Is God a legalist? – Wednesday, 23 August

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Colossians 2:16-17 KJV

“So don’t let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about Jewish customs (festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days). In the past these things were like a shadow that showed what was coming. But the new things that were coming are found in Christ.”
Colossians 2:16-17 ERV

Your performance will never really be good enough for the legalist – you’ll never make them happy and you’ll never be good enough. They focus on what you should do and what you shouldn’t do but they will never be satisfied with your performance. Legalists love conformity and adherence to rules and regulations more than they love people. Jesus rebuked the religious folk for being more concerned with appearance and actions than the heart.

 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Matthew 23:27-28 Amplified Bible (AMP)

We can be grateful that God isn’t legalistic (Psalm 86:15; Psalm 145:8; John 1:14). Yes, right is right and it’s always the right time to do the right thing – grace isn’t a license to live in sin and God does want us to live right, but not for right’s sake. He wants us to live right and do the right things for our sake.

In contrast to God, the legalist isn’t interested in your heart, your motives or love but rather they’re consumed with actions and appearance. In an effort to please God, they are acting in ways that God would never act – because God is more interested in the heart than in our outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). God knows that if we would just experience a touch of His unconditional, radical and immeasurable love in our hearts it would impact our actions. He is more interested in us experiencing His love than in us doing what is right.

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross… Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days”
Colossians 2:14, 16 KJV

Paul is saying that in light of what Jesus has done for you, you shouldn’t allow anyone to put any legalistic rules on you. Sadly, there are many Christians who have made a big deal about Old Covenant things which were fulfilled in Christ and are now no longer relevant to us. These include rules about what we eat and drink, or about celebrating Old Covenant feasts and observing the Sabbath. Paul actually called these rules doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

“In the past these things were like a shadow that showed what was coming. But the new things that were coming are found in Christ.”
Colossians 2:17 ERV

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4 ESV) – we no longer relate to God through what we do or don’t do, but through what we believe! Salvation is not by what we do but by faith in what Jesus has done for us (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Much love,