Legalism is one of the most misunderstood words in Christian thought. Declaring what the Bible says about morality and righteous living is not legalism. Legalism is when you believe the keeping of any rule great or small is what saves you. We are saved by grace and that same grace that saved us introduced us to a life of holiness where we now live our lives to please the Lord. To declare this is not being legalistic it is being honest.
I identify with your concern, brother. However legalism is not all bad. Old Covenant or New, the word ‘covenant’ (contract) IS A LEGAL term, with certain prescribed conditions and obligations on both sides. We just need to read the Covenant with untinted lens. ie Calvinist, Armenian, Abrahamic, Messianic, Babylonian, etc. Learn clearly the Covenant itself, and fulfill your side of the deal which begins with faith in Jesus Christ…
Bro Cleatis Jeffcoat I often joke that I am a recovering legalist. I concur with your thoughts. This whole idea of God expecting nothing out of us I just don’t get it. Especially in light of Jesus words, “not everyone that says Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven but he that DOES the will of My Father.”
Fuuly agree, our best attempts to gain legal entry into God’s kingdom thru legislated holiness without repentence and faith is futile.