What is Legalism?

Legalism Is Not the Same as Obedience to God

People bristle at rules. People don't like rules or they like their rules. They don't like other people's rules. But anytime someone hears something that sounds like rules or a command, the automatic thing a lot of people will jump to is, wait a minute, this is legalism or this is legalistic.

So is this legalistic? Well, was the Sabbath legalistic? Is worshiping corporately on Sunday as an expectation, is that legalistic? Of course the answer is no. All right. If you think it's yes, I don't know who taught you that, but you need to cancel all of what you heard.

First of all, Moses gave the law. Moses was not a legalist. Is that, is that a new thought for anyone? Moses was not a legalist. The children of Israel were under the old covenant of the law, but that's not the same as legalism.

What Legalism Actually Means

Mark this down. Obedience to God is not legalism. Let me say it again. Obedience to God is not legalism. So Moses was not a legalist. Moses never taught, because what is legalism? It's teaching salvation through works.

Salvation through the works of the law. That's what legalism is. Moses never taught that a person is saved by keeping the 10 commandments. He never taught that. Being legalistic is maybe when you focus too much on rules, and that's the emphasis is all on rules instead of faith and in the Lord and loving the Lord with all your heart, or making up new rules that God never made.

Moses, the Law, and the Difference Between Rules and False Salvation

Okay, that's legalistic. So what we're talking about here, this is not legalism. Moses was not a legalist.