What is a legalist?

[Billx]

But what if the preacher is a Native Hawaiian - and has not business suits!

I still remember the book Christ and Culture. It made struggle with my own legalism. About the same

 

[Salty]

I still remember the book Christ and Culture. It made struggle with my own legalism. About the same

Sounds like an interesting book - when I googled - one page I found was this - Christ and culture - 5 views

 

[Happy]

I was described as one yesterday which would be a first. I'll bet I was taken out of context or misunderstood in the area of evangelism as being WOTM Only, when I have told this person and others more than 50 times that I am WOTM preferred. The LAW is a very powerful way to evangelize and what I default too in conversations but by no means is it the only way to do evangelism. Other reasons why I am a legalist may be associated to my view on alcohol which by the way is the Biblical view and that held also by John Piper. But this thread is not abut alcohol, but about legalism.

In my def a legalist is someone with a list of do's and dont's. Someone who uses ONLY the King James Version of the Bible, someone who only thinks that traditional hymns are the ONLY way to worship God, someone who thinks that tithing is for today, when the Bible clearly teaches Free-Will giving in the NT, and so on. So what is a legalist?

Legalism refers to strict adherence to the law, and a basis for ones doctrine, primarily acceptable to do works according to the law is favorable, and not doing works according to the law is unfavorable.

For example the Pharisees were legalistic.

The problem with legalism is, most LAWS are in the "POSITIVE", meaning; designed for notifying one of what IS, rather than what IS NOT.

AND...

Most LAWS are in the "GENERAL", meaning; determining IF a LAW applies to you is Paramount, BEFORE it has any legal effect.

You are the one who knows your own heart, and WHAT you have complied with concerning submission unto the Lord ~ however that does not, in many cases STOP others from attempting to make "determinations" FOR YOU, particularly claiming certain Scriptural laws "apply" to you, when they DO NOT, because you have already Fulfilled them, or they Never applied to you to begin with.