Legalism Rejects Grace

Legalism Rejects Grace
How the Self-Righteousness of the Pharisees’ Nailed Jesus to the Cross
John 5:9-16

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Review
Last week we looked at the miracle Jesus performed at the sheep gate and today we are going to look at its consequences. First, I want to back up and point out some of the deep symbolism in the miracle in 5:1-9.

1. Sheep gate- Jesus is the true lamb: to be
sacrificed
2. It was in view of the temple and
Calvary (outside the gate)
3. Water an the inadequacy
of the Law
-Jesus turned water into wine;
-He offered the woman water
that would quench her thirst.
4. The angel touching
the water
-Jesus promised the disciples that they would see angels
ascending/descending upon Jesus
-The supremacy and finality of Jesus: “God at
various times and in various ways spoke in past times to the fathers by the
prophets, but in these last days he has spoken directly to us by His son.” (Heb
1:1-2).
5. The paralyzed, blind and diseased
represent the ravages of sin upon our souls and our total inability.

It Was the Sabbath
With that in mind, I want to focus on the last phrase in verse 9, “it was the Sabbath”. This miracle and all that it symbolizes is setting us up for the confrontation with the blind Pharisees.

The paralytic was so overcome with surprise and joy (and who wouldn’t be), he never got the chance to thank Jesus (much less ask him his name) before Jesus had slipped into the crowd.[1] The Pharisees exposed the joyless of their religion: rather then celebrating this obvious miracle with the man, their pride and ambition compelled them to make themselves the center of attention- to take charge and show everyone how well they new the Law by launching into an inquisition- “who cares about miracles and the possibility that the Messiah may be among us, this is the Sabbath.”

Legalism
This morning I want to address the issue of legalism. Legalism occurs when man-made rules and rules that are not explicitly taught in scripture are elevated as the standard for Christian conduct and are often made into the measure for whether or not someone is saved. People are accused of being backslidden or having lost their salvation when one or more of these rules are breached.

Legalism also occurs when people (whose own Christianity often is in doubt) make it their duty to tell everyone else that they’re violating scripture all the while ignoring the fact that they themselves are equally in violation of the Law. Their prescription for the disease of sin is not grace but amputation.

Don’t hear my criticism of legalism as denying the importance and use of church discipline or personal holiness; or that living by the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the mount are not essential to the Body of Christ.

But discipline is a last resort: Remember that Jesus summarized the Law with, “Love God with all your soul, strength and heart and Love your neighbour as yourself”. We keep the Sabbath out of love for God and our neighbour, not to earn browny points with God.

Church discipline is a process; when all other avenues of correction have been patiently and lovingly exhausted and when the elders have sufficiently searched their own souls to see if they have any hidden sin- then prayerfully, humbly and with fasting should church discipline be carried out. And the goal of that is restoration, not retribution. The motive is love, not wrath

Here are some example of man-made rules: I remember reading that early in the 19th century, some Christians forbade wearing ties, because they were worldly. Chewing bubble gum was also prohibited.

Being a pastor or a leader in the church often increases your chance of being a target of legalism and false accusations. Answering the call to lead is like walking around with a target on your head and a spotlight with a sign that says “This person is not perfect, find out what his faults are so that you can tell him why he should not lead.” Many of you know what that’s like.

We can also be perpetrators of legalism too. I’ve done it. I’ve probably done it this morning. Christians have a name for legalism- we call it Pharisaism, because the Pharisees were so good at it. Are you a Pharisee? John MacArthur describes Pharisaism:

[They] were hyperlegalists who externalized religion. …the very epitome of all
who pursue a form of godliness with no reality (2 Tim. 3:5). Although they were
fanatically religious, they were no nearer the kingdom of God than a prostitute.
Their credo included fastidious adherence to more than six hundred laws, many of
which were simply their own inventions. They believed, for example, that it was
all right to swallow vinegar on the Sabbath but not to gargle it—gargling
constituted labor. One Pharisaical teaching held that it was permissible to eat
an egg that had been laid on the Sabbath only if the chicken was killed the next
day for having violated the Sabbath! The Pharisees were so enamored with the law
and religion that when Christ came offering grace and salvation to even the
grossest of sinners, they would not receive him.[2]

Just so you don’t come to think of it as a minor offense, remember that Pharisaism nailed Jesus to the cross.

In verse 10 the Pharisees approach the man who was healed and immediately launch into their inquisition: “It is the Sabbath, the Law forbids you to carry the mat.”

Have you ever shared a testimony with someone about what God has done in your life and the tremendous mercy he has shown you only to have them take offense or point out some theological flaw? It’s painful.

What is our model for the way we treat people? Is it the Pharisee who hammer people with wooden interpretations of scripture not read through the lenses of grace and mercy? Or, is our model Jesus, the author of the Law.

He’s the shepherd who leaves the 99 so that he can find and restore the lost sinner, rather then condemnation, he blesses them with joy and then, gently reminds him of the effects of sin- “go and sin no more.” God chastises his children- his children do not chastise one-another! Except in cases of church discipline.

The problem with legalism is that it is usually based on things that are not explicitly taught in scripture or dogma based on deductions and faulty interpretations (i.e. Jehovah’s witnesses don’t celebrate birthday’s because in the two or three instances in scripture where a birthday is celebrated, something bad happened)… these kind of people make rules and a list of do’s and don’ts for Christians that are nowhere taught in scripture eventually they elevate their rules over grace and the gospel. They only pick the rules that are lived out externally to suit their own abilities all the while ignoring the more difficult explicit commands of love for God and others.

That’s what these Pharisees did. I looked in vain to find a place where the Law forbade carrying a mat and I found nothing. I did find commands like, “Keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary,” and “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” The Pharisees hypocrisy reveals our own potential to self delusion- in seeking to accuse others, we often commit even worse sins.

The paralytic man may be guilty of carrying a mat, but the same Lord, who gave the Sabbath Law as a memorial of his liberating Israel from Egypt, is also the one who told him to carry the mat. And just to show that it is no violation of the Sabbath to carry a mat, Jesus told him later on to sin no more lest something worse would happen. It implies that no sin has occurred.

So, there is no sin in carrying one’s mat on the Sabbath, meanwhile, these Pharisees were profaning the Sabbath by conspiring against Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.

Application
I could say more about legalism… the fact that legalism is often a smoke screen that people create to hide their own insecurity, and sin and abuse. That people who look for slivers in other people’s eyes do so because they have a log in their own. Instead, I want to make a few suggestions so that we don’t become like those Pharisees, exchanging the blessing of God’s activity in our midst for rigidity and dogma.

1) If God has blessed you with a deep understanding of doctrine and scripture. Remember it is a gift from God. Use it to lovingly and gently build up and edify the church rather then to tear it down. You can do that by teaching Sunday school or leading a bible study. Don’t hoard your knowledge using it for the sole purpose of pointing out to others when they’re wrong- that’s pride.

2) If someone is doing something that you consider a sin, here is a process for determining how to handle it:
· First, is there a specific scripture for which this is a violation (i.e. Thou shalt not steel); if so, then take Jesus’ advice from the sermon on the Mt. First take the log out of your own eye… that means, make sure your heart is right with God. If you are going to accuse someone of steeling from by not tithing 10%, while at the same time, you’re cheating on your taxes- then God will deal with you (By your own mouth you will be judged)!

· Second, it may not be a primary text, but there is a principle. Some people argue that since the New Testament does not mention the use of musical instruments, Christian worship should therefor be accapella. That's fine for them, but if they make it into a universal rule and criticise churches that use instruments based on an argument from silence, that is pharisaical!

· Third, is it possible that the alleged offense is based on a difficult passage of scripture, like the passage in 1 Corinthians that talks about men praying with their heads uncovered. Some translations say, with long hair. I’ve read all the arguments and I am still confused. So, if there is confusion about a text, and common sense tells you that the text has more to do with cultural customs of the time and place the scripture was written, then we need to give grace when people wear a hat in church or have long hair or short hair, or whatever.

3) One final thing, if you find yourself being critical of everything and everyone; when the behaviour of others is robbing you joy and fellowship, then you may the problem. If all you do when you come to church is find fault and you leave feeling bitter, but you never offer to help change anything, then You may be in danger of becoming like these Pharisees, who, when God comes among them and liberates a man from 38 years of bondage, all they can do is find fault. You need to rediscover the joy of God’s salvation.

Notes
[1] Note the difference between the humility of Jesus, who avoided the limelight associated with his miracles, versus the pride of many popular modern faith healers who boast and take credit for their so-called “healing ministry”?
[2]MacArthur, J., F. (1997, c1988). The Gospel according to Jesus : What does Jesus mean when he says "follow me". Includes index. (Electronic ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Academic and Professional Books, Zondervan Pub. House.