LEGALISM,
DELIVERANCE FROM

THE STORY is told of a lady who married a man named Jeff. Jeff was a very strong, rules-oriented man. He had a list for his wife every single day. She was frustrated living with Jeff, even though Jeff was a good man. It wasn’t that Jeff asked her to do wrong things, it was just she was tense because she had to always wonder if she was living up to the standard that Jeff had established in the relationship. One day, Jeff died. But she had become so used to living under the tutelage of Jeff, she didn’t know how to cut him loose. So she had Jeff embalmed and brought to her home. Because she had lived so long with Jeff, she didn’t know how to live without him. The dead Jeff sat in a chair in the living room, and the lady would ask the dead Jeff throughout the day whether it was OK or not, do this or that or go here or there.

One day this lady went on vacation in Europe and met Bill. Bill loved her. Bill drew out of her emotions that had long since died with Jeff. Bill inspired her. Bill brought joy to her. She noticed that she did all the same stuff for Bill that she had done for Jeff, but without any of the demands. The relationship was so strong, she did things for Bill because she wanted to, not because there was a list saying she had to. They decided to get married.

They decided they would live in the U.S., not in Europe. So she brought Bill to her house. When Bill walked into the door, his mouth dropped as she introduced Bill to Jeff. She brought her new love into her old house and said, “Now Bill, I love you, but you must understand I’ve lived with Jeff so long I’ve got to keep him nearby.” Bill let her know in no uncertain terms that she couldn’t have a dead man named Jeff and a living lover named Bill. He told his new bride that she either had to give up her living lover and stay with her dead old love, or bury her old love so that she could can be free with her new love. She couldn’t have a dead love and a living love in the same house.

Many of us have been married to Jeff. We’ve been living based on a rule-based approach to the Christian life and then we met Jesus Christ and somebody told us we were free. But we’re bringing Jesus Christ to live in our lives without dealing with burying old Jeff. Jesus will not live in a house with a dead man still calling the shots. It’s not that the law is bad. Legalism doesn’t seek to do away with the rules; however, legalism refers to a wrong viewpoint about rules. It expects a list to do what a list can never do.560

[Grace, Law and; Law, Effect of; New Life in Christ]

Rom. 7:11–13; Titus 3:3–7