Do You Know When You Slip Into Legalism?

Church family:
Jesus calls us, His Church, to use God’s law lawfully (1 Timothy 1:8), especially for the unrighteous among us, not for those who have already been declared righteous in Christ. Understanding God’s epic love story of law and Gospel helps us apply it rightly and avoid the legalistic trap of misusing it. Otherwise, we either miss salvation altogether or make ourselves a legalist, putting ourselves back under the yoke of slavery, always trying to make ourselves righteous by law-keeping.

Picture the grand story: God rescued His people, that includes the line leading to you and me, from slavery in Egypt. He split the sea, fed us in the wilderness, led us by cloud and fire. At trembling Sinai, before any commands, He reminded us: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). From that grace, He gave us His law, a beautiful gift to shape us as His holy people, shining His wisdom to the world (Deuteronomy 4:5-8).

That law acted like a mirror for Israel, and for us today, revealing God's perfect character and the sin in our hearts. Over time, it showed we could not keep it perfectly. As Paul said, “through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). The law was our guardian leading us straight to Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24).

By Jesus' time, leaders buried God's good law under man-made rules, birthing legalism: earning righteousness by performance, finding identity in rule-keeping, belonging by measuring ourselves to others. Does this sound familiar in your life?

Then Jesus, the law's goal, arrived. He didn't abolish the law but fulfilled it perfectly where we failed. On the cross, He took the curse we deserved, giving us His spotless record: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
Word spread: we are forgiven and made righteous not by works of the law, but faith in Christ alone. “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). That is our gospel freedom: resting in Jesus' finished work, no more striving through works.

But in Galatia, false teachers whispered to them, and sometimes to us, “Faith alone is not enough; add law-keeping.” Paul responded: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm… do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). He championed obedience as fruit of salvation, not its root.

God's law did its job everywhere: mirroring His holiness, exposing our sin, pointing us to Christ. Now we believers aren't under law as a merit system, but under grace (Romans 6:14). Grace fuels our joyful obedience from new hearts.

This is how the testimony goes: we strive to be "good enough," chasing rules and feasts, always doubting. Then the gospel rises like sunlight after darkness: God's law exposed our sin truthfully, but Jesus met every demand. My obedience shifts from a desperate earning of His love through works to my delighted response to Him giving me His love as a free gift (Romans 4:2-5).

Legalism still tempts us: “Do more to earn acceptance.” But gospel truth shouts: “Christ did it all; live free!” Legalism breeds pride and fear; gospel builds our family of forgiven sinners obeying as beloved children. We are free from rule-chasing identity. Instead, with law on our hearts, we obey with joy.

See you Sunday, maybe: Steve

P.S. We will let you know when we know if Pender County is not able to open the School building... stay tuned.