The Heresy of Legalism

    There is no heresy I know of that is more inherently evil, causes more difficulties, creates more havoc, or runs more blatantly in the face of Holy Scripture than the teaching that believers are still under the Mosaic law and, consequently, obliged to observe sabbath days, pay tithes, and fear punitive measures in this life and in the life to come if they fail to measure up.

    Let me show you what the reformed people say. Remember, I am not telling you what I think they mean. This is exactly what they say.

    The Westminster Confession reads, “The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof… informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly…the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof.”

    Regarding the sabbath day, which they tell us was changed to Sunday, we are told, “This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations; but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.”

    That is what the reformed folks say. I ask you to simply read for yourself what God says in his Word about the law and sabbath day observance. This is what God the Holy Spirit says in the Book of Inspiration (Rom. 6:14-15; 7:4; 8:1; 10:4; Gal. 3:13, 24-25; 1 Tim. 1:8-10; Col. 2:16-17).

    Romans 6:14-15 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

    Romans 7:4 "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

    Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

    Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

    Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

    Galatians 3:24-25 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

    1 Timothy 1:8-10 "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; (9) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (10) For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."

    Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

    The bare reading of these Scriptures, without comment of any kind from me, should convince any unprejudiced mind that there is absolutely no sense in which believers are under the law. In Christ we have been brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

    The only way sinful men and women can honor God’s holy law is by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:31).

    Romans 3:31 "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

    The law of God demands two things of every person: righteousness and satisfaction. The only way we can establish, uphold, maintain, and honor the law is by offering it what it demands. The only way we can do that is by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, who has both fulfilled the righteousness of the law and satisfied the justice of the law as the all-sufficient Substitute for those who trust him.

    Legalists are really antinomians. They call their sinful lives righteous and comfort themselves with a sincere effort at obeying the law. Thus, they bring the law of God down to their own level. That does nothing to honor the law. That dishonors and would destroy the law.

    Believers are motivated and inspired not by law, but by gratitude and love in serving and worshipping Christ (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 1 John 3:23). We do not serve Christ for fear that God might punish us, or because we hope to gain reward from him, but because we love him. Our heavenly Father punished our sins to the full satisfaction of his justice when he sacrificed his darling Son for us. He chastens us in love, to correct us; but he will never punish us again. God’s servants are not mercenaries!

    We keep no sabbath rest except the blessed sabbath of faith in Christ (Heb 4:9-10). This is not an optional thing. Sabbath keeping is not a matter of indifference. It is strictly forbidden by the inspired Apostle (Col. 2:16). The Old Testament sabbath was a picture and type of the believer’s rest in Christ, the blessed rest of faith. Coming to him, believing sinners stop working for acceptance with God. We rest in him, looking to him alone for acceptance with our holy Lord God.