Be a Pharisee to Yourself

What Does It Mean to Be Legalistic?

In recent weeks and months, I have been reflecting on many aspects of my life, specifically my understanding of my Christian faith. I was raised in the church, and I cannot remember a time when my Christian faith was not a part of my life. This has come with deep struggles, frustrations, and a need to relearn and understand what it truly means to be a Christian. To be honest, I thought I knew what it meant to be a Christian. However, for most of my life, Christianity was little more than a label. Society often sees Christianity as a religion—a box you check when someone asks what religion you are. Here lies the problem: I don’t believe Christianity was ever meant to be merely a religion. Like many things, once people get their hands on what God created, we can change and manipulate it into something it was never meant to be. If we study the life of Jesus, we see that His desire is to help us understand the what and how of life. Jesus came to save us from the consequences of sin, and He wants nothing more than to teach us how to live.

Throughout my life, I have heard the terms legalism and Pharisaical used as warnings. I was told that legalism was bad and that we should never become Pharisaical. There is a part of me that wants to believe this teaching is good, but lately, I have considered whether I have missed a deeper meaning behind legalism and the Pharisees. At face value, legalism and the Pharisees are not necessarily bad. Legalism is focusing on the letter of the law—adhering to the rules and regulations within a system or structure. For the Pharisees, this was their life. They were focused on the Law. They knew every part of it and could quote it verbatim. Here is where the problem begins: the Pharisees knew the Law, but instead of focusing on their own lives and how they lived out the Law, they focused on others and expected them to follow the letter of the Law. However, when it came to living out the Law in their own lives, they made excuses for why they didn’t need to live according to the same standards they expected from everyone else. This is what it means to be Pharisaical. Don’t hold people to a standard that you yourself do not live by. More importantly, focus on what you do and how you live, and don’t expect others to live the way you believe you should be living.

Be a Pharisee to Yourself

I have come to the conclusion that legalism and being a Pharisee have a place in the life of a Christian, but not in the way they have often been presented throughout history. We are called to learn, interpret, and understand Scripture. We are called to follow Scripture and walk in its ways. As a Christian, I should know Scripture as well as the Pharisees knew the Law. I should then hold myself to the standards of Scripture. There should be no picking and choosing what I like and what I want to follow. It is about learning to live according to Scripture and adhering to its instruction and truth. Here lies the difference between being a Pharisee and being Pharisaical. It is not my job to demand that others live out Scripture. It is my job to teach what I know while focusing on my own actions and choices and how I align my life with Scripture. I can encourage others in their faith and in their walk with Jesus. As Paul told the Corinthians, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6). It is not my job to demand growth. It is my job to encourage it.

I should be a Pharisee unto myself. I should read and study Scripture to learn and adhere to its instruction and truth. I should hold myself accountable to live according to Scripture without excuse or selfish bias. Jesus did not condemn the knowledge of the Law itself; He condemned the hearts and actions of those who knew the Law but failed to allow it to transform their lives. It ultimately comes down to my heart and how I allow Scripture to change me and make me holy—set apart—from the world.

Following Jesus Means Following His Commands

My choice to follow Jesus is about listening to Him and following His commandments. It is about adhering to His instruction. It is my responsibility to share the Gospel, love others, live differently from the world without judging others, and be a light in a darkened world. At no time should I force my faith on others. At no time should I expect others to do what I am unwilling to do myself. At no time should I preach the Gospel while living contrary to the truth I claim to believe. Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost. He came to share the hope of Heaven with the world. He sacrificed Himself so that those who believe in Him might have life and have it abundantly. It is my responsibility, as a Christian, to do the same. I may not be able to give someone eternal life, but I can share the life He has given me. I can point others toward Jesus in a loving way. This is my duty as a follower of Jesus.

The Cost of Following Jesus

If I find myself compromising my beliefs to be accepted by the world, I have to ask myself whether I am truly following Jesus. The moment I choose acceptance by the world over devotion to Jesus, I have left the narrow path. This is where personal legalism becomes important in my own life. I must be willing to hold myself accountable to God’s Word rather than compromise my beliefs for acceptance.

I can’t help but think of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what good he had to do to gain eternal life. Jesus replied, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” The rich young ruler asked, “Which ones?” Jesus replied by quoting the last five commandments from the Ten Commandments. The rich young ruler stated that he had kept all of those commandments and asked what he still lacked. Jesus responded with one of the most overlooked and poignant answers: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the rich young ruler heard Jesus’ response, he went away sad because he had great wealth (Matthew 19:16–22, paraphrased).

Notice that Jesus began with commandments that nearly everyone can claim to follow—commandments that point toward being a “good person.” However, Jesus then added the deeper challenge: give up everything you hold dear and follow Him. Jesus wants complete devotion. He wants your everything. He wants to be your King. Why is this so difficult? Because Jesus asks us to give up our desires to undeniably serve and follow Him. He asks us to give up our need to be important, our desire to hold a specific title, and our tendency to choose ourselves over Him. This is the battle that has been raging since the fall of humanity. To be a follower of Jesus means making Him first in our lives without hesitation.

We Are Saved by Grace, Not Works

No, this isn’t easy. In fact, I would argue that it is nearly impossible without Jesus. We are sinners. We are fallen creatures with a deep desire and need to be reunited with the One who created us, yet instead of seeking Him, we often seek anything and everything else to fill the hole that only He can fill. It isn’t until we give Jesus our everything that we are truly free. We are saved through grace and not by our own doing.

This is where legalism becomes a problem. When we think that our own actions make us right with God, we miss the truth. We begin to believe that our actions and choices determine our redemption. The truth is that it is only through Jesus that we can be saved and redeemed. Legalism is important only when it comes to following the instructions and commandments of Scripture. To follow Jesus is to live by His commandments. After all, Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). As followers of Jesus, it is our responsibility to keep His commandments. To do this, we must consistently read, study, and follow Scripture—all of it, not just the parts we like.

Jesus Fulfills the Law

What Scripture am I talking about? Jesus didn’t come to give us a new Law, but rather to fulfill the Law. The Old Testament points us toward Jesus. The expectations given in the Old Testament were meant to show what it would take to be right with God. However, because of the sinful nature of humanity, it was impossible for us to fulfill the Law perfectly on our own. We needed a Savior who could follow everything and fulfill every aspect of the Law without compromise. This is where Jesus becomes everything we could never be. He took upon Himself the punishment we deserved for failing to fulfill the Law. He became the propitiation for our sins. It is only through Him that we have redemption and eternal life. It is only through Him that life becomes meaningful.

In return, He asks us to follow Him—to take ourselves off the throne and make Him King of our lives. Jesus Christ gave us specific commands about what it means to follow Him. After His ascension into Heaven, He gave His disciples the authority to teach and instruct us on what it looks like to be a true follower of Jesus. I don’t want you to forget, dear reader, that it is not by your own actions that you are made righteous or redeemed. It is only through the person and work of Jesus Christ that you and I have any chance of being made right with our Creator. However, unless we give up ourselves, cling to the cross of Christ, and follow Him, we will forever strive in vain to make ourselves right with God and consider ourselves “good.”

Holiness Means Being Set Apart

So why am I focused on legalism if we are not saved by our works? To put it plainly, following the commandments of Jesus and doing what He has instructed is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. As Peter wrote, “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” To be holy is to be different—to be set apart. How else are we to be different other than by following the commandments of Jesus? If we do not purpose within ourselves to be disciplined and intentional about following His commands, we will naturally make allowances for living like the world.

When We Fail

Please don’t misunderstand me. We will never be able to do this perfectly. We will mess up, make mistakes, and even give up following Jesus to pursue our own selfishness. What’s beautiful in all of this is that when we choose ourselves and the world over following Jesus, we can come back to Him through humility and repentance. Consider the words of Peter in the book of Acts: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Be disciplined in your personal relationship with Jesus. Push yourself to become more like Him by doing what He has commanded. Live in a way that is separate from the world. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). And when you fall and choose the world over following Jesus, humble yourself, repent, and turn back to Him. He is gracious and loving and will meet you exactly where you are. Jesus cares about your heart more than your faults. Never forget that.

What About the Gray Areas?

So what do we do with all the gray areas in Scripture? I have learned that many of these gray areas ultimately come down to self-control. For example, Jesus never once told us that drinking alcohol was bad. He warned against drunkenness. To be drunk means we have given up control and surrendered control to a substance. However, if you are someone who has struggled with alcohol in the past or even now, I would encourage you to abstain from it altogether. For you, it may be necessary to establish strict personal boundaries when it comes to alcohol. This may be what is needed to keep you focused on denying yourself in order to follow Jesus.

There are many “gray” areas in life, and how we navigate those areas is by keeping our eyes on Jesus, submitting ourselves to Him, and, if we have a conviction about something, holding to that conviction personally without forcing others to accept our beliefs. I would encourage you to consider the position you allow those areas to have in your life. If something controls you, you may need stronger personal boundaries until you are strong enough to control it. If anything comes before Christ, you should consider what changes are necessary to put it back under His authority.

Keep Jesus at the Center

It is our responsibility to read, study, learn, and apply Scripture. We must be Pharisaical in our knowledge and understanding. It is our responsibility to hold ourselves to the instruction and commands found in Scripture, and there may be times when we must establish strict personal boundaries in certain areas of our lives to ensure that nothing comes before Jesus. We must never forget that our relationship with Jesus is not something we can force upon others or expect everyone else to experience in exactly the same way. What may be a point of conviction for us does not necessarily mean it needs to be a point of conviction for someone else.

We must guard ourselves from developing the kind of heart the Pharisees had when they questioned Jesus and placed expectations on others while failing to follow their own teaching. We must never forget that we are saved by grace through the cross of Jesus Christ, and it is only through His death and resurrection that we are redeemed. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor or purchase our redemption. Our personal discipline and obedience are not what save us. Instead, they are a response to the One who has already saved us.

Our goal, then, should be simple: Be a Pharisee to yourself. Study Scripture deeply. Know what you believe. Hold yourself accountable. Follow Jesus with everything you have. Establish personal boundaries where you need them. Pursue holiness. Repent when you fail. But when it comes to everyone else, lead with grace. Encourage. Love. Teach. Serve. Point people toward Jesus. Let God work in their hearts. Your job is not to force people to grow. Your job is to faithfully follow Jesus and invite others to walk alongside you.