"You're a Legalist"
Members of the church once heard these words from those in denominations—and sometimes from liberals within the body of Christ. Usually, the charge was leveled because someone did not want to obey the truth (whether it related to the qualifications for elders, unscriptural marriages, worship innovations, or other matters of authority). Those who cried, "Legalist," leaned heavily on grace, as though it could overthrow obedience. Certainly, grace is powerful—powerful enough to overcome and forgive all of our sins. If we thoroughly understand what sin does to us, as well as how it grieves God, then we know our constant need of grace. That fact, however, cannot discount our need to be obedient to God's commands.
Hebrews 5:9 still states that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him. Does citing this verse and trying to live according to its teaching make us legalists? Of course not. When God spoke the Ten Commandments to Israel, did He expect His people to keep them? And if He did, did that make Him a legalist? If it does, He should not have given them laws. But He demanded that they keep His precepts because His statutes were for their own good (Deut. 10:13). If they obeyed these laws, did that make them legalists? If so, then God contributed to their being such. Besides, we know what disobeying these laws made them—worthy of punishment and eventual captivity!
It is, therefore, inappropriate for someone to call another a "legalist" if he is simply trying to be obedient to God. What is legalism? According to Webster's Pocket Dictionary, legalism refers to "overly strict interpretation or adherence to the law." What is an overly strict interpretation of, for example, "You shall not commit adultery"? Does that mean that an individual is free to commit adultery once a month? Or does God mean he should not commit adultery at all? Would that be an overly-strict interpretation? If so, Jesus made it worse by forbidding a man to even look on a woman to lust after her (Matt. 5:27-28). Likewise, God condemns stealing. He is even more strict in banning covetousness (Ex. 20:15, 17).
Was Jesus expecting a legalistic response when He said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments"? No, but He required His commandments to be kept, and He tied doing so to our love of Him. God made us several promises in His Word: the second coming of Jesus (2 Thess. 1:6-10), a Day of Judgment (2 Cor. 5:10), eternal life (Matt. 25:46), a dwelling in the Father's house (John 14:2-3), and an environment of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). If we expect Him to keep His Word, are we legalists? If He must abide by His Word, then don't we need to abide by it, also? Generally speaking, we think of legalists as those who obey outwardly, but their hearts are not in it, as Malachi described conditions in his day—or as Jesus said of the Pharisees (Matt. 15:8-9). God knows a legalist because He knows hearts. The rest of us must go by the evidence.