¹⁵ “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

Well-known Christian phrase, “In the world, but not of the world” is one of those pithy statements that has stood the test of time, because it comes from the Upper Room prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. But Christians wrestle with how that looks in everyday life. For some, it means avoidance of so-called “worldly” activities, such as drinking, smoking, R-rated movies, dancing, pre-marital sex—all being lumped together on an evangelical “do not do” list. There is a growing claim to “freedom” in many circles to throw off the shackles of the older generation and their cultural “phobias” and enjoy the freedom we have in Christ. “All things are lawful,” the Scripture says, after all. Is this freedom or licentiousness? Does the list need adjusting? What about the rest of the saying, “… but not all things are profitable” (1 Cor 6:12, 10:23)?

The word “legalism,” often used in this context, actually does not occur in the Bible, though like many theological terms (e.g. Trinity) has a history of use among Christians. Historically, it has referred to a works-based salvation, that the moral law must be obeyed in order for a person to go to heaven. The apostle Paul, of course, roundly refutes such a notion (“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom 3:28, one such summary statement in Paul’s treatise on justification).

However, the word “legalism” has also been used in reference to sanctification. Used in this way, it refers to Christian growth and maturity which comes through keeping a set of objective rules, classically termed as a “list of do’s and don’ts.” Ostensibly, the list is derived from Scripture, but all such lists are notoriously subject to the whims of the religious leaders of the group to which one belongs. The Pharisees, of NT fame, were one such group of list-makers, but today’s “church” is not lacking in this either– all under the banner of, “In the world, but not of the world.”

But that is not what Jesus meant in His prayer about the world. He had made it clear in His teachings that all have come short of legalistic standards. A legalistic approach to God is a self-defeating proposition, for the law condemns us; it does not justify us before God. At one point, when the disciples heard Jesus’ reaction to a rich, young ruler, “They were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matt 19:25–26).

Lord, You left me in this word to be a follower of Your Son. Help me not get distracted by the worldly concept of “legalism” as a way to gain Your approval.