GRACE VERSUS LEGALISM

[Bishop Juan Nuevo]

Most of the New Testament books have one central theme. For example, the book of Ephesians deal with the Church, the book of Philippians has to do with joy. The theme here in the book of Galatians is grace versus legalism. It is a two fold theme. Salvation by grace, and spirituality by grace. Now when I will be using the term legalism I am referring to the idea that something must be added to the grace of God either to obtain salvation or to attain spirituality. This usually implies some kind of works, where be by religious ceremony or practice or behaviour.

So the theme of Paul in Galatians have to do with their mistaken idea that salvation and spirituality are not dependent solely upon the grace of God, but that some other ingredient must be added to that grace either to receive it or to remain in it.

Now to most of us Christians, this idea seems ridiculous. We pride ourselves that we would never have been as foolish as these people to think that we could ever do anything to merit God’s favour. Yet there is a great lesson for us here in this letter, because we unwittingly come much closer to this way of thinking that we realise.

We know, of course, that salvation is by faith and nothing else. We quote verses like Ephesians 2:8,9: For by grace we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, less any man should boast.

We believe it we have heard it many times, we know very well that salvation is not obtain by any self-effort on our part at all, but rather it is received as a free gift from God through faith in His son Jesus Christ. We read in the bible that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us (Titus 3:5). We accept with no problem the biblical truth that all our (self-righteousness) is as filthy rags in the sight of God taken from (Isa. 64:6.), and that it is only by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit that we are made clean. (Titus 3:5) We all say that we believe and confess and declare.

Yet it only takes me a few minutes of seating with some body and listen to what they have to say, to realise that even thought that person will believe it’s saved by grace, through faith, they still have a hard time convincing themselves that they haven’t now got to work to keep in God’s book of “good graces”. Many believers that I have spent time with seem to deep down believe that if they don’t go careful they will somehow “fall from grace”- not that they would ever think for a moment that they might lose there salvation. They know better than that. But deep down inside they still harbour a fear that they may somehow not be pleasing to God, that they will “fall short of glory”, that they will not measure up to “the stature of the fullness of Christ”, this is couple with many preacher that use this in order to maintain people slaved, although not al preacher are like this.

Plainly put, although we know we are saved by grace, we can’t help feeling to some extent that we have to “work out our salvation” with a huge emphasis on the ‘WORK’. Despise our entire claim to total dependence upon the grace of God; we still feel that we have to do something. It’s just hard for us not to believe that we don’t have to be careful to keep the entire do’s and don’t if we’re going to be truly “spiritual”.

As understandable as that attitude may be, it is still legalism, just as surely as believe that circumcision or observance of some other part of the Jewish law is necessary for salvation or spirituality. So we are legalistic in our thinking, even if that legalism just involves doing good works, attending church services faithfully, paying tithes, teaching a Sunday school class, praising God, praying or even reading our bibles. We should do these things because we love the Lord, not to gain His attention and His approval and so that he may gives some brownie points.

One of the reasons legalism is so wrong is because it takes our eye off of others and centres them on ourselves. We become so concerned with OUR own thoughts, OUR words, and OUR actions that we lose sight of the Lord and of others. We begin to do what we do out of a sense of obligation rather than out of a heart of love and concern. Even witnessing, for taking an example, can become legalistic if we do it because we feel we have to instead of doing it because we love people.

And them there is the whole range of rules and regulations we hear in many churches which place great emphasis upon “holiness”. Dress length, sleeve length, whether or not it is ok to wear jewellery or makeup, whether a Christian should have a TV. Set or go to the cinema, or swim in mixed company, or even swim at all, and on and on. Most of this churches you will find there is a code for some people and a code for other.

Legalism gets our eyes off of God and others and onto ourselves. And that’s exactly what the devil wants us to do, to start looking either at our own selves-righteousness or at our own shortcomings and failures. Once we start doing that, he has us trapped, because we will no longer reach out to bless and win others.

Paul knew all of this. That’s why he wrote this strongly worded letter to the churches in Galatia. He was vitally concerned that they not fall victim to legalism because he knew as he told the Corinthians that the letter of the law kills, but the spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:6).

In order for us to totally understand the and appreciate Paul’s message to the Galatians, we need to back up a little bit and lay the foundation of what had transpired before this letter was penned. Paul was not an apostle to the Jews. He was an apostle to the Gentiles. On is first missionary tour, he and Barnabas went to the area of Galatia where they saw many people been born again, filled with the Spirit, healed and blessed. They organized these people into churches, got them started on their Christian walk, and then left to minister in other areas.

But as soon as Paul and Barnabas had departed, zealous Jews (those who had a hard time breaking away from the law) came in to “investigate” Paul’s ministry.

When they discovered that the message Paul had preached was one of grace, salvation through simple faith in Jesus Christ, they immediately began to teach these Gentiles converts about the Jewish law. These people had never heard about all this. Paul hadn’t taught them that they were freed from the law because they had never been under the law. So naturally as soon as the Jewish leaders came in and began to teach them about the law, they began to try to observe it. They began to try to combine the law and grace.

So suddenly confusion reigns. These people are trying to live in grace yet keep all the “jots and tittles” of the Jewish law which they nothing about. So now Paul has to write them to explain that they are under no obligation to live by a set of rules and obligations which Jesus Christ fulfilled for them at the cross.

With this background in mind, let’s have a little break but next time I will continue our study of Galatians beginning with verse 1 of Chapter 1.

[Dr. Bernie L. Wade]

My friend, I am always blessed by your writing. You are so profound. Thank you. Blessings! Give me grace!

That is the view from my porch...