Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Hank Walker | Pastor at Peach City Fellowship

Legalism, from a biblical perspective, represents a dangerous distortion of genuine faith by emphasizing strict adherence to religious laws and man-made regulations over God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Legalism manifests when believers prioritize rule-following over the Gospel, essentially reducing Christianity to a checklist of dos and don’ts rather than a transformative relationship with God, purchased through the substitutionary atonement of Christ.

One of the more powerful biblical passages addressing legalism comes from Galatians 2:16, “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” This verse directly challenges the legalistic mindset by emphasizing that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, not through rigid adherence to religious laws.

The danger of legalism lies in its subtle ability to shift focus from God’s grace to human achievement; legalism robs God of His glory! Moreover, it creates a false sense of spiritual superiority and self-righteousness while missing the heart of the gospel message. Legalists often judge their own and others’ spirituality based on external compliance with rules rather than internal transformation wrought by the Holy Spirit through regeneration (the new birth).

Another crucial passage that illuminates this issue is found in Matthew 23:23, where Jesus criticizes the religious leaders: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” This rebuke demonstrates how legalism can lead to focusing on minor religious obligations while neglecting the weightier matters of faith that God truly desires. Can you see why Jesus might hate such gross hypocrisy?

Finally, legalism represents a fundamental misunderstanding of God’s grace and the purpose of His law. While obedience to God is important—even necessary, as “fruit,” demonstrating genuine repentance—it should flow from a heart transformed by grace rather than from a desire to earn God’s favor. The Bible consistently teaches that true righteousness comes through faith in Christ, and is expressed through the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Grace and peace, y’all. Soli Deo Gloria