The Ongoing Battle Between
Legalism & The Covenant of Grace
A
Christ Centered Perspective
ONLY ONE GOSPEL
Galatians 1:6 Turning Away [Deserting]
The form of this Greek Verb indicates that the Galatian believers were voluntarily deserting grace to pursue the LEGALISM taught by the false teachers. [Galatians 5:4]
Legalism: A dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith. [A Righteousness through the Law]
Paul was not describing loss of salvation. He asserted that if they sought justification by law they were not and could not be saved by grace.
How and Why people were turning from grace back to the law.
How were people turning from grace back to the law? It was the Judaizers perversion of the true gospel. They added the requirements, ceremonies and standards of the old covenant as necessary pre-qualification to salvation. [Gal. 3:3; 4:9; 5:7 & Phil 3:2] Why were people turning from grace back to the law? They thought they could be justified by the Law by rejecting salvation by grace alone through faith alone. The people at this time thought they could earn their way to heaven by their flesh [works]. The notion that sinful, weak [Math. 26:41; Rom 6:19] fallen human nature could improve on the saving work of the Holy Spirit was ludicrous to Paul. The church at Galatians fell into the same routine that all churches fall into.The routine of life. Wake up, Go to work, Come home, Eat, Sleep.
Galatians 1:7 Trouble You The form of this Greek word could be translated “disturb” and means “to shake back and forth”, meaning to agitate or stir up. Here, it refers to the deep emotional disturbance the Galatian believers experienced. In Paul’s writings, the call is often seen as God’s work of effectively drawing people to Himself. [cf. Rm 8:30] But the Galatians were being influenced to move to a different Gospel, a form of Legalism.
What is Legalism really about?
The first form of legalism involves abstracting the Law of God from its original context. We see some Galatian people seem to be preoccupied in the christian life with obeying rules and regulations and they see christianity as being a series of do’s and dont’s. However, the do’s and dont’s are for our good & reveal God’s love and compassion for His people.
Basically saying “when we are more concerned with the keeping of God’s law as an end in itself”.
The second form of legalism divorces/separates the letter of the law from the spirit of the Law. It obeys the letter but violates the spirit.
Remember that the New Testimate distinguishes between the letter of the Law [it’s outward form] and the spirit of the Law [it’s inward form] There was no soul connection.
The third type of legalism adds our own rules to Gods law and treats them as divine. We see Jesus rebuking the Pharisees again for this very point Mark 7:9 says “You teach human traditions as if they were the word of God.” The third type of legalism adds our own rules to Gods law and treats them as divine. We see Jesus rebuking the Pharisees again for this very point Mark 7:9 says “You teach human traditions as if they were the word of God.”
We as God’s people have no right to put restrictions on people who He has no stated restrictions. Many people think that the essence of Christianity is following the right rules, even rules that are extra biblical.
The Gospel calls men to repentance, holiness and Godliness. Because of this the world finds the Gospel offensive. What is the Gospel, it is the Good News of Jesus.
Galatians 1:8
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!
Paul is referencing the true Gospel within the Law and Spirit.
Galatians 1:10
10 For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
How does one keep the letter of the Law but violates its spirit?
Illustration #1 A driver is doing to posted speed limit of 40 mph while he travels through a sever storm when everyone else slowed down to 20 mph in order not to hydro plane. This person who insists on a speed of 40 mph even under those conditions is driving his car to please himself. His obedience is only external. This type of legalism obeys the external Law while the heart is far removed from any desire to honor God, the intent of his law or Christ.
Illustration #2 We see the Pharisees who confronted Jesus over healing on the Sabbath day [Math 12:9-14]. They were concerned only with the letter of the Law and avoiding anything that might look like work to them. .They missed the spirit of the Law.
APPLICATION
How do we live out our faith daily?
- As a church body we are to be aware of what influences we are allowing into our church.
- Examples Social Media News Non-Believers
- As a church what is our goal in moving forward, moving members and potential members to a Gospel Centered Life?
- Being a disciple of Christ is more than just missing up.
- We as a church are to stop protecting against verses pushing towards the Gospel.
- Stop protecting against MISSING UP
- Stop protecting against HURTING SOMEONE’S FEELINGS. [With the Gospel]
- Start Pushing towards THE GOSPEL
- FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY
- 2 Timothy 4:1-2 [4] I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom: [2] Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.
Toby Ray Bowman 