Grow in grace not legalism

Grow in grace, not legalism

Luke 11:38 - "And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner."

LUKE 11:37-41  Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.

38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

  41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.



A sure sign of the error of legalism is misplaced priorities, as we see here with these Pharisees. It is not recorded in Scripture that the Pharisees marveled at the wonderful works of Jesus. They were too busy looking for something to criticize.

(Mark 3:2) Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1 Once again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. 

2 In order to accuse Him, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. 

3 Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.”…



But they marveled at Jesus not washing His hands. This is a classic example of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.

 (Matt. 23:24)

 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

  24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.


Those who seek to earn righteousness through keeping the Law are consumed with "doing," while those who receive righteousness by faith are simply confessing what has already been done. This is a simple and yet profound difference. If we are still "doing" acts of holiness to get God to move in our lives, then we are still operating under a "Law" mentality that is not faith.

(Gal. 3:12)  Christ Redeemed Us

…11 And it is clear that no one is justified before God by the Law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 

12The Law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The one who does these things will live by them.” 

13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”…


 When we simply believe and confess what has already been provided through Christ, that's grace.


A person who is living under the Law and a person who lives under grace should have very similar actions of holiness, but their motivations are completely opposite. The legalist has their attention on what they must do, while the person living by faith has his attention on what Christ has already done for him.


For instance, the Scriptures teach us to confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts, and we will receive from God. The legalist thinks That means I can get God to heal me by confessing, 'By his stripes, I am healed.' However, the person who understands God's grace will not confess the Word to get healed. They will confess, "By His stripes, I am healed" because they really believe it has already been done.


Analyzing our "mindset" is the simplest way of discerning whether we are operating in true Bible faith or a legalistic counterfeit. If the motive for our actions is to be accepted with God, that's legalism. If we live wholly out of faith and gratefulness for what God has already done, that's grace.


Grow in grace!