Rooted in Christ- Part 19- Legalism Refuted
Rooted in Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsNow Paul continues to confront the false teachers by confronting the legalistic ideology they sought to promote.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Last week we saw how that the believer is triumphant in Christ, having his transgressions blotted out, his reconciliation made possible, and his victory assured through Christ’s own triumph.
The false teachers in Colosse were evidently promoting the importance of the keeping of some sort of dietary restrictions as well as the Jewish annual feasts, the monthly new moon, and the weekly sabbath as evidence of their spirituality.
Paul directly confronts their teachings and refutes them, again pointing the Colossian believers back to the sufficiency of Christ.
Just as it was a problem in Paul’s day, legalism persists as a problem that must be refuted in our present day.
Legalism Defined
Legalism Defined
Legalism- is when the measure of an individuals spirituality is by their outward conformity to a given set of standards. These standards may vary widely and may or may not have their basis in the scriptures.
In the case of the church at Colosse the false teachers measured spirituality by the keeping of certain dietary restrictions and the observance of certain holydays, new moons, and the weekly sabbath.
In essence there were some who were judging the Gentile believers in Colosse because they were not adhering to the dietary restrictions and were not observing the various annual, monthly, and weekly days which the Jewish people observed.
It is important to recognize that these dietary restrictions as well as the feasts and sabbaths were given not to the Gentiles, but specifically to the people of Israel as part of the Mosaic Law.
Dietary Restrictions… Mark 7:14-19- what goes into a man does not defile him.
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
The only mention of the sabbath in the letters to the churches is actually here in Colossians. Surely if God intended the church to observe the sabbath it would have been instructed to do so.
The sabbaths were given as a sign of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel and were never practiced by the Gentile nations.
The Gentile believers in Colosse would likely have had little if any understanding of the Jewish customs which the false teachers were attempting to force upon them.
This was not only an issue in Colosse but was in fact a problem that was prevalent in many of the Gentile churches thanks to the Judaizers.
This is what led to the events described in Acts 15:5-10 & Acts 15:22-29. Vs. 28 -They were following the leadership of the Holy Ghost. These were the restrictions that the Church at Jerusalem felt the Gentiles should observe to avoid offense to their Jewish brethren.
In many instances there were some who attempted to impose the Mosaic law which was given to the children of Israel upon the Gentile believers.
Yet the scripture is clear on this issue that those who are in Christ are not subject to the law but are rather to be led of the Spirit.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
In the present day legalism may still be connected with the Mosaic law in some cases such as the keeping of the sabbath or of certain dietary restrictions among believers. However, more often they will be connected with outward standards of dress, of specific standards of music, of church attendance, of giving and a whole host of others.
Some of these have their basis in the scriptures while others are entirely man made.
The Problem with the Legalistic Perspective
The Problem with the Legalistic Perspective
The legalistic perspective of righteousness is only a shadow of that which is found in Christ. Many suppose that the removing of the restrictions of the law is a step backwards in righteousness yet it is actually a step forward.
The Pharisees were especially adept at keeping the letter of the law and yet Jesus called them hypocrites because while keeping the outward forms of the law their hearts were wicked.
Matthew 23:25-28- Jesus remarks regarding the Pharisees
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Here we see that a man may keep the letter of the law while inwardly his heart is evil and full of iniquity. Herein is the problem of legalism, the outward form does not always match the inward condition.
This is why Paul makes the statement that the tenets of the law were but a shadow of things to come but the reality is found in Christ.
We who have placed our faith in Christ are not now tasked with measuring up to the law, instead we are striving to measure up to Christ.
Christ came to fulfill the law and in doing so he took it out of the way that now we might be led of the Spirit and not under the law.
Now instead of attempting to keep the law we must strive to please Christ and to allow the Spirit of God to conform us to His image.
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
It has been proven time and time again throughout history that it is utterly impossible to legislate morality for the law can never cover every scenario and circumstance. The only hope of living in a manner that is please to God is through yielding to the leadership of the Spirit of God.
True spirituality cannot be measured purely by outward conformity to a set of standards but is in truth measured by an individual’s willingness to yield to the Spirit of God’s influence in his/her life.
Romans 14:1-5- let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind
Conclusion
Let us not allow ourselves to be convinced that spirituality (ours or that of others) is measured purely by our conformity to a set of man-made standards.
We must move to the higher standard of being led of the Spirit, allowing Him to lead and direct us such that we may be conformed to the image of Christ.
Outward evidence should only be considered insomuch as it is the outworking of an inward transformation.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
It is not to suggest that outward appearance has not importance, only to recognize that the inward conformity to Christ is of much greater significance.
Outward evidence shall naturally develop as the inward development progresses in the heart of the believer.
As we follow the leadership of the Spirit of God, we will naturally adhere to the commands of God recorded in the scriptures, but we shall also yield in scenarios and circumstances that are not specifically addressed in scripture.
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Our goal is not to appear spiritually but to grow more like Jesus Christ
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: