Not only does legalism seek to measure our spiritual progress and standing, it also tries to control us. God gave us freedom when he created us, but we traded our liberty for bondage when we believed the devil’s lie in the garden. By pursuing what was presented as freedom from having to depend on God, we became trapped in bondage to sin and death. Jesus died and rose again to set us free, which we can experience if we are willing to surrender to his benevolent lordship. Freedom is found only in God.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NASB95)
Freedom is based in truth; whereas, bondage is founded on a lie.
The gift of grace provides freedom; whereas, legalism, which is founded on the lie that we can and must earn and maintain our right standing with God, always produces darkness and slavery to sin.
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT)
At the government level, the bondage of sin influences those in authority to seek to control those under their oversight. Sin, left unrestrained, will always trend toward the darkness of totalitarianism.
Totalitarian governments prey upon the fears of the populace by offering security in return for the surrender of personal freedoms.
The goal of the individuals at the top of such governments is total power, wealth, and control. Since bondage and the desire to control originate in Satan and are a product of our sin, the end game of totalitarian governments is usually quite sinister, including seeking to destroy those who worship and serve the God who gives freedom. Totalitarian governments suppress truth and anything that would work towards setting people free on the inside, such as faith in God and free speech. Propaganda replaces the sharing of truth. Thought and speech are monitored to make sure everyone is participating in the lie. Totalitarian governments usually strip from their people any means of self-defense. Where freedom exists, people are able to worship, speak, and assemble as they see fit. They are also allowed to have the means to defend themselves.
Totalitarianism can exist in churches, too. The principles at work are the same as in government.
Unscrupulous church leadership may take advantage of the ignorance and fear of their people by offering them a path to obtain security with God at the price of surrendering to church control.
Keep the rules, kiss the ring, and you can go to heaven.
The Roman Catholic Church maintained such control over most of Europe during the Middle Ages. As with governments, their goal seemed to be the accumulation of power and wealth. To achieve this, the church developed elaborate schemes to hold the populace in bondage to it, rather than preaching the gospel of freedom. The church presented itself as the only gateway for people to reach God. They taught that the church held the key to obtaining and maintaining a right standing with God. Only the priests could provide the sacraments which were the means of staying in a right relationship with God – baptism, confirmation, holy communion, confession, matrimony, holy orders, and the last rites. Common people, called the laity, were taught that they had no direct access to God, making them dependent on the the mediation of the priesthood. All of this is contrary to the New Covenant.
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)
(I have written several articles exposing the errors of Roman Catholicism, in which I participated up until the time of my new birth experience as a 19 year old freshman at university. You can access them by clicking here.)
The Reformation set dynamite to the Roman Catholic Church’s totalitarian tyranny, opening the gates to the masses to approach God directly without the mediation of the church or the priesthood. Proclaiming the banner of Sola Scriptura, the reformers taught that the Word of God is the only standard for judging what is right and wrong and acceptable to God, replacing the Catholic Church’s insistence that church tradition and the infallibility of the papacy trumped the Bible.
In the brave new world of the Protestant movement, the freedom to worship according to the dictates of conscience was restored, at least partly, which also introduced a greater degree of personal accountability. Reformers took advantage of this freedom to explore and develop their own versions of what it meant to follow God, resulting in an explosion of new sects and denominations. But the Reformation did not deal with the inherent sinful desire in humanity to control others. Soon the larger Protestant groups sought to control over some of the new sects which they regarded with suspicion. This extended even to actively persecuting these groups.
Today, in America, where at the moment we still have freedom to worship as we see fit, we often find legalistic control at the denominational and local church levels. We are free to associate with whatever church we choose, but sometimes we may suffer for it. We may even find ourselves being controlled by the church of our choice.
Because of sin, legalism is our default setting. It takes constant vigilance to ward off the tentacles of encroaching legalism.
Here are some of the things to which we should be alert in our quest to maintain our freedom.
The Insistence of Our Acceptance of Non-essential Doctrines
An essential doctrine is one that is required for us to be called a Christian. If God does not require it for entrance into heaven, it is not essential here on earth either.
We should be wary of any church or leader that requires members to adhere to doctrines that fall into the non-essential category in order to be a part of a local church.
Church leaders sometimes use their influence to pursue personal “pet” projects. For example, the United Methodist Church has aligned itself with the LGBTQ+ position, forcing its members to choose between adhering to traditional biblical morality and leave the church or stay with the denomination as it careens away from biblical truth. Those members who have no firm anchor in God’s Word will likely be swept away by the church’s improper use of its influence and power. If you are in a church that is more loyal to a popular societal position than to God’s truth, get out before you partake in its judgment.
The Exaltation of Leaders
Totalitarian regimes, even in the church, always have a privileged ruling class. Jesus taught that a qualifier for leadership in his kingdom is being a servant.
But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)
If you see that your church improperly exalts its leaders, it should serve as a red flag. It is always appropriate to honor our leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 5:17), but never to put them in a separate status above the rest of the church.
The Attempt to Control Personal Decisions
Our forefathers in America during the Great Awakening defined slavery in a broad sense as not being allowed to follow the dictates of our own conscience.
They were willing to fight and die to secure this freedom, but today we meekly acquiesce when the government routinely strips us of the ability to make personal decisions, such as during the coronavirus lock down. During what was called the Discipleship Movement a few decades ago, church members were told not to make some family decisions, such as buying new appliances or a car, without checking in first with whomever was in their discipleship “up line.”
Parents make decisions for little children, but making decisions for adults strips away their dignity and hinders their personal and spiritual growth.
Paul made it clear that we are never to seek such dominance over the faith of others.
But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. 2 Corinthians 1:24 (NLT)
If you are in such a church, get out before you get used to being their slave.
The Attempt to Control Thought and Speech
Our society is currently being assaulted by the thought and speech police who run Big Tech. This censorship violates our First Amendment rights. We are being told what words we can use, what positions we can have, and with what political party we should align.
Sadly, the church has been known to participate in such tyranny by using its position as an arbiter of truth to influence its members to embrace a false narrative.
For example, some churches have embraced the lie that to identify sexual sin is tantamount to hate speech. However, if the Bible is true, we are asked by God to love those who embrace a sinful lifestyle and proclaim that their way of doing life is in direct opposition to the purposes and plan of the Creator and will ultimately end in their death and destruction. The gospel does not condemn us in our sin, but offers a way out. We condemn ourselves, however, if we refuse the offer. God’s judgment against sin stands. The only remedy is faith in Jesus and what he did to free us from the guilt and condemnation of sin.
The church operates in the dynamic tension between loving people who have been deceived and captured by sin while holding to the biblical position that all sin will be judged.
Jesus did this, and the Holy Spirit can help us to share the truth with love, too.
If we find ourselves in a church that tries to control thought and speech, we must flee and find somewhere that allows people to pursue God in accordance with our own conscience and understanding of God’s Word.
Healthy churches teach biblical truth and encourage their people to check it out for themselves.
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Acts 17:11 (NLT)
Conclusion
In writing this article, I have made the presupposition that the reader understands that freedom does not preclude the proper function of godly authority. The spiritual road we travel has two ditches to avoid: lawlessness and legalism. We live in a dynamic tension between freedom and a proper sort of control. True freedom is allowing God’s Spirit to control us.
He uses people to help us along the way, especially church leaders, who are responsible before God for the flock they oversee. They are charged with teaching God’s truth, encouraging the weak and faint- hearted, rebuking the headstrong when they plunge into sin and error, and even on occasion administering church discipline.
We live in a dynamic tension between properly listening to those whom God placed in authority in our lives, without relinquishing personal freedom and responsibility before God for our thoughts and actions.
Likewise, church leaders must always evaluate how far their authority can be properly exercised without damaging their people’s relationship with God. As with government, less is usually better.
