Legalism

1 Timothy 4:1-2 - "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron (NLT)."

2 Peter 2:1-3 - "But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way (NLT)."

One of my biggest “pet peeves” in the Christian church is the disease and infection of legalism. This subject is very personal to me because of what happened to my parents and my family when I was growing up. Let me give you some background.

Definition:

Legalism - (Theology) 1. The doctrine that salvation is gained through good works. 2. The judging of conduct in terms of strict adherence to precise laws. — Legalist, n. — legalistic, adj. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/legalism)

Ever since I can remember, my parents were going to church. I grew up in a Christian church until the age of 11. I went to many of sermons and heard and saw lots of spiritual things and some things I never understood. My parents were heavily involved in this church. My Dad was a Deacon/Usher and my mother volunteered in many areas. They went there for about 10 years. As far as I have inquired, this church is longer an active congregation.

When I was about 11, my parents decided for us to move to another part of town. We stopped going to church and I asked my Dad, “Why are we not going to church anymore?” He said that there where some things there that he and Mom didn’t agree with. I asked my Dad, “Like what?” My Dad told me that there was a lot of hypocrisy in the church and by the pastor. He told me that the preacher/pastor would preach one thing and then at home the preacher would do the opposite. My Dad told me that he personally witnessed the hypocrisy with his own eyes when we were at the pastor’s home visiting.

I didn’t know what to call it or how to explain it until many years afterwards. But, from all the testimonies I have read over the years from some people who attended this church and from some church members who followed in the same ways as the one I went to, I have discovered what happened to this church. It was a combination of legalism mixed with hypocrisy led by a false prophet with heretical doctrines. When this happens to a church, it morphs into a Christian cult.

Jesus warned us about this when He said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” In other words, “in sheep’s clothing” means they look just like every other person in your church. Jesus said that they would be here! Believe it or not, your church can just as easily be infected by legalism as any other church. A self-professed prophet or great preacher can come in to any church and lay down a lot of rules and standards and will insist that everyone must follow them. If they are not followed, then that person(s) is shunned, ignored or asked to leave the church.

Matthew 24:3, 10-11 - “And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? Jesus said, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

I bought many books and listened to many recorded sermons and have read many statements by this so-called “prophet” that this church was following. Over many years of research and study, I discovered many things that contradicted Scripture. I won’t give any examples now but when a person says one thing and the Bible says the opposite, then it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

Why am I so concerned with this topic? Why do I feel this subject needs to be publicized? Because I have seen what this kind of thing does to people and how it destroys people’s faith. It destroyed the faith of my parents. My mother did not pray, read the bible or step into a church for almost 25 years. My Dad has yet to step into a church and it’s been nearly thirty years for him. The last time I spoke with him on this topic, he still believed in the old heretical doctrines of what he was taught over 40 years ago. He has not come back to Christ and is backslidden into the world and it hurts me to know that he may never return. All I can do is pray and plead for him that somehow he would return to Christ by divine intervention.

How can my Dad still believe in the doctrines of this church and "prophet" but yet leave because of hypocrisy? My Dad believed in the doctrines but when he saw hypocrisy, he left the church. In other words, it was the hypocrisy of the legalism that caused my parents to lose faith in the church. As a result, they lost faith in Christ. Then after so many years, they lost hope. It was the legalism that was at the core of everything.

If I am silent about this topic, will people know this little fact about Christianity? Maybe, maybe not; but I’m not willing to give them the chance to become the lost sheep that Jesus must leave the ninety-nine and go find. I love the fold too much.

I don’t want people that I have grown to love to fall into these legalistic pitfalls. I have learned from personal experience that it is easy to do and sometimes even the most mature of Christians can fall into it without even knowing until it’s too late. It is subtle and can infect a church faster than the common cold. I have heard the statement by some people, “Satan loves to go to church and see what kinds of things he can stir up.” In other words, be aware! "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)."

So, what was it about the church that caused my Dad to make the decision to leave this church? First, it was pure hypocrisy. However, it was more; it was pure hypocrisy against the legalistic rules that were made known throughout this church. My Dad saw these legalistic rules that were made up by this church were not being followed by the pastor, his wife or children. I'll go ahead and list a few of these stupid legalistic rules that the church made up.

1. All women must not cut their hair length except in the case of trimming like dead ends, etc. It must be worn in a bun and no other style of hair was accepted. (My mother's hair was as long as she was tall. Her hair was touching the floor, I have pictures to prove it!)
2. Men and boy’s hair must not touch the collar of the shirt or it's considered too long. If a man or boys hair was parted down the middle, you were considered in rebellion.
3. Women must not ever wear pants, slacks or jeans of any kind. You were considered a "Jezebel" if you wore those types of clothing. They must always wear a dress past the knees or a skirt past the knees.
4. You must accept and believe in the teachings and doctrines of William Branham. Anything else other than his doctrinal prophesies is heresy.
5. Women are subject to men and needed permission to do things that were out of ordinary daily routine.
6. Women were not allowed to wear any makeup of any kind.
7. Women were not allowed to work nor have jobs except that of a housewife.
8. Women were not allowed to wear any jewelry of any kind except a wedding ring.

What is the responsibility of pastors, teachers and prophets? "Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13)." It's not the job of these to make up stupid rules to follow that do not build up the church.

Subsequently, you see why Christians must be skeptical about churches, pastors and what they teach. Not skeptical in the sense of disbelief or unbelieving but in the sense of what John the Apostle spoke of in 1 John 4:1 (see below). I don’t want you to be misled. I don't want me to be misled and have heretical teachings go through my ears and the ears of my children.

Who is the one to determine what is false or what should be taught or not taught? Answer: The bible is always the answer. If a preacher says one thing and the Scriptures say another or the opposite, then obviously the preacher is in error.

I have to be aware and on the alert every time a sermon is given at any church I attend. It's not because I don't trust my pastor, it's because even the best and humblest of pastors can easily fall into the temptation of heretical and legalistic doctrines. You just have to be careful, especially in these last days we are in now. I’m not saying that this kind of thing is going on right now at any particular church but it could be going on at any church around the world.

1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

(For more on Legalism go to: http://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR214.htm)