Four Terrible Consequences of Legalism (Matthew 12:1–14)

We talk a lot about grace in the church, and, rightly so! As Christians, we are saved by grace, live by grace, mature in Christ by grace, are filled with grace so as to extend grace to others, both inside and outside the church. The importance of God’s grace cannot be overstated. But there’s an enemy of God’s grace that lurks in every Christian church, in every Christian family, and in every Christian heart. That enemy’s name is legalism, and it’s antithetical to grace as it elevates rules, expectations, and traditions to a place of authority that only Scripture should have. Legalism kills joy, strangles liberty, and may be the most tolerated sin in Christianity because it masquerades as serious-holiness and super-spirituality. Our text today is going to help us identify it as the monster that it is and highlight four terrible consequences of legalism. Key Passage: Matthew 12:1–14 Series: Matthew: Of King and Kingdom Speaker: Josiah Boyd