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The Root of Legalism
It’s interesting… The human mind seems to naturally carry an ideal of perfection as God. Even if we don’t call it ‘God’, this ideal image rules us.
The Christian faith sees God’s “Law” operating from this place. The 10 Commandments are an outline of a perfect life. Not just a good life. A PERFECT one. Like, impossibly perfect. Universally so.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus upped the ante even more from ‘thou shalt not kill’ to ‘thou shalt not even THINK of killing.’
It’s impossible. I kill people in my mind all day. I worship the gods of money, approval, comfort, and status. Idolatry, baby. Guilty as charged.
When you think of heavy-handed fire and brimstone churches, it seems that they hold a really high view of God’s Law. But it’s actually the opposite.
It’s not a high view of the Law that leads to legalism, but a low one.
Those who hold a low view of the Law ACTUALLY THINK THEY CAN DO IT. They lower the bar and then wonder why their awful congregants or friends/family haven’t jumped over it.
They’re delusional. The more perfect they claim to be, the faster you should run in the other direction.
But those who hold a HIGH view of the Law (yours truly) and are honest about the God of the perfect ideal never lose touch with just…
