My beloved mentor, the ArmEnian Calvinist, once wrote an essay The Menace of the Sunday School. Sunday schools, you see, usually teach the religion of Moralism rather than Christianity. These institutions usually attract an abundance of moralistic souls, "old ladies of both sexes and all ages," to serve as SS teachers.
When people set aside the Law of God, it is usually to replace our Lord's light yoke and easy burden with the far more suffocating load of human tradition. God gives us two to-dos, and 8 to-don'ts, then leaves us to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." We bear fruit to God by being as good as possible at what He has called us to do -- and our callings are as unique as we are.
Legalism substitutes human rituals (such as altar calls) for God's grace, which makes us equal to the demands of life and death. People who fall into the La Brea tar pit of legalism have less energy left over for actually doing useful stuff to glorify God and bless our neighbors.
What do you think Legalism is?
Legalism substitutes human rituals (such as altar calls) for God’s grace, which makes us equal to the demands of life and death. People who fall into the La Brea tar pit of legalism have less energy left over for actually doing useful stuff to glorify God and bless our neighbors.