Identifying Doctrinal Legalism

What is Legalism?

Legalism is a spiritual plague as old as the church. Actually, it’s older than the church because the Pharisees Jesus interacted with during his earthly ministry (before He established the church) were legalists. They had already turned the Mosaic law into a means of salvation.

But legalism can take other forms. At its root, legalism assumes that people can earn God’s favor if they try hard enough to do the right thing. It assumes an inherent ability to obey God’s commands, without the regenerating and renewing power of the Holy Spirit. Legalism is, in essence, any belief that man is his own savior.

Properly speaking, legalism is believing that one can be saved by keeping the Mosaic law. In this regard, the Pharisees were the preeminent legalists. Paul describes them in Romans 10 as “ignorant of God’s righteousness” and instead “seeking to establish their own righteousness.” They did not seek salvation “by faith,” but instead, “by the works of the law” (Rom. 9:32). They thought that they could be saved if they conformed their lives to the Old Testament law. Paul says (and Jesus agrees) that they could not save themselves by obeying God’s commands, and in seeking to be righteous, they actually missed the righteousness freely offered to them in Christ.

But legalism is commonly understood to include more than strict conformity to the Mosaic law. It is often used to describe any view that makes conformity to an external standard the means by which a person saves his soul from eternal judgment. This could include obeying the Mosaic law or the Sermon on the Mount, or keeping some other list of moral dos and don’ts based on selective parts of Scripture or on human ideas. The essential thing is that certain practices must be kept in order for a person to be “good enough” for heaven. Ironically, even liberals become legalists when “judge not that you be not judged” becomes a law which must be kept.

With this in mind, I define legalism as “the idea that a person can save himself from eternal judgment by doing something that qualifies him to receive God’s mercy.”

Typically legalism is connected to behaviors (certain practices, clothing, rituals, etc.). Because it usually refers to external actions, we sometimes don’t realize that the same man-centered impulse can manifest in other ways. I think we need to expand our view of legalism to include other issues that threaten gospel integrity in our churches.

Defining Doctrinal Legalism

In the above definition of legalism, “doing” is the means to mercy. But this “doing” can include more than just external actions; it can also include doctrine. Just as we can try to save ourselves by doing certain things, we can try to save ourselves by believing certain things. Doctrinal legalism is the idea that a person can save himself by believing true doctrines and thereby qualifying himself to receive God’s mercy.

When a doctrinal legalist examines himself, he will not ask if he has put his faith in Christ. He will examine his doctrine. He may say things like, “I believe in the Trinity” or “I believe in the virgin birth of Christ” or “I believe in non-resistance” or “I believe in justification by grace through faith” or “I believe that Christians ought to obey the Bible.” These are all things that the Bible teaches, and he may be tempted to think he is a Christian because he believes the Bible. Yet all along he may be putting his faith in his doctrine rather than in Christ.

Pay close attention here. I am not saying that doctrine is unimportant, or even optional. What I am saying is that it is all too possible for us to hold to a certain set of beliefs and think that God looks on us more favorably because our beliefs are in order.

The central question is, “Where have I put my faith?” Faith in doctrine about Christ does not save, even if it is right! Faith in Christ Himself saves. Does that require true doctrine about Christ? Absolutely! But even the devil knows who Christ is—and probably better than you do! Correct ideas about Christ do not save you. Faith in Christ does.

As I said earlier, legalism is fundamentally the belief that man is his own savior. That is to say that people can move toward mercy by performing a certain way. Doctrinal legalism makes the same mistake—but regarding doctrine rather than performance. A doctrinal legalist puts his faith in his good doctrine, rather than in Christ. He has not been broken by realizing that he has no claims to God’s mercy and no appeal before God except based on who Christ is for him. He cannot be saved by being smarter. He cannot be saved by being more educated or by having more Scripture memorized. He cannot be saved by being raised in an affluent western family. He can only be saved when he lets every rival thing go and comes humbly to Christ. “Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling.”

God’s mercy is the basis of our hope. The Christian God is distinct from all other gods because He relates to us based on who He is and what He has done rather than based on who we are and what we have done. Yes, we must have faith to receive His grace, but that faith is essentially a willingness to believe that God is gracious and to receive from Him what He is offering to us. Yes, we must obey God’s word, but Scripture consistently teaches that this obedience is our response to God’s grace, not the means by which we access it. The brutal truth is that we can not do any good thing to deserve God’s favor, nor can we think or believe any good thing. Our faith must be in Christ alone.

Doctrine is important. In fact, it is essential to all true faith. Yet we need to be aware so that it doesn’t distract our vision from Christ. Just as it is possible to extract a certain set of morals from the Bible and then think God is pleased because we are obeying His commands, so we can extract a set of doctrines from the Bible and think that God is pleased because we believe many true things about Him. Moral legalism and doctrinal legalism both displace Christ.

An Allegory

A young scholar once discovered some worn documents in the college archives that described a deep well which was able to heal every disease known to man. He determined to study this well, and he pored over all the documentation regarding its dimensions and colors, the mineral composition of the stones which encircled it, and the roads and trails which led to it. He formed a study group of those interested in this life-giving water, and this group met regularly to discuss its details. This man knew every detail of the well and became lovingly obsessed with it.

He assembled a scouting party, including many from his study group. After an arduous journey, they discovered a well at the location specified in the documents. They inspected it and found that its dimensions, colors, and stones matched their description perfectly. Incredible! After lengthy consultation and much discussion, they agreed to erect a sign: “Here is living water, able to heal you of every sickness or disease. Drink freely!” They made four identical signs, mounting them to posts on all four sides of the well so anyone who came near could see. Then, congratulating each other on their success, they packed up and headed home.

Do you see the problem? What did this scholar and his compatriots fail to do? They did not drink! They didn’t taste the water from the well! They knew the details perfectly. They even found the location and proved that the well was more than a myth. They told others where to go to find living water, but they never tried the water themselves. Though their knowledge was impeccable, they did not experience what the well was able to give them.

I’m sure you see my point. It is possible to know much about something but never experience it. It is possible to have immaculate doctrine drawn from Scripture, but never know the God you know so much about. In fact, true doctrine can become a hindrance to faith. When we think we are saved because we have correct theology, we have lost our faith in Christ.

I am not saying (as some have argued) that doctrine is antithetical to faith. Faith and truth are not opposites, nor are they mutually exclusive. In fact, faith is nothing if it is not anchored in the truth. Whatever faith is, it includes believing certain things to be true. Faith is impossible without truth. But it is possible to have the truth and not have faith. Doctrine does not save; Jesus saves. Saving faith is not faith in a set of doctrines but faith in the living Christ.

Identifying Doctrinal Legalism

It seems easy to slip into a form of doctrinal legalism. Our pursuit of a richer understanding of Christ’s person and work can deteriorate into a self-aggrandizing accumulation of knowledge. How can we know if our faith is in our doctrine rather than in Christ? Here are several indicators.

You may be living as a doctrinal legalist if…

• You are impatient with weak and struggling Christians.
• You begin to think of yourself as superior to other Christians because you take the Bible seriously, especially its doctrines.
• You are cynical of those who do not understand the Bible as you do.
• You excuse your lack of moral integrity because your doctrine is solid.
• When you pray, you think (intentionally or subconsciously) that God listens to your prayers because you know your Bible well.
• You get more satisfaction from being theological or intellectual than from being “in Christ.”
• You are more excited about reading a good theology book than you are about prayer.

If you find yourself in this list (as I have at times), the first step is to repent. Admit your sin of trusting in yourself more than in Christ. Second, ask God to change your heart so you love your accomplishments less and love Jesus more. 1 John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we admit our sins to God, He not only removes the consequences (forgives) but He also changes our hearts (cleanses). It may not be easy or immediate, but it is assured. God will forgive all who come to Him in faith.

Just as we must repent of our selfishness and pride, just as we must repent of our rebellion against God or of our measly attempts to be righteous apart from God’s grace, so we must repent of the self-focused faith of doctrinal legalism. Doctrine is essential to all real faith, but doctrine itself cannot save. Jesus saves.