The people who battled against Jesus the most were not the politicians or the common people, it was the religious crowd, especially the Pharisees. They were legalists, placing outward behavior and performance above matters of the heart. They sought to become holy by acting holy. Jesus said man brings forth goodness out of the treasure of his heart. Holiness is something that starts from within (heart) and works itself outward (behavior). The following is an excerpt from a book by Dudley Hall entitled "Grace Works."
But perhaps the most dangerous pitfall of the legalistic mindset is that it reduces a tender relationship with God to a formula.
It is interesting that legalists often make the accusation that stressing grace leads to license. But it is the legalist who presumes on the grace of God with an emphasis on right actions, right rituals, and right restrictions.
This is made very clear in the original Old Testament passage that Jesus quoted to the Pharisees. Hosea's statement that God desires mercy, not sacrifice, was spoken to a people who had broken their covenant with God and then tried to "bribe" him with sacrifices. God's people had been disobedient by not responding to him in love and faith, so he had allowed the discipline of hard times to come upon them. Things were so tough that they decided they needed to do something to gain relief. They had seen God's acts in the past and concluded, "If we say all the right words, God will relent of all this pressure he is putting on us and restore us to our original condition."
Hosea used the image of romantic love to dramatize Israel's faithlessness. He pictured God as the husband and Israel as a bride who had not only committed adultery but had become a harlot. As a nation, it had sold itself to other gods for protection, provision, and guidance. And then, when God's people were reaping the whirlwind of the the wind they had sown, their solution was "Let's do the right thing to get God to respond to us."
See how they are undervaluing the relationship? Do you see the revealed legalistic mentality the "what I do determines what God does"? God is reduced to a button to be pushed so that relief can come our way. His whole kingdom is reduced to principles that can be applied so we can experience life without hassles. This is, in essence, religious idolatry. It is a human being saying, "I am in charge, and I have discovered how to use God for my own benefit."
This kind of mentality takes the wonderful promises of God and reduces them to a formula. For instance, one of the most popular Scriptures used among Bible-believing Christians is 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land.
This is a wonderful promise of God. It is God stating to his people, "Come back into proper relationship with me. We can have life together at its fullest." But instead of hearing promise, so many Christians have reduced it to a formula that, when applied, will guarantee that relief will come.
God is not big computer in the sky waiting for us to enter the proper code word. He has already acted on our behalf and made his life and mercy available to us. His promises to us are not trick formulas that enable us to manage and manipulate our lives here on earth. They're invitations to a fresh encounter and an everlasting relationship with him.
