legalism – Grace Evangelical Society

Who Are the “Enemies of the Cross” (Phil 3:18)?

June 29, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Grace, humble, legalism, Servant

In writing to the church at Philippi, Paul refers to some people who are “enemies of the cross” of Christ. My guess is that many people who read this description automatically assume Paul is talking about nonbelievers. I know that many Calvinists and Lordship Salvation teachers take that position. They find support for this view

Looking at the Hands of the Lord (Mark 7:5)

March 15, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Grace, legalism

Many times, I have seen paintings of Jesus that emphasize His hands. Usually, they are reaching out, as if He is inviting people to come to Him. When you think about the hands of the Lord, what do you see? In Mark 6:30-39, Jesus feeds a large multitude of people with a few pieces of

Michael Eaton on the Legalism of the New Perspective on Paul

October 5, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - legalism, Michael Eaton, new perspective on Paul, works salvation

Seminary students and pastors will have heard of the “New Perspective on Paul” (or “covenantal nomism”) championed by scholars such as N. T. Wright, James D. G. Dunn, and E. P. Sanders, and reflected (I think) in popular movements such as the “Federal Vision.” The critical issue with the New Perspective is that it promotes

The Problem of Basing Your Religion on Feelings: Hannah Whitall Smith’s Story, Part 2

August 2, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Assurance, emotions, Feelings, Hannah Whitall Smith, legalism, Quakerism, works salvation

When Hannah Whitall Smith grew up among the Quakers of Philadelphia in the 1830s, she found that their legalism and emphasis on inward feelings and impressions combined to make a perfect formula for religious doubt: The sort of introspection I had imbided from my Quaker teaching was calculated to lead to constant self-examination of the

The Problem of Basing Your Religion on Feelings: Hannah Whitall Smith’s Story, Part 1

July 30, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - emotions, Feelings, Hannah Whitall Smith, legalism, Quaker, Quakers, works salvation

Some brands of legalism are focused on obeying external rules. Think of the Pharisees trying to obey all the laws of Moses plus all the additional rules, regulations, and applications of the oral law. But other types of legalism are inwardly focused and highly subjective. An example of that is described in Hannah Whitall Smith’s

How Wrong Interpretation Can Destroy Assurance

June 12, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, James 2:14-26, legalism, Lordship Salvation

I thought this was a good question about James 2: Have you seen any articles/books expand on the fact that the traditional interpretation of James 2:14-26 (saving faith has works, and non-saving faith doesn’t have works) leads to legalism and lack of assurance of salvation? Recently I read a Free Grace book (can’t remember which

Institutionalized in Galatia (Galatians 5:1, 6)

November 22, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - circumcision, Galatians, legalism, Shawshank Redemption

There’s a scene in The Shawshank Redemption in which an old inmate named Brooks is about to be paroled after fifty years of incarceration. But he’s scared of getting out. Prison is all he knows. So he attacks another inmate in order to stay. Some of the other prisoners think that Brooks has gone crazy.

The Difference Between a Promise and a Law (Galatians 3:17-18)

October 16, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, legalism, promise

The Galatians were being foolish. Or, more literally, they were not thinking things through. The whole province was slipping into legalism, but they should have known better. In Galatians 3, Paul listed some of the theological reasons why the Galatians should not have been deserting Christ and falling for a false gospel. One reason is

Think Things Through (Galatians 3:1-14)

October 10, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - doctrinal rational, doctrine, Galatians, legalism

“O foolish Galatians!” (Galatians 3:1) Have you ever acted foolishly? What does it mean to be foolish, anyway? The Greek word translated “foolish” is anoētos. It means “non-thinking,” or “not thinking things through.” The Galatians were deserting Christ and accepting legalism and a salvation-by-works gospel. Paul charged them with not thinking things through. They were

God Did It (Galatians 1:1-5)

September 12, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Grace, legalism, Salvation

Legalists from Israel were corrupting the Galatian churches, teaching them they needed to be circumcised and to keep different laws to be saved. Paul hit back. Hard. Paul’s greeting to the Galatian churches (1:1-5) strongly emphasized that God is the main actor in salvation. God sends the preacher (v 1a). God raised Jesus from the