The Urgent Need for Gospel Clarity
In the swirling currents of much of evangelicalism, there are few issues as dangerous as the intrusion of legalism. Don’t be deceived; It is not merely a theological error or a miscommunication, it is a spiritual foe attacking our faith, our assurance, and our witness in the world. Understanding and addressing this threat is imperative for preserving the purity and power of the gospel in our churches and in our lives.
The Poison of Legalism
Legalism, at its core, is the conflation of God’s law with His gospel. It’s a mixing of good news with a prerequisite. Derek Thomas, in his book “How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home,” defines legalism as a demand to obey in order to gain God’s favor. At times, these commands may be over and above what God has said, and at other times a blatant twisting of the scriptures, but in the end, it is the same: an alleged free offer with a hidden price tag. If you can’t pay the price, tow the line, or keep up the work, then the good news will remain just out of reach.
It is so poisonous because it subtly shifts the foundation of our faith and assurance from Christ’s finished work to our imperfect obedience. It transforms the gospel from a declaration of what Christ has accomplished into a demand of what we must achieve. The results are spiritually devastating. The Christian life is turned into a hamster wheel of performance, where believers are either crushed under the weight of their failures or puffed up with self-righteousness.
Legalism will always breed a culture of fear and pride — fear among those who know they fall short and pride among those who deceive themselves into thinking they have measured up. On its face, it is masked with piety and devotion, often masquerading as a zeal for holiness and a genuine commitment to God, but you will always know it by its poisonous fruits, offering a transactional relationship with God where His favor is earned.
The Clarity of the Gospel
This is why the need for gospel clarity is paramount. The gospel is not good advice; it’s not an offer with qualifications in the small print; it is truly good news. It announces that Christ has fully satisfied the demands of the law on our behalf. Our standing before God is secured not by our own righteousness but by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Gospel clarity sweeps in and liberates us from the tyranny of legalism. It is the antidote to the poison that is ingested when legalism is all we’ve been given. It frees us to live not out of fear of condemnation but from the joy, peace, and complete assurance of our acceptance before God. It is pivotal because as believers grasp that their acceptance before God is anchored in Christ’s perfect obedience, it quite literally transforms lives.
Gospel clarity cultivates true humility and genuine community. Recognizing that all of us stand in the same need of God’s grace fosters an environment where we can lay down our guard, confess our sins to one another, and bear each other’s burdens without hesitation and without fear. It demolishes the walls of comparison and competition, replacing them with encouragement and edification. It produces not the veneer of law-keeping but the actual fulfilling of the law of Christ.
The Urgent Need
For all believers, the call to maintain gospel clarity is of the utmost importance. It demands of us a relentless focus on Christ and Him crucified, a commitment to Christocentric preaching, and vigilance against legalistic tendencies, whether they appear in the words of a celebrated pastor/theologian, outside pressures, or our own legalistic tendencies.
As pastors, we must continually point our congregations to the sufficiency of Christ. We must teach them to rest in His finished work, to draw their identity from their union with Him.
In the end, the battle against legalism is a battle for the gospel. It is a battle to ensure that the good news of what Christ has done remains central in preaching, teaching, and living. It is a battle for the church’s greatest treasure and our only hope in life and death.