The Charge of Legalism

Legalism is a problem that has plagued the church from the very beginning of its existence. But while the charges of legalism are many and frequent, the term itself is often misunderstood and misapplied. Legalism at its core is basically an attempt to earn the favor of God or man through outward performance without regard to the condition of the heart. But it is most often the basis of the judgmentalism that defines much of the church today. Those who regularly accuse others of legalism, whether the charge is valid or not, make themselves guilty of the same thing they are charging others with, since they have taken it upon themselves to be the judge of another person's motives and standards. In Romans 14, Paul is very clear as he echoes Jesus' command that we not judge one another. The problem is that we have made ourselves both the standard and the judge, a manifestation of the pride that lies behind the judgment, and a violation of God's command to love one another.