bondage and even in prison, Joseph was more free in his heart than his brethren who were bound by the guilt of selling him. True liberty is more an attitude than a physical reality.
Human history is filled with accounts of individuals and groups of people stealing liberty from others. From physical bondage (such as slavery) to "intellectual bondage" (Catholics who deny their people access to the Scriptures, etc.), many feel it is their "duty" to suppress (for their "best interest," of course) the freedom of others. This is the very reason liberty is to be jealously guarded. In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Paul wrote the book of Galatians to explain to the Galatians the preciousness of the liberty they have in Christ. There was a group of Jews ("well meaning," of course) who were insisting the Galatians must keep the law to become and remain a Christian. Paul spent six chapters explaining to them how they are free in Christ and cannot be perfected by the bondage of the Mosaic Law. He told them they were "foolish" for so readily giving up the liberty they have in Christ and "not obey[ing] the truth" (Gal. 3:1). Their "well meaning" Jewish "friends" were in fact "false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage" (Gal. 2:4).
The Pharisees are the most notorious advocates of bondage found in the Bible. Christ said of them, "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matt 23:4). They developed legalistic, man-made traditions such as meticulous hand washings and tithing of flower seeds which placed great burdens on the gullible and impressionable public. Christ held these self-righteous hypocrites in the utmost contempt. He directed towards them some of the most scathing words in the Scriptures. As we said many of the traits of the Pharisees can be found among professing believers today, and the legalism of those who promote them is what we are going to concentrate on in the remainder of this article.
21st Century Pharisees?
If modern terminology was used during the first century, the Pharisees could have easily been considered "Bible believing Fundamentalists." They had the right "Bible," believed their Bible was the very word of God and took it literally, spent countless hours reading and studying it, believed the promise of the coming Messiah, believed in angels and the spirit world, and held to every other fundamental doctrine found in their Scriptures. To the Jewish public they were devout, dedicated, godly, and "orthodox," each a model or example for the common believer. Ironically, when the God they claimed to serve came to them in person they didn't recognize Him, and in less than four years they were so opposed to Him they directly caused His death! Their "godly" and "devout" appearance did not reflect the truth.
Even though they had a reputation of being extremely consecrated and devout, Christ reserved for them His most searing remarks and criticism. He sternly and publicly rebuked them for their pious attitude and hypocritical behavior while He exercised kindness, grace, and compassion towards those who were publicly branded as "sinners." Where did the Pharisees go wrong? They had the right God, Bible, heritage, and "doctrines," but what power or influence lead them astray? What caused them to be so harshly castigated by their Creator?
The answer, of course, can only be found in the Scriptures. The Pharisee's besetting sin was a vice that originated long before man came on the scene, that is, PRIDE. Pride and envy (Pro. 27:4) are probably the most consuming and destructive vices one can entertain. Their first victim was not even a man but no less than the anointed cherub Lucifer, "son of the morning" (Isa. 14:12)! Lucifer's new found pride blinded him to the point that he thought he could be like "the most high" (Isa. 14:14). His five "I will" found in Isaiah chapter 14 expose Lucifer's pride and arrogance for all creation to see. Apparently, the Lord revealed these heavenly events in his word so man could read and learn of pride's destructive power (Pro. 16:18). From cherub to human, all who allow it to thrive ultimately suffer.
Every person is susceptible to pride. Since the fall there is an inherent desire in man to exalt himself or make himself appear better than he really is. That pride is always present, however, does not mean a believer must let it have its way. All true Christians have a new nature (actually Christ's own righteous nature) that is NOT susceptible to pride, and when they follow it pride is not in the picture. But believers also still have the old Adamic nature they were born with and pride is very much at home with this "old man," and whenever this nature is followed, pride is always manifested in some form.
Nearly every sin a person can commit has its roots in pride. If one lies it's because pride is afraid of the truth; if one steals it's because pride wants something; if one curses it's because pride says "I can say what I want"; if one exalts himself it's because pride loves the attention; if one is a religious hypocrite it's because pride wants to appear "godly." For all practical purposes the terms "pride" and "self" are interchangeable. It has often been said "self-preservation" is the strongest human trait and man will resort to nearly any means to protect himself. Likewise, when one is protecting his reputation or "image" before others, pride will resort to desperate measures to keep his bloated ego from embarrassment.
A Candid Study of Legalism, "Pharisees," and Christian Liberty
by Timothy S. Morton
________________________________________
Copyright, 1999
Timothy S. Morton
All Rights Reserved
All Scripture references and quotations are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
Chapter I : Legalism Verses Liberty
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1)
One aspect of salvation that seems little emphasized today is the fact that a born again Christian is free from the bondage of sin and the "yoke" of the law. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law...," purchasing our freedom with His blood, but as it was in Galatia in Paul's day, so it is today; there are still those who wish to take a Christian's liberty from him. Liberty must be jealously protected. If not, someone will invariably try to take it from him. From the influence of some "well meaning brethren," the Galatians were considering attempting to keep the Old Testament law along with receiving the work of Christ on the cross. Their "friends" were convincing them God would be more pleased and they would be more "acceptable" if they kept His "holy eternal law." Paul, however, rebukes them for such thinking and tells them only a "fool " would willingly trade liberty for bondage (Gal. 3:1-5). "Stand fast" he adjures them.
The old ways of man die hard. Even though a Christian is free from the law and the law is to be abandoned (Gal. 3:24), the tendency remains in him to devise codes and laws beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures for others to follow. This tendency to "judge" another's actions (or lack of them) by one's own subjective standards and imply holiness is obtained in the keeping of them is the manifestation of what we call "legalism." Legalists love to be an "authority" or judge over others.
It has been said "a legalist is someone who is just a little to the right (that is ideologically) of you," and from a strictly personal perspective this may be true. An Episcopalian may call some Presbyterians "legalists" (or pharisaical); in turn the Presbyterians may call some Baptists "legalists"; and some Baptists may call even other groups "legalists." But where is the line? What must a person believe, say or do to become a true legalist or a Pharisee from a biblical perspective? How far can a believer go insisting on "standards" or "convictions" before he infringes on another Christian's liberty? This relevant and timely topic will be the subject of the following.
Defining The Terms
Before we go on we need to define and explain our terms. Many Fundamentalists when confronted with the term "legalism" (or "legalist") quickly insist it only applies to lost people who seek salvation by works of the law. Though it can mean this, "legalism" is not limited to this narrow definition as any dictionary can attest. A more common and accepted term among Bible believers for groups that teach salvation by works is "cult" instead of legalist. The Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Mormons, and other groups who teach salvation by works are routinely known as "a cult."
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition defines "legalism" as, "strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious moral code." Nearly all other dictionaries define it much the same (some do add as a second definition, "the belief of salvation by good works").
By the above definition it is completely accurate for us to use the term "legalism" (or "legalist") in this article as, "conformity to arbitrary moral codes, rules, or laws to remain in God's will, favor, or blessing after one receives Christ." In other words a believer who insists other believers must follow his or his group's subjective standards before they can live a life pleasing to God is a "legalist." They insist one must follow their "legal" code of behavior to remain in God's will.
We are not saying by this that a professing, born again, "Fundamentalist" who believes in salvation by grace but preaches conformity to his arbitrary "standards" to remain in God's will is a legalist to the extent Jehovah's Witness or other cultists are, but only that any compelled conformity to "laws," rules, or codes to remain in God's favor beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures makes him a "legalist." He simply teaches or implies his own rules and regulations are "biblical" and others must adhere to them to be "godly." They could be called "Christian Legalists" since they are believers.
A "Pharisee" (or "pharisaical behavior") in this article refers to someone who, whether publicly or privately, manifests the negative or ungodly characteristics of the Pharisees as described in the Scriptures. Typically a Pharisee is someone who is more concerned with the outward "image" or the appearance they portray rather than true godliness and consecration of the heart. Christ characterized them as "hypocrites." Unfortunately, many of the traits of the Pharisees have endured the centuries and are quite obvious among many believers today.
When we speak of "liberty" or "Christian liberty," we are referring to the liberty or freedom every true Christian inherently has by being in Christ. "Liberty" is commonly defined as, "freedom or release from slavery, imprisonment, captivity, or any other form of arbitrary control." "Christian liberty" refers to a Christian's release and separation from sin, death (ultimately), hell, Satan, and the curse of the law by the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has freed use FROM the things that previously bound use, not IN them so we can continue to sin. Freedom FROM sin should not be twisted to mean freedom TO sin. Though with his liberty a believer can choose what he will do, unless he chooses within the realm of truth and righteousness, he places himself back into a form of bondage. True freedom is only found when one willingly places himself in subjection to God.
Must Liberty Be Protected?
Since man's creation it has been his nature to seek what he perceives to be freedom. Eve, thinking her and Adam were in bondage by not having a "knowledge of good and evil," exercised their "choice" and ate of the forbidden tree. The Serpent represented the tree as the source of freedom from their restraints but in fact it was the source of their ultimate bondage. By exercising their freewill, but in the process disobeying God, they became joined to sin and death and placed themselves under the subjection of the Serpent. Therefore, just having a freewill and the ability to choose is not the same as being free. Adam's choices became greatly restricted once he disobeyed. To truly be free one must have a source of liberty (God) and exercise their freewill within the parameters of that liberty (God's word and will). It has often been said, "with freedom comes responsibility."
Since the fall of Adam, however, an ugly side has been manifested in man's quest for freedom, in pursuing their own liberty many attempt (and often succeed) to steal it from others. Cain took his brother Abel's life thinking that would free him from the reproach of Abel's righteous life, but he was mistaken. Cain was marked for life for seeking his freedom at the expense of another or seeking it from the wrong source. Joseph's brethren, wanting to free themselves from his presence and influence, stole Joseph's freedom by selling him into slavery. However, while in bondage and even in prison, Joseph was more free in his heart than his brethren who were bound by the guilt of selling him. True liberty is more an attitude than a physical reality.
Human history is filled with accounts of individuals and groups of people stealing liberty from others. From physical bondage (such as slavery) to "intellectual bondage" (Catholics who deny their people access to the Scriptures, etc.), many feel it is their "duty" to suppress (for their "best interest," of course) the freedom of others. This is the very reason liberty is to be jealously guarded. In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Paul wrote the book of Galatians to explain to the Galatians the preciousness of the liberty they have in Christ. There was a group of Jews ("well meaning," of course) who were insisting the Galatians must keep the law to become and remain a Christian. Paul spent six chapters explaining to them how they are free in Christ and cannot be perfected by the bondage of the Mosaic Law. He told them they were "foolish" for so readily giving up the liberty they have in Christ and "not obey[ing] the truth" (Gal. 3:1). Their "well meaning" Jewish "friends" were in fact "false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage" (Gal. 2:4).
The Pharisees are the most notorious advocates of bondage found in the Bible. Christ said of them, "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matt 23:4). They developed legalistic, man-made traditions such as meticulous hand washings and tithing of flower seeds which placed great burdens on the gullible and impressionable public. Christ held these self-righteous hypocrites in the utmost contempt. He directed towards them some of the most scathing words in the Scriptures. As we said many of the traits of the Pharisees can be found among professing believers today, and the legalism of those who promote them is what we are going to concentrate on in the remainder of this article.
21st Century Pharisees?
If modern terminology was used during the first century, the Pharisees could have easily been considered "Bible believing Fundamentalists." They had the right "Bible," believed their Bible was the very word of God and took it literally, spent countless hours reading and studying it, believed the promise of the coming Messiah, believed in angels and the spirit world, and held to every other fundamental doctrine found in their Scriptures. To the Jewish public they were devout, dedicated, godly, and "orthodox," each a model or example for the common believer. Ironically, when the God they claimed to serve came to them in person they didn't recognize Him, and in less than four years they were so opposed to Him they directly caused His death! Their "godly" and "devout" appearance did not reflect the truth.
Even though they had a reputation of being extremely consecrated and devout, Christ reserved for them His most searing remarks and criticism. He sternly and publicly rebuked them for their pious attitude and hypocritical behavior while He exercised kindness, grace, and compassion towards those who were publicly branded as "sinners." Where did the Pharisees go wrong? They had the right God, Bible, heritage, and "doctrines," but what power or influence lead them astray? What caused them to be so harshly castigated by their Creator?
The answer, of course, can only be found in the Scriptures. The Pharisee's besetting sin was a vice that originated long before man came on the scene, that is, PRIDE. Pride and envy (Pro. 27:4) are probably the most consuming and destructive vices one can entertain. Their first victim was not even a man but no less than the anointed cherub Lucifer, "son of the morning" (Isa. 14:12)! Lucifer's new found pride blinded him to the point that he thought he could be like "the most high" (Isa. 14:14). His five "I will
Every person is susceptible to pride. Since the fall there is an inherent desire in man to exalt himself or make himself appear better than he really is. That pride is always present, however, does not mean a believer must let it have its way. All true Christians have a new nature (actually Christ's own righteous nature) that is NOT susceptible to pride, and when they follow it pride is not in the picture. But believers also still have the old Adamic nature they were born with and pride is very much at home with this "old man," and whenever this nature is followed, pride is always manifested in some form.
Nearly every sin a person can commit has its roots in pride. If one lies it's because pride is afraid of the truth; if one steals it's because pride wants something; if one curses it's because pride says "I can say what I want"; if one exalts himself it's because pride loves the attention; if one is a religious hypocrite it's because pride wants to appear "godly." For all practical purposes the terms "pride" and "self" are interchangeable. It has often been said "self-preservation" is the strongest human trait and man will resort to nearly any means to protect himself. Likewise, when one is protecting his reputation or "image" before others, pride will resort to desperate measures to keep his bloated ego from embarrassment.