by As a young Christian, “LEGALIST” was thrown at me by Christian friends. Before salvation, these friends never witnessed to me as they watched me live a life of sin. They drank with me, smoked weed and went places with me that I would be ashamed of today. After salvation, God worked in my heart and gave me victory over these sins.
As a young believer I was not bold in my victory, so I never condemned my friend’s sins, rather, it was my changed life that did the convicting. Without opening my mouth, it was not long before I was called a LEGALIST. I had no snappy response because I had no clue what they were talking about. I was just living according to what I was learning from God’s Word.
I came to learn that anyone who stands on sound doctrine in God’s Word will be called a LEGALIST. This made little sense, that me being obedient to God’s Word brought hateful words from my Christian friends. As I watched their lives and studied God’s Word, it became apparent that those throwing around this term were actually the LEGALISTS by God’s definition. They justify calling others a LEGALIST by using Colossians 2:20-21, but they do not take the context which goes into 2:22 and actually condemns them of LEGALISM.
“Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” (Colossians 2:20-22)
These verses command us not to follow the ordinances of men who say, “touch not; taste not; handle not.” However, a clear reading of this phrase within the entire sentence of verses shows that it is not LEGALISM to follow God’s commands. In contrast, God defines a LEGALIST in these verses as the one who follows “after the commandments and doctrines of men” which is what they were doing in condemning me, following the doctrines of men and not the sound doctrines of God. I witnessed the word LEGALIST as only used by men who are taught how to use this word according to their teachings and not God’s, and used to justify their sinful and/or disobedient lives.
Thus, those who accuse us of LEGALISM are the LEGALIST as they are heeding the corrupt, liberal, commandments and doctrines of men they follow rather than heeding the commandments of God.
So, don’t back away when called a LEGALIST, let your testimony and changed life rebuke them as the LEGALISTS.
