0701 LEGALISM 101

JULY 1 = COLOSSIANS 2

LEGALISM 101

Would you like to know how to be a legalist? We can begin by following the example of the Judaizers of the first century. They had been converted to be followers of Christ, their messiah. But law was written on their hearts and permeated their culture, and it was not easy to believe that grace was so powerful that we didn’t have to somehow “earn” God’s favor. You know, offerings, sacrifices, rites and rituals, feasts and promises, prayer shawls and scroll boxes, the whole deal. 

About a decade before this letter was written, Caesar had kicked all Jews out of Rome–one of many diaspora that Jews have endured. So Jewish people from a city that had not yet heard the Gospel had come to this previously-Gentile city of Colossae. And what do you suppose they did to the culture of the church? Of course! They brought their culture with them, and their worldview began to work its way into the lifestyles of the new Gentile believers there in that city.

I think this is a hard topic for evangelical Christians, because we have certain forms of legalism coloring everything that we do, as well. We might lust, but we don’t admit it, and we preach against sexual sin in every form–at least, those forms that are easier to measure. We might be greedy, but we parade to the front of the church with our tithes. We might drink or smoke, but we would not do so on church property, and we hide the evidence when the preacher comes calling. Over the years, Christians developed a certain list of about a dozen things that they would rail against, many of which are not actually sins, but they can border on sin. Playing cards. Smoking. Drinking. Sex outside of marriage. Cussing (near-misses were acceptable substitutes). Wearing casual clothes, especially to church. Running or loud voices in church. Eating leftover Communion elements. Males wore suits and ties, with polished shoes, and women wore fashionable hats and white gloves and conservative dresses. We were well down the road of legalism, but we didn’t recognize it, because it was our culture.

Legalism happens when God says to avoid something, or my personal conscience tells me where the line is for me. So I make a rule to stay away from it. And then we add another layer of something that would NOT be a sin, but because it is associated with the sinful thing, we make it to be sin.

As an example, God says, “Do not burn your hands on the stove.” Good parents instruct their children on this: “Don’t touch the stove.” “Why?” “Because you could burn your hand on this hot burner, don’t you see?” “But what if I touch it here?” “Well, today the oven isn’t on, but if it was, you might burn your hands there.” And so the rule is Don’t Touch the Stove. But our child is ignoring it, so we put up a little fence around the stove, and we say, “Don’t climb this fence. In fact, don’t touch the fence.” Now do you see what has happened? We have created new sets of laws for our child that is well-intentioned, but not the actual safety rule we need to follow.

Here’s how Paul unfolds it to the Colossians:

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Self-imposed worship. False humility. Harsh treatment of the body. But lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. How so?

Self-imposed worship, because like the fence around the stove we have substituted our own cultural standard as something that pleases God, rather than the things that God actually said.

False humility, as in “I haven’t touched the fence this year. Not my brother. He’s always touching it. I’m a better child than he is.”

Harsh treatment of the body? Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake. Medicinal wine is good for the body. But John the Baptist was held to a higher standard, to never drink even a little wine eat grapes or touch strong drink. We go for the higher standard, and imagine God is the one who set that standard for everyone.

And yet, it has no value in restraining sensual indulgence. I don’t go in bars. But I go to the candy store without thinking about gluttony. I avoid porn magazines. But I have an inappropriate friendship with a lady at work. I don’t own a slave, and I protest at abortion clinics. But I don’t walk across the street to help my neighbor because I’m too busy reading my Bible and listening to Christian radio.

Can you see the gray line of legalism? It’s hard to see in my own life, but I can usually see it in the life of Christians from other denominational traditions.

May the Lord reveal and deliver you and me from self-imposed worship, false humility and harsh treatment of our bodies, in Jesus’ name. Amen.