“You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ…” Galatians 5:4a
Justification by law tends to be interpreted and understood to mean the Old Testament laws of the Jewish faith.
However, any legalism or non-legalistic self-justification is, I believe, applicable.
And while we tend to easily name all of the usual legalistic suspects—the strict “do’s and don’ts” of any given religious denomination—the self-justifications are more difficult to discern.
Take, for instance, conceit that manifests as thinking more highly of one’s self due to an ascribed sense of “super spirituality” or "refined intelligence." This personal “law" of thinking more highly of one’s self than one ought leads naturally to thinking more highly of one’s self than of other people as well.
To be self-satisfied, spiritually or otherwise, goes against every one of Jesus’ words on humility.
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”
Luke 18:9-14
Legalisms in and of themselves, alienate, but so, too, do the haughty, arrogant attitudes they breed.
Copyright Barb Harwood
