Over Correcting - Thoughts on Legalism
Posted by Ed Rodriguez Jr. in flesh, legalism, maturity, over correcting, perfected, pride
Several years ago I knew a teenage boy who had just gotten his drivers license. One day this lad and his sister were on their way somewhere when he hit a patch of black ice. His car began to fishtail and being an inexperienced driver he over-corrected, went off the road and flipped his car into the side ditch. Fortunately he and his sister were not seriously injured but the vehicle was totaled.
Often new and old believers "over correct" in their spiritual walk and become legalistic in areas of their life. Legalism is a cancer that slowly dissolves the joy of being a follower of Christ and can suck the life out of a church. When our spirituality hinges on do's and dont's we have crossed the line of legalism. No one is spiritual by what they do or don't do. We are only spiritual because of Christ's redemption. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Galatians 3:3 reads, "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (ESV) Our spiritual maturity begins and continues only by the Spirit of God! Nothing I do adds to it. The claims of legalism, whether spoken or unspoken, are "I do such and such or I refrain from this and that therefore I am more spiritual than so and so." This thinking is full of pride and is godless.
