What is legalism? How do Christians get caught up in it as they strive to please God? In this message on Galatians 2, Pastor David Platt defines legalism and why God’s pleasure is not derived from our performance. The beauty of the Gospel is that sinful humans are made whole before a Holy God through the performance of Christ done on the cross. There is no more striving, and no more performing, because God’s pleasure in us has been made complete through Christ.
- Freed by Grace
- Three Pictures of Legalism
- Accepted before God Through Faith
- Alive to God Through Faith
- God’s Pleasure in Christ’s Performance
Watch Full Message of “Freed Through Faith“
Legalism is working in our own power, or according to our own rules. But ultimately, legalism is working to earn God’s favor. Do these certain things, and you will experience favor before God. You will be accepted before God. That’s exactly what is countered here in Galatians 2:1-10. Now, remember this is important, we don’t talk a lot about circumcision today, we don’t talk a lot about Jewish laws, this or that, but I want you to think about this definition here, right behavior with wrong belief. Don’t miss this, what the Judaizers were saying needed to be done, be circumcised, follow Jewish laws, those were not bad things.
Be circumcised was important for the people of God all throughout history up to this point. So, that’s certainly not a bad thing. Following the laws that God had given us people in the Old Testament, is that bad? No, these are not bad things in and of themselves, but they became bad things when they were accompanied by a belief that in doing those things, one would be accepted before God or have approval before God. Let me repeat that, good behaviors became bad things when they were accompanied by a belief that by doing them, you were accepted before God or had favor before God.
Legalism Is The Right Behavior With The Wrong Belief
Now, translate that a couple of thousand years later into our context. We’re not talking about circumcision or following Jewish laws, but what are the things that we do? Good things? Maybe, a quiet time, Bible study, coming to worship like you’ve done this morning, serving people. These are very good things. They’re very good behaviors to give our lives to. At the same time, as soon as they are accompanied by the belief that doing those things makes us more favorable before God, we’ve missed the point. It’s right behavior with wrong belief, and we have to be careful to avoid legalism.
Avoid thinking if we’ve had good, quiet time this all week, that we sit in here with more favor before God than the person sitting next to us who’s not prayed all week long. So, we’ve got to be careful and good behaviors, good things, not to equate those with a belief that says, “That makes me more favored before God than someone else.” That’s legalism. That’s the picture in Galatians 2:1-10.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
