What is Legalism?

Just to answer the question of Dallasdid - I can understand how you feel - but we need to be careful how we come across.

I have always seen Matthew 15:9 as the definition of legalism:

Matthew 15:9(NIV)
"....their teachings are but rules taught by men."

When we preach what the Bible says that is not legalism. When we preach our own rules on the same level as clear Biblical mandates that legalism.

Basically to teach the commands of men as the commands of God is the heart of legalism.

I have good Pastor friends who I consider to be legalistic in their preaching. I always explain to them that is one thing to have an opinion on a certain subject when the Bible is not as clear - thats fine. But to teach your opinion on the same level as the Word of God is borderline blasphesmy.

Charles Spurgeon saw this pharasitic system rising among the ranks of Baptists when he said:

"I find ten commandments, and it's as much as I can do to keep them; and I've no desire to make them into eleven or twelve"

"There is growing up in society a Pharisaic system which adds to the commands of God the precepts of men; to that system I will not yield for an hour. The preservation of my liberty may bring upon me the upbraidings of many good men, and the sneers of the self-righteous; but I shall endure both with serenity so long as I feel clear in my conscience before God."

The full text of this article can be found at
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm

Let me just say that is not legalistic to have rules and standards - that is the first thing people attack me on.

I have rules and standards for my own family, based on my own understanding and applications of God Word and his principles.

But legalism would be if I were to go to someone elses family and tell them that my understanding and application of God's Word was inerrant, and that standards based on those principles and commands was inerrant, and they are sinning against God if they don't have my standards - that is the heart of legalism.

IFBReformer