By Bill Forward.As I visit various countries, it soon becomes obvious that assemblies in each country
have "rules". For example, in Moldova, men must not wear ties, though they are required to wear long sleeved shirts buttoned to the neck but in Russia it is necessary to wear a coat and a
tie. In Kazakhstan, believers are required to stand during prayer while in India many prostrate themselves before God. In the south of India, wives are not permitted to wear a sign of
marriage and believers must not wear gold. In Romania, women are rebuked for wearing nylon stockings while I heard a brother in Australia rebuking sisters for not wearing
stockings. Such "rules" were condemned by the Lord Jesus because they deal only
with external issues and do not produce true holiness. We recognise them as legalism or "The rules of men in God's church". Legalism hinders the Holy Spirit
and denies the grace of God. Another definition could be "man's attempts to achieve God's purpose by his own efforts" We should not be surprised by legalism. It is just
another of Satan's deceptions. Cain tried to achieve God's purpose by his own efforts. Abraham began well as he believed God's promise. He knew God's declared purpose and he obeyed without
hesitation. Yet he was persuaded to achieve that purpose by his own efforts. This disturbing trend unfolds
throughout the OT. Think of Jacob's scheming to obtain what God had promised him - or Moses striking the rock. The list is long - Joshua, Samson, Saul,
David, Solomon, Jeroboam, Uzziah, Hezekiah Jonah etc etc - and very depressing. When God reveals His purpose, men seek to achieve it by human wisdom and effort, rather than
continuing to trust and obey. God has also revealed His purpose to us. We are more blessed than they, for He has given
us the resources we need to enable us to achieve it (2 Peter 1:3-4). HE HAS GIVEN US THE HOLY SPIRIT - The transformation of terrified and despondent disciples into fearless witnesses for Christ can be attributed to their meetings with the resurrected Christ. However, it
was their empowering by the Holy Spirit that enabled them to serve God in such a effective way. The Holy Spirit filled individuals and whole churches as they moved to reach the lost. Satan wants us to rely on human wisdom
rather than the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 2:7-13 HE HAS GIVEN US HIS WORD
The early church was noted for their reliance on the Word of God. When they needed to choose one of their number to replace Judas, Peter reminded them of what the Scripture said. The first
converts devoted themselves to the apostles' doctrine The lives of believers were guided by the Word of God. Satan wants us to be like the scribes and Pharisees, bound by tradition rather than the word of God Mark 7:6-13
HE HAS GIVEN US HIS GRACE -
Grace is God's wonderful gift to us to provide salvation, to teach us to live holy lives and to enable us to serve Him with
the gifts He has given us. God wants us to rely on Him and His provision so that He will receive the glory.
Satan wants us to rely on our own efforts rather than the grace of God so that we are "cut off from Christ" and "cut off from grace" ( Gal 5:4). SATAN ATTACKED THE EARLY CHURCH THROUGH LEGALISMA s the Gospel spread, some Jews came to Antioch
insisting that Gentile believers must obey the demands of the "law of Moses" to be saved. They were not teaching about the ten commandments but rather the hundreds of rules about eating and washing and other external things that had been handed down as "the traditions of the elders". (See Mark 7:1-8)
This resulted in a major confrontation, ending in a conference in Jerusalem to decide the matter. (Acts 15)
Peter testified of his experience when he went to the house of Cornelius and declared " we believe it is through the grace of God that we are saved just as they."
(ch15:11). The outcome of the conference was a rejection of "legalism", which is described as "a yoke".
In Philippi, the legal teachers are described as "dogs" who put confidence in the flesh or their own efforts. (Phil 3:1-2) In Colosse,
believers were being judged by legalists because of food and drink or the sabbaths and other holy days as well as other aspects of the law. Paul reminds the believers there that they are "complete in Christ" (2:9-10). They should not let anyone judge them because "
the law" was only a shadow whereas Christ is the substance. Col 2:16-17.
THE EFFECTS OF LEGALISM ON BELIEVERSPaul warns the believers in Galatia
against the legalism introduced by wandering teachers. Paul is
amazed that they want to becomes slaves, submitting to "rules" again. - legalism robs them of their joy - it destroys their love for others .
- their spiritual growth is hindered Gal 4:9-19 - they had been running well
but these teachers had tripped them up. (Gal 5:1-7). He describes these legal teachers as "false brothers who have come in secretly to spy out our freedom and bring us into bondage
" He will not give in to them even for a minute. (Gal 2:5) THE EFFECTS OF LEGALISM ON A CHURCH Peter, Barnabas and other Jewish
believers had been enjoying fellowship with all the believers in Antioch until some legalists arrived from Jerusalem. Peter withdrew from eating with the Gentiles because he was afraid of what
the legalists might say or report back to Jerusalem. Even Barnabas was influenced and withdrew from the Gentile believers whom he had been teaching. Paul was incensed by this hypocrisy and rebuked Peter publicly. He identified the effects of legalism (Gal 2:11-15) :- it causes believers
to separate from each other it causes believers to act out of the fear of men rather than love it causes believers to be hypocrites it affects others, influencing them to be hypocrites too. it denies the grace of God, nullifying the work of Christ.. Legalism negates the power of the gospel of the grace of God, declaring that Christ's death was in vain. Gal 2:16-21 Satan knows full well that when we reject legalism we will have to rely on God's provision of grace if we are to fulfil His
purpose. He immediately suggests an alternative. He wants us to know "that we are free from the law..." and then deceives many to use that freedom for fleshly lusts and so "pervert
the grace of God and turn it into licientiousness" Jude v 3-4 Liberalism is not the answer. WHAT IS THE ANSWER? We are to learn from the experiences of the
OT. If we are to fulfil God's purpose we must trust and obey Him. We are to learn from the early church who turned the world upside down.
they rejected human wisdom as they were controlled by the Holy Spirit they rejected tradition , relying on the Word of God and they rejected legalism,
preaching the grace of God, thus overcoming the three great barriers to blessing. |
