Back-biting, Lying, Legalism, and Hate

Dr. Couch, what is going on in churches? I have never seen so much back-biting, lying, legalism, and hate. It seems to be getting worse. What do you say? 

 

    ANSWER:  I have noticed the same. I’ve been in the ministry almost fifty years and I believe it truly is getting worse. I do not know which is worse: “Fundamental legalism or liberalism.” They both are extremely destructive. 

    Let me explain Fundamental legalism. I am not addressing the issue of believing in the fundamentals of the faith—which I do to the extreme! I am talking about narrow-minded, bigoted people, who are cowards, live in fear, judge everyone, and too often are biblically ignorant. Liberals are easy to spot—they just deny the Scriptures. The super fundies lay low and then attack with their narrow legalism. They can harm a church before you know it because they are always in the “judgment” mode. However, I have found that most people in the congregation sense something is wrong with these people. Their noses are in the air and they give off an attitude that they are better than the rest. Generally, when they leave the church, the atmosphere improves! 

    In the Homiletic Commentary, on 1 & 2 Samuel, there is a classic statement that fits such legalists perfectly. It reads:

We often make great mistakes in judging of the characters of others, because we ignore all certain subtle considerations; and many well-conducted persons among us get great credit for their good moral character, while the truth is that they are blameless not so much because they have higher-toned principles than others (which they think they have), as because they have feeble, timid, and legalistic natures, that are too cautious or too weak to let them go very far either into holiness or into sin.

    The Lord Jesus always forgave erring sinners but He really detested the legalistic Pharisees. They thought they were holy but they really were not! These folks are snakes in the grass! Avoid them at all cost. They are not teachable nor do they want the truth if it contradicts what they believe! 

    Thanks for asking!

    Dr. Mal Couch