BIBLICAL 'LEGALISM' VS. GOD'S 'FLEXIBILITY'

God is faithful enough not to contradict the spirit or intent of His own edicts or standards. It is we, not Him, who are capable of being deceived and of becoming deceivers. With that established, I want to explore the 'legalism' verses 'flexibility' debate.

Some claim to respect the Bible, but they do so as those who have not been taught by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:13-14; John 16:13; 1 John 2:27), as having their minds set on the flesh (Rom.8:5-6), with some even being the enemies of God (James 4:4).  Jesus is the Incarnate Word (John 1:14) and yet the Bible is not the Life, because it is not Jesus Christ Himself. It is an inspired tool that may lead us to a Revelation of Him, but until then, it seems just ink on paper.

The Bible cannot impart everything about God, yet it tells us of His character. It serves as record for many of God's dealings with man. As such, it can give us a healthy glimpse of God's love, His holiness and passion against the sin, and His reconciliatory efforts (grace) toward us all. By conviction of sin, we find that we do not suffer separation from Him nor remain in the power of sin and the evil one. This process and the revelation of Christ is not done by dry ink on paper, but is the work of the Spirit who writes the Word on our hearts (Matt. 16:17; 2 Cor. 3:3).

Those who exalt the Bible beyond what it is capable of without spiritual inspiration and personal humility, exceed the conservative or careful approach. If they were in the place of the prophet Ezekiel, they would say to God, "No, this cannot be of You. Not since the beginning of time is it recorded that You ever required a man to lie down on his left side to bear the iniquity of his nation. That is what Levite priests and animal sacrifices are for!" (referring to Ezek. Chapt. 4) If they were the apostle Peter, they might have refused the vision at Joppa, since it violated the understanding of Jewish to Gentile relationships as set forth by the Oral Law of the Talmud (Acts 10:9-16). Most certainly, if they had lived in either of those times, they would have decided Ezekiel was crazy and Peter was deceived—according to either God's written Word at the time (the Torah) or the respected "tradition of the elders", as they understood them.

By examples such as Peter's vision and Ezekiel's 'strange' instructions, the Bible gives us a peek at God's apparent flexibility, taking us beyond what we might first assume of His priorities, character, or ways. They certainly show that He is Sovereign and will do His good pleasure. This does not mean, however, that He will contradict His purposes or break His promises just to prove that He has his own will, as it is "impossible for God to lie." (Hebrews 6:13-18)

Still, how can we know everything about God's ways, and how can we discern what is acceptable or appropriate? If we were to think about that a little longer, we may grow frustrated because the Bible seems to be limited, in a sense. We are afforded the 'headlines' or 'top stories' of Biblical heroes and heroines, yet are not privy to everything. The Bible does not contain all of Jesus's doings (John 21:25), nor all the acts of the Apostles, nor every genuine spiritual encounter or personal testimony of every Christian in the first century church. If it did or if it could, would we insist that every one's testimony, every one's spiritual experience, or every practice in the name of the Lord be exactly the same, word for word, as what is written in the Bible? We might!

Instead of spelling out every possibility for us with exhaustive lists of do's and don'ts, He wants us to 'grow up' into mature perspective. Our 'loss' of not having everything dictated, would hopefully force us to acknowledge that mindless exercises of compulsively following exhaustive lists does not necessarily impart right perspective. We need to know more than that for our spiritual growth and safety. This would make us dependent on a Living Lord as well as mere dry pen and ink on paper—His Word-- as our Source. And as we depend on our Source, we find out what is important versus what is not.

This should lead us right back to the Bible, because His priorities are never contradicted or nullified by His Word. For instance, it was more important to God that Ezekiel graphically demonstrate Israel's uncleanness and spiritual adultery, than to accept their meaningless ritual animal sacrifices and supposed 'purity'! It was also more important for Peter to accept the gentile Cornelius than to abide by the Jewish law and tradition, for we are all one in Christ (Acts 10:28).
 

THE RELIGIOUS LOST

Some people, however, are so offensive with how they use the Bible that they might be thought of as not only 'Biblical legalists,' but as 'pharisees' in the broad or popularized sense of the term. This is because of several characteristics. One is that their demands are performance-oriented and are often a bit ruthless. Having set their interpretation of the Bible up on a pedestal of their own design, they demand others perform for it. Anything they do not find an exact Bible verse for, word for word describing the event, practice, revelation or testimony in kind, according to the sum of their knowledge or opinion or interpretation, they may find reason to reject. They will slay it on the altar of their pedestal.

As they demand such capitulation, they hold everything to a standard that is so narrow as to crush and deny the creativity and power of God Himself, if possible. This is because as one relies on the 'law', they need neither power nor creativity. When the 'letter of the Law' and personal interpretations (traditions of men, including our own extra-Biblical prejudices) become our lifeline instead of Christ's redemptive work and the "law of the Spirit" (Romans 8:2-17), neither the Life of Christ nor the things of the Spirit is understood or known. Even the Bible itself is not understood, since it is seen through the eyes of an unregenerate man who does not yet know the God's grace for transformation.

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39-40 NIV)

We become this way if we major on the minors and minor on the majors. Unlike our heroes Ezekiel and Peter, we are unable to put into perspective what is important to God versus what is important to ourselves. Like the Pharisees, we might complain about someone being healed on the Sabbath (violating the way we think it should be done), and not notice that they were healed. Like the Pharisees, we may tithe the mint and forget the widow. Thinking ourselves wise and knowledgeable, we find false righteousness by obeying the minor or outward points and ignoring the principle of the matter, or the 'majors'.

We do not have to end up that way, though. If we are honest with ourselves, we will find that we are without answers to everything and helpless against our own deficits. We would concede that we are majoring on the minors, so as to perhaps appear smarter, better, perfect, never wrong, and wise. We could admit that we do things to make ourselves feel good yet still do not really comprehend or understand God. Furthermore, outward form will no longer satisfy us. We will then concede that working toward our own righteousness has not helped us at all. We are not set free and have not found the solution, and are humble enough to admit our true state and to seek God desperately and humbly.

Being unable to 'fix' ourselves is not for the sake of condemnation, but in order to bring us to 'death' – to the end of ourselves. Yet if we do not take the step away from denial and toward truth and humility, we will not be turning toward the Lord. Turning to Him would facilitate the removal of the 'veil' and we would be set free and transformed (2 Corinth. 3:16-18). But without this transformation, our exaltation of the Bible will become an empty boast. We will use it more and more for own self-gratifying advantage, sacrificing others and the truth on the altar of our own Ego.

According to what Jesus said and taught about the Pharisee, the religious Pharisee can be most identified by spiritual pride and hypocrisy. Love of the Scriptures is not the same as personal hypocrisy or pride, and so this trait alone does not mean someone is a Pharisee. However, neither does love of the Scriptures mean anything more than mental assent without spiritual understanding.

Unfortunately, the religious are proud of what they think they know, their supposed spiritual revelation, status, or piety. Therefore they are the first to expel, reject, or purposely withdraw from someone in a hurtful way upon the mildest disagreement or challenge. Generally as they leave or reject, you will hear self-righteous condemnation and various accusations. You will hear condescending messages, as well as labels or other verbal attacks. It will either be these type of responses, or no response (silent treatment) to your concerns or questions.

Pharisees are unwilling to admit their own deficits. Feeling religiously superior, they will search for splinters in another's eye while ignoring the logs in their own. Lost in denial, pride, and deception, their carnal nature most often uses the defense mechanism known as of 'projection,' which is essentially accusing others of what they themselves do. They may even make it a habit of accusing others of being a Pharisee or even of being demon-possessed or inspired (i.e. "have a 'religious spirit'"), when it is obvious they themselves are the ones who have the problem!

The person who has not surrendered his life or parts of his life to the transforming power of Jesus must either admit his state of sin or failing, or remain in denial. The more he is in denial, the more he does not admit he needs God's grace, and the more he makes himself unable to receive it. Since he clings to the outer forms of what makes him feel righteous, he cannot recognize Life (Jesus), even if He were standing before him. He is not set free from sin and denies the truth. He is in fact the religious lost.

Not free from sin, the actions of the religious lost will reveal just how much they cannot love and just how much they do not know the God of Love. This makes them, essentially, contradictory and double-minded: The standards they demand from others they cannot apply to themselves, and so they become hypocrites to what is important. Therefore, though the religious would quickly and carelessly challenge others to debates and scrutiny, they are unable to answer the challenge to 'find something in the Bible' themselves-- especially in regarding how they treat their brethren. If they defend themselves at all by the Word, they will grossly misrepresent the Word by half-truths and inappropriate quotes that are often out of context, completely misapplying it to their actions.

The religious lost are not truthful about their state and so are not walking in the light (1 John 1:5-10). Left to their own devices, they will not see their hypocrisy and contradiction against God's major priorities. Instead, they cling to the minors – The proverbial "missing the forest for the trees." Without truth, they can neither find the state of their sin nor find the truth that God's grace would set them free. Jesus demonstrated this correlation between denial and truth when he told the religious that the truth would set them free, and then challenged their sin. Though they believed themselves children of God, He revealed them as the "children of the devil," by their actions (John 8:31-47). We should likewise not suffer the hypocrisy of the proudly religious.
 

THE ANCHOR AND THE WORKABLE STANDARD

I am well aware how often the term 'Pharisee' has been tossed out as an unfair attack by some who wish to avoid Biblical scrutiny. So, although I take note that there are Biblical 'legalists' out there, I also take note that they are no worse than the Bible avoiders. In fact, they are some times one in the same. Foolishness comes in many packages, and putting labels on people in order to avoid accountability to the Bible is one of the greatest of them.

The Bible is not some collection of obsolete newspapers that should be left behind in yesterday's trash heap. These precious 'newspapers' give us absolutes. If they did not, they would be worthless. But we have something more solid then newspapers. We have a metaphorical anchor in these absolutes. This anchor would keep us from floating adrift on the sea when we really should stay put. In other words, we can pay attention to the absolutes and set down our anchor against the tide.

It is prudent to note that in addition to the 'strange' reports of God's dealings, and in spite of missing what we might learn from in the acts or testimonies that were not recorded by the apostles, the Bible is still complete enough to give us a workable standard. We must trust that He has worked throughout the Bible to tell us as plainly as possible His priorities and character. He took great effort to afford us that standard, and it should be respected as such.

Respect for His Word does not automatically make it an idol of sorts. We respect His Word because we respect God the Father and Jesus the Revelation. It is true that the early Christians had virtually only the Torah and the testimony of Jesus' death and resurrection, and many were illiterate at that, yet they still respected the Word that they had. When they veered off from the pure Gospel, the apostles, prophets, and teachers of the day assisted them by again taking them back to the Word and testimony of Jesus. This is not a scourge but a blessing. So should we consider such reminders today.

And so if we, without hypocrisy or dishonesty, apply the Word as a tool toward the Revelation of Christ (2 Timothy 3:14-15) and as a tester of that Revelation (2 Timothy 3:16-17), we are not the degenerate Pharisee but the cautious Berean (Acts. 17:11). If we remain truthful to the Spirit of His testimony (John 15:26), then indeed we become His true teacher, prophet, or apostle (if we are called to and believe in such things—however it is defined or acknowledged or walked in as a matter of spiritual obedience). If we will not test and prove, then indeed there is nothing to prevent us from becoming the deceived and the deceiver—a false teacher, prophet, or apostle (again, if we believe in such things, and even if we don't), or their follower. It is as simple as that!

Confounding our legalistic formulas so that we may search and find Him is an important process in our spiritual awakening. Jesus Himself, as well as the Apostles, protested dead, lifeless, and useless religion by both word and action. Anyone who does not acknowledge this as part of the Mission of Jesus is a fool indeed! Yet, God's task is not just to broaden our horizons beyond pen and ink legalism and the traditions or formulas of men. To find Him in spite of the confines and carnal misunderstandings of man is neither the end of the voyage nor the sum of all wisdom, but the beginning. He is not the Mystic without the anchor, or the forever hidden. He promises that if we seek, we will find Him!

So, whenever things get or seem to be 'extra-Biblical', and when concrete explanation is not so easily found, we must trust in God that we are still capable of remaining faithful to His standards. If we are familiar with the workable standard, we will be less likely to contradict it. If we depend on the ministry of the Spirit, then the Spirit will not testify against the knowledge of Christ. Yet still if we make an error, we have the ministry of mature Christians to direct us back again to the purity of the Gospel. In our loyalty to Him, we will not be tempted to willfully run counter to the Biblical in order to justify what is subjective. Any temptation to do otherwise does not originate from God.
 

GRAY AREAS

We may say that our subjective experience or doctrinal musings fall into a 'gray area' and therefore we are in no danger. After all, there are many things that are not mentioned at all or are not thoroughly addressed by weight of Biblical preponderance. Therefore, we may argue that we do well to step out of our legalistic prisons for the flexibility and freedom (grace) that God intended. After all, these 'gray areas' are certainly nothing to fuss over, we say.

However, what is the full meaning of the 'unimportance' we wish to give our pet 'gray area'? That is, if we claim that these 'gray areas' are so unimportant—If we say that our brothers and sisters in Christ should accept us in spite of them in one big, happy, unified Family of Christ, then how do we treat our pet "doctrines" or personal beliefs? How is it that we attack or otherwise resist reasonable scrutiny, and how is it that we accept and fellowship only with those who agree with our 'gray area,' if indeed we do that?

If we do any of these things my dear brother or sister, we are practicing a contradiction and a self-deception. On the one hand, we wish others to overlook our determinations in the name of tolerance, and on the other hand we demand them to be All Important! We want to evangelize everyone according to our 'gray area' decisions, and have made them a point of division of our own design. And, by resisting any appropriate challenges or questions, we isolate ourselves to our own island, certain of our own correctness and 'freedom' to follow our own drummer---a freedom we always had in the first place.

Losing all reasonable perspective, those who exalt their subjective experiences or doctrinal 'grey areas' above the Word of God are certainly no better than any 'Biblical legalist.' They too have made the minor things into major things, and the major things into minor ones. They too are religious, and may even be the unregenerate religious (according to their hypocrisy and loveless behavior).

The only difference between them and the 'Biblical legalist' is that they have ceased to quote the Bible much at all. Instead, they either add to it or delete from it any parts they find in conflict with their subjective decisions. This only means they drift even faster from the shores of reason and sanity, while they tell others to break from their 'prisons' of absolutes! In the meantime, they often create their own 'absolutes' that were never intended by the Living God.

The truth is, no 'gray area' is worth staying in for long, or we will lose our bearings and get lost in the fog. In other words, no subjective experience or pet 'extra-Biblical' doctrine is important enough to become obsessed over or clung to as if it is Life itself. For it is not. Only JESUS is Life itself, and not anything else! Faced with the fog and the whirlwinds, it becomes time to get our bearings, cling to Christ, and put down our anchor.

© Copyright 2000  by Teri Lee Earl All Rights Reserved