The most widespread form of legality in the Christian church is the flesh, trying to do something before God which will be acceptable to him. In order to recognize what legalism is, we must first determine what true Christianity is. True Christian life is fulfilling a law by means of a unique power because of an overwhelming desire. It requires an outward standard or code of behavior, an inward power which makes it possible to meet it, and a motive which drives us on to do so. It is religious performance, scrupulous and meticulous in its outward form, but inwardly, as Jesus described it, filled with dead men s bones.
Nothing is further from the truth.
Neither will the casting off of standards free one from legalism. Legalism is not the establishing of standards where the Bible does not address an issue. One must establish standards, or limitations for themselves. If one has a problem with playing tennis because it takes up too much of the time they should be spending with God, they might want to make a standard for themselves that they will not play tennis. It s not that the game of tennis that is evil, but the individual gets addicted to the game and loses self-control, allowing priorities to be mismanaged.