Legalism in the Bible: Definition, Dangers, and Examples

Here’s the simple definition of legalism in a religious setting: it’s when we treat laws as if they are the means to salvation. As if they’re more important than the reason they exist.

It can involve adding to the law beyond what the Bible teaches. It’s rule-keeping without a real relationship with God. And it puts more emphasis on ourselves and what we can do than on our Savior—Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, the term “legalism” can get misused. For example, it has sometimes been used to describe any commitment to God’s law. But striving to obey or promote obedience isn’t the same as legalism.

Legalism stems from the heart and the motives more than anything else (1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 27:19, Romans 2:29). There’s a big difference between people who obsess over laws or technicalities, and Christians who obey God out of genuine love, faith, and Holy Spirit conviction.

That’s why it’s important to understand what the Bible says about legalism. It helps us guard against two extremes: 1. The law without Jesus, and 2. Lawlessness. And it gives us wisdom to recognize and confront true legalism.

Today, we’ll learn how the Bible answers questions like:

• What is legalism?
• What are biblical examples of legalism?
  • Paul (pre-conversion)
  • The Prodigal Son’s older brother
  • Pharisees (and their friends)
• How does legalism contrast with grace?
• What are the dangers of legalism?
• How do legalistic practices show in churches today?
• Is all obedience legalism?
• Is lawlessness a danger?
• Why does legalism happen?
• How can we avoid legalism?

Let’s start by digging deeper into the definition of legalism.

The definition of legalism

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The Cambridge dictionary defines legalism as,

“The practice of following the law very closely, especially by paying more attention to rules and details than to the intentions behind them.”¹

Fun fact: The word “legalism” doesn’t appear in the Bible. Not even once. That’s because the term wasn’t used by Christians until the 1600s.² But the Bible addressed this concept long before it had a formal name.

For example, Paul addresses legalism in Galatians 2:14. He tells early church leaders to stop holding new Christians to obsolete laws and standards.

Jewish moral and ceremonial laws no longer applied after Christ died (Mark 14:24). So continuing to enforce them added pointless burdens on the people. It’s a bit like asking someone to bring horse feed to the barn every morning even after the horse is gone, just because it’s still on the farm owner’s checklist.

Let’s look at some key aspects of legalism, according to the Bible:

• Emphasizing personal efforts over a relationship with Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:8-9)
• Valuing laws over love for God and others (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 7:6-9; John 13:34)
• Obedience without love or sincere faith (Hosea 6:6; Psalm 78:36-37; 1 Samuel 15:22; Romans 5:1)
• Obsessing over small details while missing what matters (Matthew 23:23-24)
• Depending on rules and good works for salvation, not on Jesus as our Savior (Galatians 2:16)
• Favoring human rules and traditions over biblical laws (Mark 7:8-9)
• Doing good works for the admiration of others (Matthew 23:5-6)
• Trying to appear perfect, but having no active faith (Matthew 23:27-28)
• Adding unnecessary burdens to the plan of salvation (Galatians 5:1)

Keeping God’s commands isn’t bad. In fact, Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). But true obedience to God comes from loving and understanding His character (John 14:23-24).

Legalism stems from trying to obey God’s law without understanding His love and grace—which His laws are meant to promote.

It’s the mindset that by keeping God’s laws down to the letter, we can somehow earn our way into heaven. And we end up trying to rely on ourselves rather than on Jesus—who God sent to save us.

To get a better picture of what this looks like, let’s talk about some people in the Bible who struggled with legalism.

Examples of Legalism in the Bible

When it comes to legalists in the Bible, Pharisees often come to mind. But others who struggled with legalism include:

• Paul (before his conversion)
• The Prodigal Son’s older brother in Jesus’ parable
• The Pharisees (plus Sadducees, scribes and lawyers)

Let’s start by looking at Paul.

The Apostle Paul: The reformed legalist

Paul (aka Saul) discusses the concept of legalism at length in the books and letters he wrote in the New testament. And it makes sense—he knew the dangers of legalism better than most (Acts 8:1-3).

Before Paul knew Jesus, He was passionate about protecting Jewish law in the name of God. But it was in the wrong spirit and he sent countless Christians to their deaths.

When he got to know Jesus, however, he realized his legalistic efforts were worthless. He began trusting in God’s grace instead of in his own efforts:

“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).

The Prodigal Son’s older brother: The relatable legalist

Photo by Craig Adderley

Next, let’s talk about the older brother in Jesus’ parable known as “The Prodigal Son.” Jesus describes a wayward young man who leaves home, lives recklessly, then loses everything and realizes the error of his ways. He returns home intent on becoming a servant, but his father welcomes him back home with open arms (Luke 15:11-24). The father represents God—and it’s a beautiful representation of His love for every human being, no matter their circumstances.

But Jesus didn’t end His story there. He went on to describe the older brother—the dutiful one who never left his father’s side. The older son got angry at his father for outright celebrating his younger brother’s return when he had been so selfish and disrespectful (Luke 15:25-32).

His father says to his oldest son,

​“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:31-32, ESV).

The older son represents Christians who do everything they’re supposed to do—and find it depressing to see others who aren’t as obedient receiving love and recognition. In the story, the older son even asked his father why he hadn’t been celebrated for being so obedient.

“But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him’” (Luke 15:29-30, CSB).

Jesus uses the older brother’s character to expose this aspect of legalism. It’s the belief that meticulous obedience or making fewer mistakes is what makes up a person’s self-worth and earns more of God’s love and mercy. It can even lead to thinking that some people don’t deserve salvation.

But we know God loves all his children the same. He longs for everyone to come to Him and accept salvation (John 3:17).

Legalists tend to put a limit on God’s grace and forgiveness (which we’ll talk more about later). The father gave grace to the son, who returned humbly seeking forgiveness. But the older brother felt that the “prodigal son” should have to earn his way back into his father’s good graces.

Pharisees: The classic legalists

Now for the last of the legalists we’ll talk about today: Pharisees. Jesus confronted them (along with some scribes and lawyers) about their legalistic traits. He said they:

• Appeared perfect on the outside but were corrupt at heart (Luke 11:39-40)
• Obsessed over small details while ignoring justice and love (Luke 11:42)
• Added unnecessary burdens to new Christians (Luke 11:46)
• Misrepresented scriptures, which misled others (Luke 11:52)
• Lacked humility and thought they were better than others (Luke 11:43; Luke 18:9-14)
• Cared more for the law than for their fellow humans (Matthew 9:12-14)
• Valued man-made additions to the law over God’s law (Matthew 15:1-9)
• Kept God’s law in vain because they didn’t love God (Matthew 15:8-9)

But one scribe stood out from the pack when he said,

“‘To love [God] with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’” (Mark 12:33-34, ESV).

The scribe’s legalistic friends were keeping the law, but missing a key ingredient—love. And the Bible says love is the entire foundation of God’s law (Romans 13:8-10).

Imagine a husband and wife who have been married for twelve years. When the husband comes home from work, he pulls out a checklist that says, “Kiss wife.” So he gives her a quick kiss, takes out a pen, and checks it off his daily list. Then he reads the next one, which says, “Ask how her day went,” so he does. And as she responds, he nods while checking off, “Nod to show I’m listening.” And the same goes for all his “duties” as husband.

That example might sound extreme. But that’s how legalism turns a loving relationship or a set of profound beliefs into something that feels more concrete and controllable. Those operating under this legalism appear committed and do all the “right” things, but there’s no real interest or love behind the acts. They’re simply going through the motions.

Kind deeds and duties build lasting relationships when they come from sincere hearts. But when they get reduced to a list of to-dos, those acts become empty, sad, and meaningless.

Legalism vs. the grace of God

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Legalists place a limit to God’s grace and forgiveness. And it can make us think we need to work our way back into God’s good graces when we mess up. Or keep Jesus at arm’s length while we try to fix ourselves.

But grace means we can come to Jesus as we are, accept His free gift of salvation, and let Him grow us. And if we mess up (which we all do), we can turn to Him for encouragement and restoration.

The Bible says it’s impossible to save ourselves—only Jesus can do that (Romans 3:20, 8:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17). So without accepting Jesus’ grace, our good works amount to “dead works” (Hebrews 9:14, ESV).

Grace is a gift, already earned for us by Jesus (Romans 1:4-6; 3:4; Romans 5:15-21). We don’t need to earn something Jesus already earned for us. That’s why the Bible says we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness” (Hebrews 4:16, CSB).

Jesus lived a perfect life for us because He loves us and knew we couldn’t do it on our own (Romans 3:23-24, Romans 5:8, Titus 3:4-7). Letting go of legalism means admitting we can’t save ourselves (Romans 7:18, 24-25). Instead, we can accept God’s grace and receive His Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 6).

But that doesn’t mean we ignore the law, stop obeying, and forget good works (Matthew 5:19). That’s what some refer to as “cheap grace.”³ Because it’s devaluing God’s grace. It’s “a denial of the true effect of God’s grace.”⁴ The Bible says when we accept grace, we desire to do good works and obey God’s commandments (Galatians 2:20).

Paul explains the effects of grace (which he experienced himself):

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works. (Titus 2:11-14, CSB).

When we accept God’s grace, He helps us grow more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 9:8, 2 Peter 1:4-8). Then we obey and do good works from a heart of gratitude. It comes from looking to Jesus instead of ourselves (James 2:14-26; 2 Corinthians 3:18, Jeremiah 31:33, Psalm 119:66-73).

It doesn’t mean we won’t still struggle. But when we do, we know we can go immediately to Jesus for forgiveness and guidance (1 John 1:8-9, Jude 24).

Abraham is a solid biblical example of the kind of obedience that flows from receiving grace. God called him righteous—not because of good works, but because of His faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-8). Yes, He obeyed when God asked Him to sacrifice Isaac. Not because he was a legalist—but because he had a trusting relationship with God (Genesis 11:17-19).

Here’s the bottom line. Christians who accept grace gain “a passion for righteous­ness, a passion for obedience to God’s revealed will both in the Old and the New Testament, not out of the pressure of law, but out of this new relationship to Christ (Romans 7:6).”⁵

Obedience without receiving grace is one danger of legalism. Here are some more.

12 dangers of legalism

We’ve already learned that legalism can cause us to look to our own efforts instead of relying on Jesus and His grace (Galatians 2:16-21). But it’s also dangerous because it often grows out of an internal psychological process. Which also makes it hard to detect until it spreads. It relies on keeping God’s commands—which is biblical—but in the wrong spirit. That’s why it’s a dangerous counterfeit to the Gospel of Christ. It can be a weapon of the devil.

Here’s how the Bible talks about 12 personal and spiritual detriments that result from legalism:

1. Lack of self-awareness. There’s a danger of thinking strict law-keeping is “enough.” So legalists may not sense a need for spiritual growth or introspection (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18, Matthew 19:16-22).

 

2. Making salvation unattainable. It pressures us to make ourselves perfect instead of relying on Christ (Philippians 2:13). So it can make salvation feel impossible.

 

3. Self-righteousness. Emphasizing what we can do over what Jesus did can cause us to compare ourselves with others. So we make ourselves judges in place of Jesus (Luke 18:9-14, Romans 12:3, Habakkuk 2:4).

 

4. Distorted view of God. Legalists often have a lot of knowledge about God. But they lack a personal relationship with Him (John 5:39, Mark 7:6-7). Without a relationship, we lack the correct motivation for the laws to begin with. They become like the fictitious marriage checklist example from earlier, which paints God as one to be appeased, rather than the loving God He is (Proverbs 29:18).

 

5. Unnecessary burdens. We might have healthy traditions or well-meaning and effective human-created rules. But it’s dangerous when we treat them like Bible doctrine, it takes the focus off what truly matters (Colossians 2:20-23, Galatians 3:1-3). Love and conviction have to come first, otherwise the laws are just tasks or rituals without the deeper context and mission. This can make coming to God appear exhausting, while the Bible says otherwise (Matthew 11:28-30).

 

6. Skewed view of Christian life. Jesus came so we could “have life and have it abundantly”(John 10:10, ESV). As we’ve learned, legalism add unnecessary burdens on Christians. So it can make the Christian life seem miserable (Galatians 5:7-10). And it paints a skewed picture of the life God wants for His children (Romans 7:22).

 

7. Misunderstanding the purpose of laws. Legalism views laws as the solution to sin. But laws can’t fix sin—they only reveal our sins and our need for the Savior (Romans 3:31-26, 5:13).

 

8. Hypocrisy. Legalism leads us to keep up perfect appearances and profess love for God. But without a heart fully committed to Him (Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:20-23, Luke 20:46047). So we seem one way and act another (Matthew 15:18-19), which makes Christians seem two-faced and untrustworthy to others.

 

9. Missing the big picture. There’s a danger of getting focused on the nitty gritty details while missing what God is trying to teach us. We might be strict law-keepers, but never develop Christlike characters (Luke 11:42). So we miss the whole point!

 

10. Loveless law-keeping. Where there’s no grace or love to lay the foundation, we obey to get ahead and save ourselves. Then we lack selfless love and a desire to help others and reflect Christ’s character (Matthew 12:9-14, Luke 10:25-28, Philippians 2:3).

 

11. Taking God’s glory: Good works done out of a changed spirit give God glory. But legalistic works (like trying to earn salvation) draw attention to ourselves (John 7:18).

 

12. Biggest danger–missing out on a saving relationship with God: Legalism aims to depend on self rather than on Jesus. But God says eternal life only comes through Jesus (1 John 5:11-13, Romans 8:1-3).

So, how do we detect legalism around us? We’ll talk about that next.

Legalistic practices to watch for

Photo by Martin Baron on Unsplash

Legalism can creep into just about anything that has guidelines, rules, expectations, etc. So how can we tell if a Christian community is Holy Spirit-filled, or promoting a spirit of legalism? Well, it can involve asking ourselves questions based on what we’ve learned about legalism so far. For example, is the community generally:

• Joyful?
• Loving?
• United?
• Encouraging?
• Quick to forgive?
• Inclusive and welcoming?
• Not focused on externals?
• Focused on a relationship with Jesus?
• In line with the law of God, but not relying on it?
• Experiencing spiritual growth among members?
• Promoting service to others out of love, not as a rule?
• Committed to the Bible (both Old Testament and New) as the Word of God?

No matter how grand or simple a church’s people, programs, or ministries, they should always point the way to Jesus. Churches need to emphasize reliance on Jesus and his righteousness (Romans 10:2-4). Even passionate Christians can get legalistic if the focus becomes about personal efforts. If that’s the case, we can follow Paul’s example and pray out of love (Romans 10:1).

We also see legalism at individual levels. For example, say a church member tells a newcomer they’re not dressed right for church. This form of legalism stems from elevating human tradition over love for God and His children. And from not recognizing that we need to allow people to come to Christ as they are (just like in His parable of the Prodigal Son). Then Christ can come in and make the kind of difference that truly matters.

What if the Holy Spirit convicts us to confront a legalistic church member? The Bible says to pray for help to do it with gentleness (Galatians 6:1).

When it comes to detecting legalism in peers, the Bible warns against judging others (Matthew 7:1, Romans 14:1-4, 13, 22). But we’re also told to “test the spirits” of spiritual leaders (1 John 1:5, ESV). Leaders can have great influence over us and our loved ones.

What if we suspect a leader of setting an example of legalism? The Bible tells us to use discernment and pay attention to how they live (Matthew 7:15-19; 1 John 4:1, Galatians 5:19-24). Paul even said if any leaders seem godly but lack the power of the Holy Spirit, to “avoid such people” (2 Timothy 3:5, ESV).

No church, leader, or belief system should place obstacles between a person and Jesus. Like the father in the Prodigal Son parable, Jesus welcomes us with open arms. God doesn’t ask us to go through any human-made ritual to receive forgiveness or salvation.

What about baptism? We know it’s biblical—even Jesus got baptized. But lack of baptism didn’t keep Jesus from promising salvation to the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43). Jesus read the criminal’s heart and saw his faith. Baptism (like obedience and good works) is the evidence of a life surrendered to Christ—not the mechanism that saves us.

Legalism vs. loving obedience

We mentioned earlier that legalism is different from loving obedience to God’s laws and instruction. Unlike legalism, true obedience doesn’t spring from thinking the law has power to save. A true desire to obey God results from a life surrendered to Christ, understanding that what He asks of us has a higher purpose and promotes love toward others.

In Psalm 119:97, David says, “Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (ESV).

Let’s look at an individual example we might see in modern times:

Let’s say Jesus calls someone out of a pattern of destructive habits. That person will likely recognize that keeping God’s law brings more peace, joy, and protection. It’s a lot like a child who later realizes that the rule “don’t touch the stove” is actually for their protection. Or a sheep that recognizes the shepherd’s boundaries protect it from a ravenous wolf (1 Peter 5:8).

That kind of law-following involves wanting to align with Christ’s character.

But in large communities, whether faith-based or not, legalism can surface unintentionally because we have a human tendency to want to control or categorize things. So just because legalism pops up somewhere doesn’t mean the whole community, cause, or company is bad. But it does mean that some spiritual refocusing is in order.

If in doubt of motives, we can always ask individuals and leaders why observing God’s law matters to them. And we can ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes (1 John 1:4).

Lawless churches: The extreme opposite of legalism

Photo by Ron Lach

The opposite of legalism—lawlessness—is just as dangerous (1 John 3:4, 8-10). In its purest definition, it’s a disregard of law altogether, in favor of whatever a person sees fit from their perspective.

The Bible says God’s law reflects who He is, so His people won’t abandon it (Matthew 5:17-18, Revelation 12:17, Isaiah 42:21).

One example of lawlessness could involve keeping (or fixating on) some of the Ten Commandments while throwing out others. Or it could mean abandoning them altogether.

The Bible cautions, “Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19, ESV). And that’s because all of God’s laws are meant to promote love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.

Another form of lawlessness can exist in the “once saved always saved” theory, which claims if someone accepts salvation once, they can’t lose it. It makes biblical laws and obedience meaningless.

But like marriage, true commitment leads to an ongoing relationship and continual surrender to Christ (Ephesians 5:31-33).

Think about it. If a couple gets married and thinks, “Well, once married always married, no matter how I treat my spouse”…you can see how that doesn’t bode well! And if that was the case, you might even think, then what was the point of getting married in the first place?

That’s why God’s laws promote balance instead of either of the extremes.

Now that we have tips to recognize legalism (and lawlessness), we’ll sum up what causes legalism.

Why legalism happens

Legalism happens because as humans, we find that it takes continual effort to weigh every decision against a few basic, underlying principles. We have a tendency to want our decisions in black and white. And we have historically struggled with grey areas.

So we might make spiritual to-do lists instead of trusting an unseen Creator to guide us. And in doing so, we can easily start adding to His laws—to make them easier to be tracked in checklist form.

But we make things rigid that God left open to Holy Spirit-filled interpretation and choice. And we forget the original principles of the laws.

It’s been a struggle for people, communities, and countries throughout history.

For example, settlers founded the United States based on the freedom to worship God. But those same freedom-seeking settlers soon tried to enforce religions within their communities.⁶

Free choice leaves grey areas we’re not always comfortable with. Or maybe there just isn’t one or two solutions that work in all situations. So we try to fill in the gaps. The settlers forgot their whole purpose for establishing the “New World.” And sometimes we forget the reason God established His law.

We also tend to get more legalistic about the traditions and laws everyone can see.

For example, it’s easier to show off that we put money in the offering plate and kneel for prayer every week. But it’s harder to show off that we don’t covet. So we fixate on the concrete and visible efforts. And we then forget that it’s all a representation of the bigger laws based on love.

Acts of legalism might come across as making life easier or setting a good example. But they actually complicate what Jesus came to simplify for us (Galatians 1:6-9).

That’s why we want to do what we can to prevent these human tendencies from affecting our beliefs, relationships, and communities.

How to avoid legalism

Photo by Bethany Laird on Unsplash

The best way to avoid legalism is to accept Jesus’ grace and have a personal relationship with Him. Righteousness comes down to having faith in the Lawmaker—not in the laws themselves (Romans 1:17). And a relationship with our Savior grows our faith.

Paul uses the story of Abraham to explain this to us:

“He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to do. Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:20-26, CSB).

We can believe God’s promise to save us because of what He’s already done through Jesus Christ (Genesis 15:6). And as we rely on Him, our faith will continue to grow (Galatians 5:6).

It sounds simple. But as we’ve learned, it’s tempting for us as humans to reassure ourselves by covering all the bases.

True love for Jesus leaves no room for legalism (1 John 4:13-21). As we get to know Him, we learn that God is love and there’s nothing else we can do to make Him love us more. We are God’s “beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV). When we grasp that, we’ll long to obey Him because we love and trust Him.

That’s where active faith comes in.

Avoiding legalism doesn’t mean we stop trying to obey and do good. With legalism, we try to do good works but the heart isn’t in it. When we accept God’s grace, our old self dies away. And we start becoming more like Jesus (Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 6:1-7, Galatians 6:15).

Here’s what happens:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules” (Ezekiel 36:26-27, ESV).

That means we still keep God’s laws, but out of faith—not fear. And with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Good works done out of love will draw others to their Creator (Romans 7:4-6). Think of all the good works Jesus did when He lived on Earth. It wasn’t because He needed to earn His Father’s favor, but to show God’s loving character to humanity.

As we take on that same loving character, we can’t help but serve, love, and obey the way Jesus did (Galatians 5:13-14). And good works done in the right spirit give people a glimpse of who Jesus is (Matthew 5:16, John 3:21).

Again, the best way to avoid legalism is to spend regular time with God. And a few ways to start that is through a combination of:

• Bible study
• Talking to God through prayer
• Joining a Holy Spirit-filled church community
• Asking God to help you trust Him and His promises
• Daily devotionals (reading the Word of God along with prayer and reflection)
• Building trust in God by going to Him for help in every situation (Psalms 34:8)

Legalism is a skewed view of salvation, self-worth, and even God. It demonstrates a belief that God isn’t the compassionate, loving, and forgiving God He claims to be.

We learned it can stem from tendencies of our fallen human nature coupled with a lack of personal connection with Christ (John 15). And when it wins out, legalism treats obedience, rules, and good works as the way to gain salvation for later, and value as a human being for the here and now. And it leaves love out of the law and tries to make humans the heroes instead of our Savior.

But here’s the good news!

Understanding the dangers of legalism shows us that the true Gospel isn’t complex. It’s supposed to be simple and within reach for everyone!

Salvation is already ours through grace—it’s not something we earn. That means we don’t have to let fear govern our decisions. We can come as we are to Jesus, whose “yoke is easy” and “burden is light” (Matthew 11:30, CSB), and He will be “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV).

Want to learn more about how salvation works?

1. “Meaning of Legalism in English.” Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press and Assessment. [↵]
2. Yinger, Kent. “Defining Legalism.” Andrews University Seminary Studies Vol. 46, no. No. 1 (2008): 93. [↵]
3. Dominguez, Nicole. “Legalism Vs. Grace.” ANN English. Adventist News Network, July 3, 2021. [↵]
4. Maxon, Benjamin C. “The Wonder of Grace.” Stewardship Ministries. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, January-March 2000. [↵]
5. Professor of Systematic Theology, Andrews University C. “The Law in Adventist Theology and Christian Experience.” Ministry International Journal for Pastors. General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
6. Facing History & Ourselves, “Religion in Colonial America: Trends, Regulations, and Beliefs”, last updated March 14, 2016. [↵]

More Answers