1.21 blog

This week, we as a church, are taking a look at the difference between the gospel of Jesus and legalism. Legalism is a system in which a person seeks to gain God’s acceptance or blessings by what he does. Whether it be by a list of religious practices (Such as fasting, not drinking beer, or only using the KJV) or by just trying to be a moral individual (volunteering at the mission, giving to the poor, or just being nice to coworkers.)

Paul writes a strong warning to the church at Colossi in Colossians 2:16-23. Paul warns the church about false teachers that come in and present other practices and additional works for the church to adopt. They present a Jesus + Religion. They teach and preach that something extra must be added to the gospel in order to have a fulfilled religious/spiritual life. Paul tells the church not to listen to their legalistic judgment and condemnation and not to submit to there fabricated fleshly rules and rituals. These legalistic teachers are ‘puffed up in there own minds’. Obeying rules leads the individual to be prideful and builds self-righteousness.

Over and over we see Paul’s concern for this church when he states that the main problem is we do not look to Jesus and his work for growth and maturity in our spiritual walk. We, just like the church at Colossi, naturally create a set of rules for ourselves to try to change and tweak our behavior so we can create spiritual growth on our own. Paul shows us how inconsistent these practices are in verse 20, when he explains that now since we have died with Christ we relate to God on the basis of Christ and his accomplished work on the cross. We do not relate to God on our basis and our behavior. There is no need for legalism. We are not working to earn God’s acceptance.

The gospel presents a completely different approach to life. The gospel of Jesus shows us that we are so messed up and sinful that God had to send his son to pay our penalty. This gospel understanding leaves no room for legalism and self-righteous pride. It leads us to a lifestyle of humility and total dependence on Jesus and what he has accomplished.
As the gospel shows us our sinfulness we are also shown how loved and accepted we are by God, on the basis of his son. He loved us so much he was willing to come and die for his church. Now we obey God because our identity is found in his love toward us.

Living legalistic lives, always looking at rules and judging others robs Jesus of the glory he is worthy of and robs the believer of the joy that is only found in Christ. In Christianity, we learn to rest in his obedience rather than our own.

1.What religious rules have you (or someone you know) created to change a behavior?
2.Are you able to see the difference between a religious/legalistic lifestyle and the Gospel lifestyle?
3.Are you resting in Jesus’ obedience or your own?

post by: Pastor Stephen