In high school, my older sister, Barbara, worked an after school job at a local pharmacy. When it came time for me to get a job, she suggested I apply at the same pharmacy. I spent hours typing up a resume trying to make sure that my babysitting experience seemed important as well as highlighting my grades and collecting references from friends.
I nervously walked in after school that day rehearsing answers to common interview questions, memorizing my strengths, and making my weaknesses look more like opportunities. But when I walked up to the counter and asked to speak to the owner, he took one look at me, noticed the family resemblance, and said, “Hey, you must be Barbara’s sister; she mentioned you were stopping by today. You got the job!” My resume went unlooked at. My grades didn’t matter, and my references were irrelevant. My sister’s good work and good word on my behalf was enough.
In a similar way, God welcomes us into His family through faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, favor, grace, or salvation. It is through Jesus’ good work and His good word on our behalf that we are saved. When we repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ, God looks at us and sees His Son’s righteousness, not our good deeds or mistakes, He says, “Hey, you must be Jesus’ friend. Welcome to the family!”
The Lie of Legalism
But this is where the analogy stops. After I got the job at the pharmacy, my sister’s name wasn’t enough for me to keep the job. I couldn’t show up to work late and simply name drop Barbara. I was expected to wear the uniform no matter who my sister was. I had strict work hours and job requirements that eventually earned me the right to maintain my job there.
Unfortunately, many of us grow up to view our salvation and relationship with God like a job. We earn the job by proving our significance and worth through thorough resumes, related experience, and relevant skills. Then we maintain the job by continuing to earn the favor of our boss.
Legalism isn’t just the belief that we can initially earn God’s favor or salvation, but we need to maintain it as well. Even if we’ve accepted that our salvation is from Jesus alone, we can easily fall into the lie that Jesus got our foot in the door, but it’s up to us to keep up our positions of favor.
If we want to stay in God’s good grace and keep our position in His family there are certain “job requirements.” Maybe it’s dressing a certain way or keeping strict work hours of Bible study and prayer times. It could also be political affiliations and volunteering with specific organizations.
Evaluating Our View of Legalism
For some of us, these “job requirements” become a burden. Guilt, insecurity, and shame trap us in a cycle of legalism, the need to do more, to earn more, and to increase God’s favor. We believe the lie that we have to continually earn God’s favor, no matter how burdensome it feels.
Past mistakes and the failure to meet both the expectations of others and our own expectations can make us forget that Jesus has already paid the price for our sins, and there is no more need to strive.
The realization that we don’t have to earn our place of favor with God comes as a relief. A burden is lifted, and we can find freedom in Christ’s redemptive work on our behalf. Jesus had kind, gentle words for those who needed to learn this. He often lifted up the lowly, those who mourned their sin and acknowledged their inadequacies, reminding them that His burden is easy and light because He is the one who has and continues to carry it for them.
For others of us, legalism doesn’t feel like a burden but more like a challenge to rise up and meet. Pride, haughtiness, and self-inflation drive the legalism cycle. We don’t simply believe we have to earn God’s continued favor, but we believe we can. We want to prove it to ourselves and to others.
Throughout my life, I have often struggled with this kind of legalism. I take pride in the good works I complete, the Bible studies I lead, or the accolades I receive from others. All this striving provides, though, is a false sense of security and favor. Jesus had some harsh words and warnings for people like me in Matthew 23 when He speaks to the Pharisees.
Rightly Viewing Our Good Works
Today’s verses in Colossians remind me that when Paul encourages believers to not let anyone judge them, that anyone includes myself. Paul encourages us to not be burdened by the extra-Biblical expectations of others or ourselves. He also encourages us to not allow ourselves to settle into a false sense of achievement, believing that we have increased God’s favor towards us by anything we have done.
Our good works should be done not out of a desire to earn, but a desire to worship God. Our good works should not bring us a sense of pride, but a sense of gratefulness that God invites us to be a part of His work in the world. Jesus, who was and is and is to come, is the only One who was enough, is enough, and will always be enough for us.
