Legalism and Self-righteousness

Notice what happens when you try to live by rules. There is always the possibility that you will reason like this:

Step One: "Those who obey the laws are good, and God rewards them. Those who disobey the laws are bad, and God punishes them."

Step Two: "There is a man who is prosperous. He must be obeying the law. . . . There is a man who is in trouble. He must be disobeying the law."

Step Three: "I am doing a pretty good job of obeying the law -if I do say so myself. That means God ought to reward me. Now see here, God . . ." -- at which point you start ordering God around like a drill sergeant.

Step Three can go another way too: "I'm doing all right for myself. Made a nice little business deal yesterday. That must mean God is extremely pleased with me, and is blessing all my efforts."

Legalism, in other words, leads to self-righteousness, in which I compare how good I am to how bad you are, and how obvious it is that God really likes me a lot better.

The Bible criticizes this point of view sharply. The Book of Job is a specific challenge to it. One of the psalmists points out a truth deeper than legalism: "If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?" ( Ps. 130: 3). And another one pleads with God, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned" ( Ps. 51: 2-4).