A Study of the Book of John
“That You May Believe”
Sermon # 15
“Facing Up To Legalism”
(John 5:9-13,15, Gal 1:6-10, 2:1-5, 11-14)
The subject that I want to talk to you about this morning is legalism. You know it’s kind of odd but, I have never met a Christian who admits to being a legalist. I know Christians who admit to lying, stealing, envy, lust – but no one wants to admit that they are a legalist. Yet to overcome the problem, we must all admit that we are at times legalistic.
The list of regulation we impose on others is long – and not always obvious. We judge people for the version of Bible they carry, by the way they wear their hair, and by the clothes they wear, by whether or not they have tattoos, or anything that doesn’t fit within our boundaries of acceptability. We judge people by whether they like praise choruses rather than hymns. We make judgments based on how they choose to educate their children. We judge people for raising their hands in service, or for not raising their hands in service. We judge people by what political party they affiliate with. The list of things we judge people’s spirituality on is almost endless!
We return this morning to the healing of the man by the Pool of Bethsaida, here Jesus entered into the midst of hurting people who waited by the pool of Bethsaida for a healing.
Among all those gathered there that day Jesus was drawn to one man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. In verse six, Jesus asked this man, a pointed question, “Do you really want to be healed.” And then in verse eight He commanded him to “Get up, take up your bed and walk.” The Lord healed the man through His spoken word. It is important that in the last part of verse nine we are told, “And that day was the Sabbath” on which the miracle was performed.” The miracle would have caused no problem except that it was performed on the Sabbath. But as it was, this miracle became very important because it precipitated a great “Sabbath Controversy.” I believe that Jesus worked this miracle on the Sabbath on purpose to focus the attention of the religious leaders on the fact that they are missing the original purpose of the Sabbath and fact he is LORD over the Sabbath.
The Old Testament taught that a person should do no work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-10). By Jesus’ time the rabbis had expanded this simple command by going into great detail there were now 1,521 rules as to what constituted “work.”
The healed man is intercepted by the religious leaders who inform him that he is breaking the law by carrying his bed on the Sabbath. In verse ten we read, “The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." (11) He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, "Take up your bed and walk."’ (12) Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, "Take up your bed and walk’?" (13) But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. … (15) The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.”
They are not concerned about this man – they do no even acknowledge that he has been healed – let alone rejoice over it. Their only concern is that this man is breaking the rules – their rules. He tells them that it is not his fault, the one who commanded him to get up and walk is the one who also commanded him to carry his bed.
At first these verses seem to be all about the Sabbath and that is the direction that I approached it from, at first. But when you really think about it the issue is not the Sabbath, this about legalism. The Pharisees are the grandfathers of legalism and Jesus meets them head on in a confrontation that turns the tide of official opinion solidly against Him.
Once informed that Jesus is the one who healed the lame man, the Jews cease to harass the healed man and fix their attention on Jesus. Verse sixteen informs us, “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.” John tells us that the religious leaders began to “persecute Jesus.” An important feature of this miracle is that it began an open conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders that would culmin-ate at the cross. Because this miracle was done on the Sabbath day, it gave raise to the first demonstration of rejection on the part of the religious leadership.
“One of the most serious problems facing the orthodox Christian church today is the problem of legalism. One of the most serious problems facing the church in Paul’s day was the problem of legalism. In every day it is the same. Legalism wrenches the joy of the Lord from the Christian believer, and with the joy of the Lord goes his power for vital worship and vibrant service. Nothing is left but cramped, somber, dull, and listless profession. The truth is betrayed, and the glorious name of the Lord becomes a synonym for a gloomy kill-joy. The Christian under the law is a miserable parody of the real thing." [S. Lewis Johnson, "The Paralysis of Legalism" as quoted by Charles Swindoll. The Grace Awakening. Dallas: Word Pub., 1990) pp. 76-77]
If I were to list the top five enemies of the church today… Legalism would be #1! Legalism is a killer! It kills a congregation when a preacher is a legalist. It kills preachers when congregations are legalists.
“The story was told some years ago of a pastor who found the roads blocked one Sunday morning and was forced to skate on the river to get to church, which he did. When he arrived the elders of the church were horrified that their preacher had skated on the Lord’s Day. After the service they held a meeting where the pastor explained that it was either skate to church or not go at all. Finally one elder asked, “Did you enjoy it?” When the preacher answered, “No,” the board decided it was all right – as long as he did not enjoy it!” [Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 12. www. bible.org/illus./legalism]
Christian liberty, by it’s very definition is the freedom to: Enjoy the rights and privil-eges of being saved; To Live in and enjoy the kind of power only Christ could bring; To Become all that He meant me to be regard-less of how He leads others; To know God in an independent and personal way (God isn’t stamping out little Christians all over the world who look alike, talk alike, think alike, teach alike, and like the same things! God is pleased with variety.)
Legalism is essentially it is an attitude or mentality. Legalists put an emphasis on what should NOT be or what one should NOT do. Legalism is so enticing because it promises to provide acceptance from our peers. Legalist “do” or “don’t do” things because they are the accepted standards of people they want to please and impress. (not as they are outlined in Scripture)
This morning I want to go to the book of Galatians as Paul battled this problem in the 1st century church. I want us to note three identifying factors about Legalism.
First, Legalism Is Heresy, Yet The Legalist Maintains That Everyone Else Is A Heretic.
Legalism is heresy in that it places an artificial standard of conduct upon Christians that does not exist in Scripture. But the really unusually aspect of legalism is that it defines anyone with a different opinion as the “heretic.” If you agree with me in matters of personal conviction then you are right but if you hold a different opinion then you are wrong and dangerous.
The problem of legalism faced by the Lord in our text carried right into the 1st century church. Paul wrote to this very problem in his letter to the Galatians, (Gal. 1:6-10) “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, (7) which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (9)As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (10) For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”
Paul wastes no time in his letter to the Galatians getting at the heart of the heresy. In verse six he says that he Gospel is a gospel of grace: Christ’s death on the cross was a sufficient payment for sin; His blood was the final payment that freed us from slavery. It is called being ransomed from slavery. He paid the price and made us free.
What does it take, then to have that kind of eternal life? It takes faith! No works, no long lists of things not to do, no required number of attendance at church, no baptism, no giving up, no adding to. It takes trusting Jesus Christ alone and His payment at the cross to cover your sins…and you had eternal life. That’s the grace of Christ.
Yet, almost every cult is a cult of works, because it appeals to the flesh. They say that you must work, if you hope to be saved and in so doing, seek to add to the finished work of Christ. Many people think, “If I could just DO something to get into heaven, it would make more sense.” All of life is built upon working and getting paid for extra work. Eternal life then cannot be free, can it? Oh, but you forgot…it isn’t free. Christ paid the payment. It cost Him His life. From our perspective it is free, but from God’s perspective it had a terrible cost.
Adding anything to the finished work of Christ is heresy, whether it is an act such as circumcision or baptism, or it is the abstaining from certain things, in order that one might gain favor with God. All such works are completely without merit.
Legalism Is Heresy, Yet It Maintains That Everyone Else Is A Heretic and…
Secondly, Legalism Enslaves Through Harassment
There is an old saying, “Misery loves Company” and that is certainly true when it comes to legalism. When we get to the second chapter of Galatians, the legalism only grows deeper and thicker. (Gal. 2:1-5) ”Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. (2) And I went up by revelation, and commun-icated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. (3) Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. (4) And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), (5) to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
Eugene Peterson writes, “There are people who do not want us to be free. They don’t want us to be free before God, accepted just as we are by His grace. They don’t want us to be free to express our faith originally and creatively in the world. They want to control us. They want to use us for their own purposes. They themselves refuse to live arduously and openly in faith, but huddle together with a few others, and try to get a sense of approval by insisting that all look alike, talk alike and act alike, thus validating one another’s worth.”[Peterson. p. 67. As quoted by Charles Swindoll in “The Grace Awakening.” p. 92]
A missionary couple quit full-time mission work because the place where they worked didn’t allow peanut butter because they couldn’t get it there. This couple loved peanut butter and had it shipped to them from the states. The harassment became so bad, that it finished them off spiritually. You’ll laugh at the thought that not eating peanut butter constitutes spirituality, well you will at least until I mention whatever is on your list? [Charles Swindoll. “The Grace Awakening.” (Dallas: Word, 1990) pp. 92-93]
A man attended a school where they weren’t allowed to do anything on Sunday. He saw his wife out hanging the laundry on Sunday afternoon and he turned her in. Can you just imagine? I bet she was fun to live with for the next few weeks, but he deserved whatever he got! Has our faith been reduced to who does what when according to what I think they should do, or is it a faith that is based firmly in Scripture? [Charles Swindoll. “The Grace Awakening.” (Dallas: Word, 1990) p. 94]
Legalism Enslaves Through Harassment and…
Third, Legalism Based On Hypocrisy.
The heresy of legalism that led to the harassment of Gentile believers also revealed the hypocrisy that existed within the very highest echelons of the leadership of the church—none other than Peter himself! (Gal. 2:11-14). “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; (12) for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. (13) And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. (14) But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”
Peter had been eating with the Gentiles until the Jews showed up. Swindoll says it this way, “Peter, I smell ham on your breath! … There was a time when you wouldn’t eat ham as part of your hope of salvation, and then after you trusted Christ, it didn’t matter if you ate ham. But now when the no-ham-eaters come from Jerusalem, you’ve gone back to your kosher ways. But the smell of ham still lingers on your breath. You are most inconsistent. You are compelling Gentile believers to observe Jewish law, which can never justify anyone. Peter, by returning to the Law, you undercut strength for godly living.” [Swindoll. pp. 95-96]
Paul rebuked Peter for hypocrisy, for faking it in front of the Jews and then turning around and faking it in front of the Gentiles. Paul asks Peter a very important question (v. 14). "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”
This takes us back to the Sabbath controversy that Jesus began by healing on the Sabbath. The truth was that men who were so concerned about the Sabbath were hypocrites. Those who knew the law the best, not only forbid others from doing many harmless things, but they could find “legal loopholes” that allowed them do most of anything they wanted to do on the Sabbath.
Application.
1. It is wrong to give in to Legalism. Don’t allow others to set your personal convictions, those should come from your personal walk with God. It is not necessary to subject yourself to a group that doesn’t respect your convictions and that violates your conscience.
2. Stop Trying To Please Everyone. Seek the favor of God alone rather than looking to other people for approval—no matter how spiritual they may seem.
Paul Turney wrote this in his book, “Guilt and Grace”: “In all fields, even those in culture and art; other people’s judgment exercises a paralyzing effect. Fear of criticism kills spontaneity; it prevents men from showing themselves and expressing them-selves freely as they are. Much courage is needed to paint a picture, to write a book, to erect a building designed along new archit-ectural lines, or to formulate an independent opinion or an original idea.” [Paul Turney. Guilt and Grace. (New York: Harper and Row, 1962) p. 98. As quoted by Chuck Swindoll in “The Grace Awakening” p. 99]
3. Live In the Truth. Face up to your own legalistic tendencies honestly. Your personal convictions are just that your personal convictions.
When will we have the courage to believe God above everyone else’s opinions? When will we learn to live as free as God has made us to be?
“Facing Up To Legalism”
John 5:9-15
The religious leaders are not concerned about lame man – they do no even acknowledge that he has been healed – let alone rejoice over it. Their only concern is that this man is breaking the rules – their rules.
First, Legalism Is _______, Yet It Maintains That Everyone Else Is A Heretic. (Gal. 1:6-10)
Secondly, Legalism Enslaves Through ________ (Gal. 2:1-5)
Third, Legalism is in Truth based on _________
(Gal. 2:11-14).
Application
1. It is wrong to give in to Legalism. Don’t allow others to set your personal convictions, those should come from your personal walk with God. It is not necessary to subject yourself to a group that doesn’t respect your convictions and that violates your conscience.
2. Stop Trying To Please Everyone. Seek the favor of God alone rather than looking to other people for approval—no matter how spiritual they may seem.
3. Live In the Truth. Face up to your own legalistic tendencies honestly. Your personal convictions are just that your personal convictions.
