The roots of legalism are buried deep in the soil of man's sinfulness. He imagines that he can do "the will of the Father" through fleshly determination and self-effort, not realizing that the only one who did the will of the Father perfectly was the Son of His love, and it is only as we are surrendered to Him to live His life in us that we can do it!
True righteousness and holiness are manifestations of a life, and that life is Christ - in Him was life, and the life was the light of men; When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. (Col. 3:4)
Legalism, then, is a crude disregard of this fact: the law of sin can only be overcome by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus!
If there had been a law given which could have given life, the apostle wrote, verily righteousness should have been by the law. (Gal. 3:21) And since righteousness is the remedy for sin and cannot be gotten by law: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Rom. 3:20) The law is not the answer to the sin problem!
(All emphasis is that of the author)
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