Difference between Legalism and Obedience
This is where confusion comes in. Equating the pursuit of piety with legalism can cause a world of problems. This error ultimately leads to projecting judgments onto others and even living unbridled. But the pursuit of piety and legalism is not the same thing. Legalism is a matter of the heart, not obedience to God and radical love for others. Legalism is when we try to gain God`s favor to be saved, not when we follow Jesus because we are saved by grace. In particular, love for Christ will lead to a life of obedience. Although biblical obedience comes from a motive for love, this does not mean that obedience is easy or that people will understand actions done from a free conscience. The Christian has a role to play in growth, but it is the role of allowing God`s transforming power to work in them. Growing Christians agree and cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in them. Jesus used the illustration of a vine and its branches to illustrate this point (John 15:1-11).
Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. When we dwell in Christ, the growth-producing juice flows into our lives. This is an important difference between legalism and obedience. Legalism says that when I perform spiritual disciplines, I get growth. Obedience says that if I remain in Christ—through the same disciplines—the power of God brings growth into my life. It may be a small distinction, but it is an essential distinction. 8. But God is not special in terms of obedience down to the smallest detail, is he? 4. Why does God allow disobedience to continue? Why not destroy sin and sinners now? 15. Who is really behind all disobedience and why? Finally, believers should avoid confusing matters of conscience and freedom with the required areas of obedience. Many Christians will choose not to drink alcohol because of their conscience to avoid being a stumbling block for others (Romans 14:13-23; 1 Corinthians 8:9). “Well, then,” I explained, “this is the first act of obedience you should participate in: Stop saying this and never, never, again.
Not loving your wife is not an option according to Ephesians 5:25 and according to your wishes. So don`t express those feelings, never again, never again. And in its place, start expressing regularly that you love your wife. Tell him, tell yourself, tell your children, your friends. Talk to them up, not down. Tell her how amazing she is, how beautiful she is, how blessed and happy you are to be her husband. I know that when I have been tempted by legalism, it is motivated by selfish ambition. I want to take my good works and show them to God. This is why Ephesians 2:9 is so important. The reason our salvation is a gift is that no man can boast. In the end, our salvation is not about us, but about God.
God does the work, and He receives glory. A legalist wants to do the job, deserves the favor, and I don`t think it`s an exaggeration to say get fame. Obeying God is very different from practicing legalism. People who legally follow the rules generally believe that they can gain God`s salvation or favor. Even Christians can become legalistic by claiming that believers must engage in certain activities based on duty and duty. We women are sensitive to this temptation. We are bombarded with decisions. Between school options, birth styles, what we should wear, and even what we should or shouldn`t eat, it`s easy to confuse principle with practice. Confusion can arise as to whether we really live for the glory of God or whether we are bound to legalism. But I think where the confusion starts is with the definition of legalism.
Second, people may also mistakenly assume that obedience to God includes obedience to the law of the Old Testament. Many Christians urge strict observance of the Sabbath on Sundays or demand that Christians live under the Ten Commandments. However, those who teach strict adherence to the Mosaic Law do not understand that believers in Jesus are “not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Answer: No. Once you are clear about a biblical truth, it is never good to wait. Procrastination is a dangerous trap. It seems so harmless to wait, but the Bible teaches that if a person does not respond immediately to the light, he quickly turns into darkness. Obstacles to obedience are not removed while we stand and wait; Instead, they usually increase in size. Man said to God, “Open the way, and I will move forward.” But God`s way is exactly the opposite.
He says, “You are moving forward, and I will lead the way.” Obedience contrasts with legalism. Legalism does not generate justice or piety, but increases pride. On the other hand, biblical obedience to Christ generates piety and springs from a heart of love. 10. But isn`t complete obedience impossible for a person? “If this is not true, then the first step of obedience will be to express it to make it true! Let me tell you a secret that has been lost through our emotionally obsessed culture: feelings follow actions wherever actions lead. Answer: None of us can obey by himself, but through Christ we can and must obey. Satan, in order to make God`s demands seem unreasonable, invented the lie that obedience is impossible. 3. Why does God require obedience? Why is this necessary? “No, the crazy thing is that you would consider ending your marriage because of your feelings. What I`m telling you is that if you really want to heal your marriage, actions are the fastest way to do it.
Sensitive and beautiful good deeds towards your wife will literally create a new relational dynamic between the two of you. It`s not crazy, boy, that`s what total reason looks like. Their insistence on obeying man-made rules and laws produced neither justice nor piety. Even legalism in the Church today does not produce spiritual growth or piety. Instead, obedience to Christ out of love and gratitude for what He has done is the right motivation to grow in piety. On the other hand, Paul contrasts the obedient life of righteousness created by grace with the life of sin under the law. This is because the law awakens sinful passions that lead to death (7:5). Although the law itself is good (7:12), sin exploits the law through the weakness of our flesh and creates disobedience (7:8-15). This often takes the form of hypocrisy by condemning others while practicing the same things (Romans 2:1-5; 21-24).
Therefore, Paul can say that those who are under the law are lawless (6:19)! This is the difference between legalism and true obedience. Legalism is proud and moralizing (10:3) and leads God to be deprived of His glory (1:21). Obedience shows humility by dying itself and surrendering control to God, which gives Him glory. Simply put, legalism is the result of a hard heart, while obedience is the result of a humble heart. In summary, Paul`s word “dominion” is often used in Romans 5:12-6:23. Paul suggests that we are governed by something (much like Bob Dylan said years ago: “You have to serve someone”). We will be governed either by sin or by obedience and righteousness – there are no other options. The problem is that we are not stronger than our desires. When we try to preserve our autonomy, we become the plaything of sin.
But on the other hand, if we give our lives and die with Christ, we will find true freedom through a life of obedience. Ultimately, what governs us determines our eternal outcome (5:21; 6:23), and that is the difference between legalism and obedience. In our next article, I will delve deeper into the meaning of grace. Answer: The Bible leaves no room for doubt. The answer is sobering, but it is true. When a person knowingly rejects the light and continues to disobey, the light eventually goes out and is left in complete darkness. A person who rejects the truth receives “strong deception” to believe that lying is the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:11). When this happens, it is lost.
Did you know that Christians are called to be slaves to obedience? Many today oppose this idea. It seems too legalistic or work-oriented. In fact, at first glance, it does not seem attractive at all. Slavery suggests domination and control. We in the Western world want to promote freedom and do not want to be slaves to anyone or anything. Even Christians will soon point to Paul`s warning: “For freedom, Christ has set us free; So remain steadfast and no longer submit to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1-ESV). We will also rightly point out that Christians “are saved by grace by faith. no works, of which no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9). The Bible`s statement that we are saved by grace by faith is an important lesson that distinguishes Christianity from other world religions that often emphasize that we gain God`s favor through good works. However, this important distinction, along with the fear of appearing “legalistic,” has led some to shy away from the important biblical teaching on obedience.
This article explores the difference between legalism and obedience. The same apostle (Paul) who told the Galatians to stand firm in their freedom and not to submit to a yoke of slavery also tells the Romans that those who came to Christ became slaves of obedience and justice (Rom.
