Legalism develops into a religion of experts. Legalism creates judgment and divisions. Legalism always needs more interpretation. Legalism denies your freedom to make your own decisions based on your personal experience with God. The awesome destructive power of judgmental legalism in religion should not be underestimated.
Legalistic religion undermines self esteem.
Jesus came to liberate people from hopeless bondage to legalistic judgmental abusive religion. No matter how legalism is disguised, it is the enemy of Christ and of your self respect and peace in Christ. Grow in Christ, and you grow in self esteem and freedom. In the time of Christ, the words were used for teachers, who liberated students from ignorance, doctors, who liberated people from sickness, or leaders, who liberated people from an enemy. No, I don't think so.