Legalism vs. Obedience
Many who grew up in the church were raised in a system of legalism without even knowing it. They might have felt that something was off, but they could not put their finger on it nor put a name to it. If a church emphasizes rules about dos and don'ts over doctrines of grace, chances are that church teaches legalism. Legalism has hurt more people throughout history than can be counted, and has driven out millions from the church. Victims of legalism who choose to stay in the church carry wounds and baggage with them that prevent them from experiencing the joy and freedom of the grace of the gospel.
There is prevalent confusion today regarding what legalism is and how it differs from obedience. Calls to obedience are often mistaken as calls to legalism, but the two should never be conflated. One is a contradiction of the gospel born from the depths of hell; the other is the voice of God calling the souls of men and women unto Himself.
Legalism and Obedience Defined
Legalism is the belief that salvation, spiritual growth, or the love of God must be earned through adherence to a system of rules and laws. It is a misinterpretation of Old Testament law imposed upon the New Testament message, and as stated above, it is a false teaching that stands in direct opposition to the gospel. Under legalism, one would have to keep the prescribed laws and rules to a certain undefined (and unattainable) standard in order to achieve an acceptable status before God and others. Failure to do so is placed squarely upon the individual for his or her lack of effort or faith. Since it is impossible not to violate the commands of God at some point, legalism inevitably results in guilt and shame. It also produces pride and arrogance because it creates a system in which it is possible to gauge one's spiritual success against another's; if a person has kept more of the rules than another, he or she then has reason to boast.
“In obedience, people follow the laws of God not to earn anything from Him, but simply to please Him. Obedient children obey their Father not because they have to, but because they want to.”
Obedience, on the other hand, has no conflict with the teachings of Scripture. In fact, obedience is consistently taught and commanded by Scripture and arises out of Scripture. Obedience does involve following the laws and the commands of God, but for altogether different reasons from legalism. In obedience, people follow the laws of God not to earn anything from Him, but simply to please Him. Obedient children obey their Father not because they have to, but because they want to. Legalism is motivated by fear, uncertainty, and guilt. Obedience is fueled by love, gratitude, and joy.
In short, Christians obey God not to be saved but because they are saved. Hence, in obedience, there is no room to boast because any good deed is done in humble response to the good work Christ has done for us (Eph. 2:8-10).
“In short, Christians obey God not to be saved but because they are saved.”
The only thing that legalism and obedience have in common is that they both involve following the laws of God. But in every other way, they have nothing to do with each other. Legalism and obedience are like two trains traveling in opposite directions; they both run on metal tracks (i.e. God's laws), but one takes you closer to God and the other takes you farther from Him.
Distinguishing Legalism from Obedience in the Church
Even with these definitions in mind, it may be difficult to distinguish legalism from obedience in the teachings and practices of a church. The following points may be helpful in evaluating whether a church teaches legalism or simply calls for obedience:
1) Content
What do the preachers and teachers in the church actually say? Are their words more in line with the definition of legalism or of obedience? Does their teaching conform to Scripture, or does it pervert the gospel? The Apostle Paul had to deal with the same issues and wrote about them in passages such as Romans 3 and Galatians 2 and 3. Such texts are helpful in evaluating the doctrinal soundness of a church's teaching.
2) Tone
Tone should not be confused for content. They are independent of one another. One might assume that legalistic teaching has a certain kind of tone to it (e.g. aggressive, condemning) and biblical calls to obedience have another (e.g. compassionate, pleading), but that is not always the case. The worst kinds of legalism can be taught with the dulcet tones of a nightingale, and the holiest calls to obedience bellowed with fiery fury.
That said, there are certain kinds of tone that betray a lack of love or grace toward people. Sarcasm, disdain, aloofness, or snobbishness have no place in godly teaching. Bad tone in itself does not amount to legalism, but it may be an indicator that something is out of alignment in the heart of the speaker.
3) Practice
What is taught in a church is one thing, but how the leaders live and minister is another. It is possible for a church to teach the right things verbally but the wrong things through actions. One key area to watch is in how the church treats people of weaker faith. Are they condemned or lifted up? Is the focus on their sin and inaction, or on their potential and calling to maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:13)? If church discipline is implemented, is it implemented with patience, compassion, and love, or with anger, spitefulness, and callousness?
Conclusion
It is imperative for Christians to know how to distinguish between legalism and biblical calls to obedience. This is harder to do for those who have already been hurt by legalism, as they sometimes have a sensitivity to anything that smacks of legalism in any way. To be clear, simply exhorting people to pray, to read their Bibles regularly, to attend church faithfully, to serve their community, to give sacrificially, or to worship joyfully is not legalism. These are Scriptural commands that ought to be taught and encouraged in every church everywhere.
But if anyone teaches these things as a means to salvation or to earn love from God or favor from men, they have perverted the gospel and have added heresy to the pure Word of Christ (Rev. 22:18-19). That kind of teaching is a cancer that must be roundly condemned and amputated from the church at all costs.