There are many casual Christians out there who attend casual churches and who desire you to be casual with your Christianity just like they are. They don’t want you to be so ‘up tight’ and ‘paranoid’ about every little thing you do. Any strict standards that you have they will scoff at and consider you a prude and ‘legalistic’. They will then give you a short, unbiblical, lesson on Christian Liberty……as they see it. It goes something like this: We have been freed from trying to obey the Law by Jesus Christ dying for our sins; we are not in bondage to this legalistic lifestyle any longer! We’re free!!! Praise God! So, God doesn’t want you all concerned over all these rules, laws, guidelines, etc,. He wants you to just love Jesus and not be focused on all this legalistic ‘right and wrong’ stuff! Take it easy, dude……
Dear friends, beware of this trap. It is a slippery slope. Once you have begun to fall for this “Christian Liberty” sly lie you start slipping…… slipping here, slipping there, a never ending slip; where do you stop? If you accept the lie that the very concept of drawing a line for Christian standards is “legalistic,” that the emphasis of the Christian life should be upon “liberty,” you suddenly have no boundaries. We have seen repeatedly that there is no stopping. Those who enter this path are on a backward, downward slide.
2 Pe 2:19-20 While they promise them liberty , they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
Have you ever been called a ‘legalist’? Have you ever spoken to someone about your or your church’s convictions and standards and then been told scarcastically that “that is legalism”? How did you feel afterwards? Mad? Embarrassed? Confused? Are they right? Should we be careful to not be a ‘legalist’?
“Legalism” is a branding that is used to humiliate those groups, chiefly Fundamental Bible believers, that make godly standards an issue; that promote holiness; that don’t compromise with the status quo; that won’t fellowship with error. On a small scale, this term is typically being used by individuals, who say they are Christians, to ridicule others who have higher standards than they do; to hopefully get them to at least be quiet, if not to change and enjoy their ‘Christian liberty’. On a larger scale, this term is being used to intimidate Christians and churches to break down their ‘doctrinal walls’ of separation in the ‘universal body of Christ’, so that their can be ‘unity’ in the ‘body’, and no schisms. It is being used by the Devil to conglomerate all Christians together under a big ecumenical umbrella and is in preparation of the soon coming rule of the AntiChrist. Therefore, ‘legalism’, and its ‘kissing cousin’ ‘liberty’, are very important terms to understand and to be prepared to give an answer to. Wrong views on Christian liberty and legalism can open the door for the spirit of the antichrist.
True legalism involves relying on the keeping of the Law (being legally correct) in order to obtain salvation. It deals with a legal, law abiding, rule keeping belief system.
The “Judaizers” of Paul’s day were true ‘legalists’. They said: “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). Paul clearly confronted this error in Galatians 2:16–“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
We may be called ‘legalists’, but a better term would be ‘Biblicists’…for we are simply trying to follow what God desires for His children and His churches to be doing.
(The following are excerpts from an article by David Cloud)
People, in the name of “freedom,” frequently leave good fundamentalist Bible-believing churches to join one of the looser, easy-going congregations which abound in these apostate end times. Commonly, they are lackadaisical about church attendance, putting more emphasis upon personal and family relaxation and recreation, upon sports and the great outdoors and an endless variety of activities unconnected with God’s service. They exchange their feminine dresses for pants and shorts and other immodest attire, even joining the half-naked crowd at the beaches. They trade the old hymns of the faith for the jazzy charismatic “praise” music and Christian rock. They develop a careless attitude toward doctrine, emphasizing, instead, “love” and “unity.” Their ecumenical sympathies increase dramatically, as does their aversion to biblical separation. When asked about the change, they testify: “I feel more liberty now, more love; I am having fun; I am glad to be free of legalism; I don’t hear criticism at my church; no one judges what others do.”
Would a person who focuses on liberty and fun be comfortable under [some of the preachers found in the NT?
James: Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)
John: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 Jn 2:15,16)
Peter: As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
(1 Pt 1:14-16)
Paul: For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:11-14).
These men do not sound like modern liberty-[lovin] sort of guys, to me.
To the [typical casual] Christian, his personal freedom is the chief issue in the decisions he makes about daily living. To the Bible-believing Christian, God’s pleasure and the edification of God’s people and the salvation of the unsaved is the chief issue. There is no emphasis upon “fun” in the Bible. The emphasis is upon repentance, faith, obedience, extreme spiritual vigilance, [sacrifice], and spotless separation from the world.
If these holy men of old were to stand before them and preach what we have recorded in our Bibles, no doubt they would be labeled judgmental, fun-hating legalistic Pharisees. Sadly, those who are crying for liberty and fun are described in
2 Timothy 4:3-4: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. They search out teachers that will preach a positive, non-judgment Christianity, that will encourage them in their idolatry of “fun” and their yearnings for carnal “liberty.”
1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
“All things are lawful unto me”? By no means! Obviously there are limitations on the Christian’s liberty. The New Testament Scriptures, in fact, put great limits upon our “liberty.” We are not free to commit fornication (1 Cor. 6:16-18; 1 Thess. 4:3-6), nor to be involved in any sort of uncleanness (1 Thess. 4:7), nor to fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), nor to be drunk with wine (Eph. 5:18), nor to allow any corrupt communication to proceed out of our mouths (Eph. 4:29), nor to allow any filthiness of the flesh or spirit (2 Cor. 7:1), nor to be involved in anything that has even the appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22)
In 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 10:23-28 he uses the example of eating things that have been offered to idols. In all such things like that, the Christian is free, because these are matters in which the Bible is silent. There are no dietary restrictions for the New Testament Christian as there were under the Mosaic Law. We do not have to fear idols; we know they are nothing. This is the type of thing Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthians, if we would only allow him to explain himself in the very context rather than attempt to put some strange meaning upon his words that would fill the Bible with contradiction.Paul addresses exactly the same thing in Romans chapter 14. The Christian is free from laws about eating and keeping holy days (Rom. 14:2-6). We are not to judge one another in these matters, because these are matters on which the Bible is silent in this dispensation. This does not mean we are not to judge anything and that we are free to do whatever we please. [Christian liberty in 1 Corinthians and Romans is referring to OT Jewish laws that don’t apply anymore to NT Christians…thus, it is speaking of a ‘liberty from the Law’.]
In these passages previously cited in Corinthians Paul gives four tests to determine whether the Christian should allow a certain thing in his life:
(1) Does it bring me under its power? 1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
(2) Is it expedient (profitable for me)? 1 Cor 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient:…
(3) Does it edify? 1 Cor 10:23 ….all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
(4) Does it hinder my fellow man or cause him to stumble? 1 Cor 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Again, these are tests that are applied not to sinful things which already are forbidden to the Christian, but to things the Bible does not specifically address. The sincere application of these tests to things commonly allowed in the world of contemporary Christianity would put a quick stop to many practices.
The apostle Paul had such a low view of “personal liberty” that he was willing to forego the eating of meat for the rest of his life if he thought that such eating would offend his brother or cause his brother to stumble in any way (1 Cor. 8:13). He did not have the idea that he was in this world to live as he pleased. Contrast this apostolic view of Christian liberty with that which is so popular today. Those who are consumed with their “liberty” will not forego even highly questionable things for the sake of glorifying Christ and edifying their fellow man. When confronted with such things, they become puffed up and lash out against a straw man they call “legalism.”
Popular ‘liberty’ passages in the Bible examined:
2 Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty .
Liberty to do what? What would the Holy Spirit of God liberate you from? Liberated to be unholy?! Not the Holy Spirit! God is all about liberty; the Holy Spirit is present trying to liberate the captives to the Law; who are trying to keep the whole Law in order to be saved. The Holy Spirit always promotes liberty; but it surely wouldn’t be liberty to be unholy…… Jesus Christ promotes this same type of liberty.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
We have a ‘glorious’ liberty! Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Gal 2:3-4 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Gal 5:1-2 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Gal 5:11-14 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty ; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The keeping of the O.T. Law, specifically circumcision, is what this Christian Liberty issue is really all about! If you have been set free from the bondage of trying to keep the Law, then stand fast in this liberty. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Don’t go and get circumcised in order to help your salvation. Don’t try and do good works to ‘finish off your salvation’! God has called you to this liberty from the keeping of the Law. But make sure that you don’t allow the flesh to have it’s own way and have no regard for the Law of God. The main part of the Law that needs to still be ‘kept’ is loving your neighbor as thyself. The main point of all this teaching here on ‘liberty’ is that one is liberated from the Law regarding circumcision.
1 Co 8:9-10 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
We are not to be stumblingblocks to those that think that there are still some O.T. Laws that need to be kept. Specifically the eating of meats offered up to idols. Back then there was a transition away from all these Jewish Levitical Laws. The new Christian Jews were now free from all of that. But, they needed to make sure that they didn’t cause the spiritually weaker Jews to stumble with this new found liberty. The weaker ones might think it is ok to participate with idolatry, etc. Or, they may think that you are a compromiser and a hypocrite. There is no real application for Gentile Christians today, though. Back then Christian Liberty had to be done carefully so as not to be a stumblingblock to the weaker Jews.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty , and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.