The legalism Coiled In Christianity Eroding Grace

It is easy to accept Human effort at the expense of Divine Grace, I have noticed that Humanity is easy to accept half truth and utterly ignore the whole truth that is in-front of it. In Christianity tendency of legalism can easily be seen in most church in various forms.

Legalism and reactions against it are a constant part of religious life. It lies at the center of disputes over the changes Pope Francis is attempting to bring to the Roman Catholic Church. It divides progressive from conservative Protestants, Indeed, it defines the conflict between liberal and conservative forms of many religions.

Legalism can be defined as strict adherence to the letter of the law. Use of the term today normally has a pejorative connotation. A legalists is fixated on law, seems to miss the principle behind the law, or tightens legal obligation beyond what is right, reasonable, or good for people. I would want to further its meaning to the adherence of church traditions, doctrines and Ministries Philosophy in this paper. 

Legalism is a perennial tendency in religion, at least in the three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But so is a reactive anti-legalism.

Speaking of the Christian tradition which I know best, I think it is fair to see a kind of legalism and anti-legalism spiral.

The legalism Coiled  In Religion Eroding Grace

 Luke  Chapter 6 Jesus tangles with the scribes and Pharisees over the proper practice of Sabbath observance. In one incident Jesus gets in trouble for allowing his disciples to glean some grain on the Sabbath. In the second he heals a man in a synagogue on the Sabbath, also evoking resistance.

The command to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy is crucial in Judaism. One aspect of honoring Sabbath is to refrain from any kind of work. The question in these texts is whether Jesus and his disciples were violating Sabbath by “working” in these two ways. Jesus appeals to precedent, to human well-being, and to his own lordship over the Sabbath to defend his actions. His adversaries are not convinced.

Jesus in coming to the earth He came with Grace and Truth, here we encounter the battle between Grace and the Law. In Christ mind the love and goodness of God was above the legal system that governs it. By adhering and becoming legalistic in nature the church, ministry or religion erodes the Gospel of Grace and entangle Humanity back to self effort.

 It is amazing to note that most of the churches that are being planted being Pentecostal or Traditional are bring man back to the Law either by adherence to the Torah or by creating their own Rules embedded in the believers faith policy as ministerial Philosophy.

It is perhaps not coincidental that this kind of prudish legalism has produced a systemically anti-legalistic response among many millions of Christians who were raised in it. I think this explains a lot of the spirit of ex-Southern Baptist and ex-evangelical/fundamentalist Christianity. Where legalism dominated, many, many, Christians want a religion of grace, mercy, and freedom.

On the other side some scholars would want to argue that sometimes demands and boundaries are needed. Given human nature, sometimes we need someone to tell us where the limits are, and what we are not allowed to do, not just where the freedom is and how forgiving God is.

It is imperative to know that Legalism kills by squeezing the life out of us. But a reactive anti-legalism can kill by not keeping us away from actions that can ruin our lives – and that of others another source  which is closely related to the traditional church.

It is true that Legalism is natural and humanistic easy to adjust and adopt. Carnal and both oppressive moreover rendering powerless the work that Jesus did on the cross by forcing on human efforts and human rules to bring righteous living.

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