Luke 11:38 - "And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner."
LUKE 11:37-41
A sure sign of the error of legalism is misplaced priorities, as we see
here with these Pharisees. It is not recorded in Scripture that the
Pharisees marveled at the wonderful works of Jesus. They were too busy
looking for something to criticize (Mark 3:2). But they marveled at
Jesus not washing His hands. This is a classic example of straining out a
gnat and swallowing a camel (Mt. 23:24).
Those who seek to
earn righteousness through keeping the Law are consumed with "doing,"
while those who receive righteousness by faith are simply confessing
what has already been done. This is a simple and yet profound
difference. If we are still "doing" acts of holiness to get God to move
in our lives, then we are still operating under a "Law" mentality that
is not faith (Gal. 3:12). When we simply believe and confess what has
already been provided through Christ, that's grace.
A person
who is living under the Law and a person who lives under grace should
have very similar actions of holiness, but their motivations are
completely opposite. The legalist has their attention on what they must
do, while the person living by faith has his attention on what Christ
has already done for him. For instance, the Scriptures teach us to
confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts, and we will receive
from God. The legalist thinks, That means I can get God to heal me by
confessing, 'By his stripes I am healed.' However, the person who
understands God's grace will not confess the Word to get healed. They
will confess, "By His stripes I am healed" because they really believe
it has already been done.
Analyzing our "mind set" is the
simplest way of discerning whether we are operating in true Bible faith
or a legalistic counterfeit. If the motive for our actions is to be
accepted with God, that's legalism. If we live wholly out of faith and
gratefulness for what God has already done, that's grace. Grow in grace!