Legalism

Legalism is a hot button topic right now. Its a word that is often thrown around without much thought given to what the word even means. Its easy to look at colleges, churches, and families with strict rules regarding behavior and label them legalistic. To be a Baptist preacher one must abstain from alcohol, to attend BJU one must adhere to a certain dress code, to be a good Christian you mustn’t curse. All of these statements could be labeled legalistic; however, I believe legalism is something more than a construct of rules regarding one’s behavior.

To understand whether or not one is being legalistic, one must look to the heart. Legalism is not a construct of rules, its a belief. Its a theology that depends on behavior. Its a theology that believes that salvation comes from the Law rather than faith in Christ. When one looks at baptists, BJU, or conservative families, its easy to label them as Legalistic, but without knowing their hearts, when we call them legalistic based on only their behavior are we not being legalistic? Are we not holding them to a set of standards that we hold regarding what legalism is?

To sum up, calling a rule or standard legalistic without first understanding the heart of the rule is indeed, legalistic.