Personal Legalism
I’m not sure why, but we try far too often to line up the Bible with our beliefs rather than line up our beliefs with the Bible. We’ve got it all backwards. You’ve probably done this yourself or at least met others who have. I know many people who pick a verse out of the Bible to reinforce their own legalism, completely taking the verse out of context. What makes the Bible so unique is its numerous authors with different intentions and purposes of each book, yet still remaining completely unified. To look at any book or verse completely separated from its context is to risk completely arriving at the wrong conclusion.
We can see this happen in churches today all the time. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people have reassured me that getting a tattoo is a sin because, “the Bible says it is.” This is a prime example of someone taking a verse completely out of context for the sole purpose or reinforcing their own opinions. It’s funny that in the same book it also says men shouldn’t trim their hair or beards. Interesting how we leave out what we don’t want to apply to us.
The Bible does not exist to defend and deliver our possibly errant ideologies. It’s okay to have personal legalisms. You may feel that drinking alcohol is sinful for you. Maybe you have a problem getting drunk and you don’t want alcohol to have a foothold in your life. In this case, it would be wrong. But to take our own personal legalisms and imply them on others when there is no explicit command in the Bible is not what we are called to do. Focus on your life and live it the best you can, but let others do the same.
I once heard Francis Chan talk about how the Bible calls us pieces of clay. We are pieces of clay and God is the potter. It’s ironic that one piece of clay will often try to tell another piece of clay what the potter is like. It almost seems ridiculous. We understand so little about God and yet we all try to pretend like we are experts. This is the fatal sin of pride in action. Pride is one of the worst sins there is. It diverts our focus from God and onto ourselves, idolizing us as a god.
Remember the most important commandment of all: love. You may be right or wrong about your own legalisms, but it doesn’t really matter if you don’t know how to love others. Especially others not like yourselves. We should be loving those whom we don’t understand, who don’t think like we do, who don’t dress like we do, or believe the same things we do. We are called to love the unlovable, and we need God’s help doing it. Love sums up every commandment ever given by God. It is the core of who God is. Don’t let legalism and pride divert your focus from love.
