Beautiful story of God’s wonderful providence and sovereignty in the life of this young man.
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What Exactly is Legalism?
Sep 16
The New Testament does not use the word “legalism” and, therefore, it is thrown around today pretty carelessly. The most common misunderstanding of the idea is that it only applies to salvific matters. This is the common refrain from today’s fundamentalist. “Our extra-biblical rules are not legalism because we aren’t saying you have to do them to be saved!” While it is correct to view extra-biblical regulations as legalism as it applies to our justification. Should it not also be shunned as it relates to our sanctification? I’ll use the word “legalism” in at least two senses, but both have a common root problem.
Legalism means treating biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to earn God’s favor. In other words legalism will be present wherever a person is trying to be ethical in his own strength, that is, without relying on the merciful help of God in Christ. Simply put, moral behavior that is not from faith is legalism. The legalist is always a very moral person. In fact the majority of moral people are legalists because their so-called Judeo-Christian morality inherited from their forefathers does not grow out of a humble, contrite reliance on the merciful enabling of God. On the contrary, for the legalist, morality serves the same function that immorality does for the antinomian, the free-thinker, the progressive, namely, it serves as an expression of self-reliance and self-assertion. The reason some Pharisees tithed and fasted is the same reason some German university students take off their clothes and lie around naked in the park in downtown Munich. The moral legalist is always the elder brother of the immoral prodigal. They are blood brothers in God’s sight because both reject the sovereign mercy of God in Christ as a means to righteousness and use either morality or immorality as a means of expressing their independence and self-sufficiency and self-determination. And it is clear from the NT that both will result in a tragic loss of eternal life. So the first meaning of legalism is the terrible mistake of treating biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to earn God’s favor. It is a danger we must guard against in our own hearts every day. And please know that my old self is just as prone to it as anyone.
This is the most common brand of legalism practiced today in modern fundamentalism. The erecting of specific requirements of conduct beyond the teaching of Scripture and making adherence to them the means by which a person is qualified for full participation in the local family of God, the church. This is where unbiblical exclusivism arises. There is no getting around the fact that the church does not include everyone. We do exclude people from membership because we believe worship should imply commitment to the lordship of Christ, the head of the church. But exclusion of people from the church should never be taken lightly. It is a very serious matter. Schools and clubs and societies can set up any human regulations they wish in order to keep certain people out and preserve by rule a particular atmosphere. But the church is not man’s institution. It belongs to Christ. He is the head of the body, and he alone should set the entrance requirements. That is very important!
Here is a good historical look at the underpinnings of what has become the modern fundamentalist movement. The IFB’s (Independent Fundamental Baptist) eschew denominational ties vigorously in their speech. But make no mistake, there is a hierarchical structure of rulers, bylaws and regulations that regulate membership to this exclusive club.
The following is a transcript of a seminar given by Phil Johnson (director of Grace to You) at the 2005 Shepherd’s Conference.
In speaking of God, Job said, “He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24). The writer to the Hebrews wrote that “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). It is an awesome thought to consider that God sees everything, and that nothing is hidden from his sight.
We have already spoken of the fact that God is everywhere, and that he is all-powerful. We now consider his omniscience – his knowing of everything. Interestingly, God’s omniscience is closely tied to his omnipotence and his omnipresence.
The psalmist writes, “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures (Psalm 104:24). And, in Psalm 139 he speaks of the fact that God knows him, because God made him (vv. 2, 15, & 16). God knows all things, because he has made all things. His creation, by his great power, has given him both authority and knowledge over all things.
Jeremiah says, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord” o(Jeremiah 23:24). Again, in Psalm 139 we read, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you” (Psalm 139:7-12). God’s omniscience is tied to his omnipresence, because God is everywhere and sees all things. Nothing is hidden from him.
Omnipresence and omnipotence are impressive sounding words. But, what do they mean? What attributes of God are we talking about when we use these words? Of course, presence has to do with someone being in a place, and potent or potency has to do with power. The important part of each of these words is the prefix omni. This is a Latin prefix meaning all. So, omnipresent and omnipotent mean that God is in all places, and he is all powerful.
Although the word omnipresent does not occur in Scripture, the idea is one that is presented throughout the pages of the Bible. One important theme is the idea that God cannot be contained in one place, even the heavens or the entire earth. When Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, he said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27).
When Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle in the wilderness, he also dedicated it to the Lord as his house on earth. After that we read, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys:” (Exodus 40:34-38).