Yesterday I learned that someone I consider a dear friend has been told by doctors that he has two to three months to live. The Sunday prior I attended a church service where over three hundred people were healed. We’ve prayed for healing for this man for years, and believed he had been miraculously healed when doctors were able to remove a large tumor.
Why do these things happen, and if God is a God of Love, why does He allow suffering?
A couple months before this, a couple who had been some of my wife’s and my closest friends told us they no longer could be friends with us because of differences of opinion that they could not overcome.
We are all Christians who believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Why then are we divided? Our hope is not in earthly things, but in the things above. We are to be compassionate and forgiving with each other, and long-suffering.
Colossians 3:12-14
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
I will be one of the first to admit that I am a work in progress, and the Lord has a lot of work to do on my sanctification. I say one of because I’m sure there are many who will beat me to it. Never before have I been so aware of my shortcomings and failures, and thus my need for the relentless pursuit and love of a gentle and forgiving God.
My failures were put on full display in a public announcement and removal from fellowship of my local church body. And I have no alibi, I am guilty as charged. I bring myself forward to confess and seek repentance and forgiveness, as David writes in Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge.”
We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all are in desperate need of salvation. The reality is that God designed us as humans to have free will, and that means that we can choose to disobey his perfect design. Adam and Eve were the first to eat of the forbidden fruit, but we continue in their legacy with our choices today.
God created us for relationship, and he wants us to live in harmony together. Love is what binds us all together, and his love flowing through us is what gives us the capacity to forgive each other.
Relationship Over Rules
When it comes time to choose between working to restore a relationship, or in upholding the strict interpretation of Biblical convictions, I believe that we are called to lean in to the former. Paul speaks about this multiple times, consistently urging believers to practice love, forgiveness, humility and patience. He emphasizes that unity and inclusiveness are central to living out the gospel.
The church must be careful to not fall into either extreme of legalism or licentiousness.
That means that we should not cease to call out each other’s sins, as iron sharpens iron. But it also means we must avoid toxic faith that puts man’s ability to follow rules over God’s salvation.
Key Characteristics of Legalism
Legalism often involves adding human traditions or interpretations to God’s law, treating them as equally binding.
Focus on Rules Over Relationship:
Legalism prioritizes following rules and regulations over fostering a genuine relationship with God. It often reduces faith to a checklist of dos and don’ts.
Works-Based Righteousness:
Legalism is associated with the belief that salvation or God’s approval is achieved through human effort or good deeds, rather than by grace through faith.
Judgmental Attitude:
Legalistic individuals may harshly judge others for not meeting the same standards, often creating a spirit of condemnation rather than love and grace.
Neglect of the Heart:
It places emphasis on outward behavior rather than inward transformation. The focus is on appearance and compliance rather than motives and intentions.
Man-Made Rules:
Adding to Scriptural requirements or interpretations, or treating your interpretation as better than the convictions of another believer.
Role of Fear:
Legalism focuses on fear of man versus fear (respect) of God. Fear of being ostracized by your community, fear of losing friends, fear of faith leaders retribution.
Biblical Context of Legalism
In the Bible, Jesus and Paul confront legalism, especially as practiced by the Pharisees and others who misinterpreted the purpose of God’s law:
- Matthew 23:23-24: Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, focusing on minor laws while neglecting the “weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”
- Galatians 2:16: Paul writes, “A person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” This emphasizes salvation through faith, not by strict adherence to the law.
- Romans 10:3-4: Paul explains that Christ is the fulfillment of the law, meaning righteousness comes through Him, not through legalistic efforts.
Difference Between Legalism and Obedience
While legalism is excessive rule-following for the sake of earning merit, obedience stems from a loving response to God’s grace and the desire to honor Him. Obedience is motivated by faith and love, not fear or self-righteousness.
Legalism distorts the gospel by replacing grace with performance. Christianity, by contrast, teaches that salvation and righteousness come through faith in Jesus Christ, who enables believers to obey God’s commands out of love and gratitude, not obligation.
Each of us must guard our hearts against becoming self-righteous and legalistic, just as we guard our hearts against sin and temptation. It is tempting to judge each other’s hearts and motivations, but only God can truly know what is in the heart. That should give us pause to reflect upon our own hearts, and give each other as Christians the benefit of the doubt.
When we are reminded of our own mortality – of our own fragility – our best choice is to turn to God for our hope. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, so if it is possible to restore your relationships today, that is my goal.
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
I believe whole heartedly that I have done, as far as it depends upon me, my best. The rest is in God’s hands.
