The Bible does not use the word “legalism,” but it speaks plainly of “works.” Make no mistake: these are not two different things. Legalism is simply the system of works—man’s attempt to approach God on the basis of effort, merit, or performance. If we are to stand in the liberty Christ purchased, we must see the absolute distinction between God’s system of grace and faith and the counterfeit of a merit-based approach.
Why Does God Present Both Systems?
Scripture presents both the works/merit system and the grace system. This is not a contradiction, nor is it an invitation to blend the two. God “legitimizes” the works system in His Word—not because He expects it to succeed, but to engage our efforts and expose our inability. He allows us to try the works path so that, through our inevitable failures, we are confronted with the reality of our ruined nature and the indwelling principle of sin. This is not a tragic accident; it is a divinely ordained lesson. Our failure under the works system is a positive outcome in God’s plan, for it prepares us to see our desperate need for grace and to treasure what He freely gives in Christ.
Two Ways to Respond: Faith or Works
Every person ultimately responds to God in one of two ways: by faith or by works. Your approach reveals your view of God. When you see Him as He truly is—gracious, generous, and faithful—your heart responds with faith and thanksgiving. This is the root of all genuine Christian virtue. The epistles assume that every good thing flowing from a believer springs from a heart full of faith and gratitude.
But if you are unclear about grace, you will default to the “exchange system.” This system is transactional: “If I do this, God will do that.” Whether it’s outward acts (giving, serving, attending church) or inward efforts (sorrow, weeping, striving to feel forgiven), the principle is the same. You attempt to earn God’s favor, blessing, or presence through what you do. This is not faith—it is unbelief dressed in religious clothing.
The Deadliness of the Exchange System
Works done apart from faith in Christ’s finished work are not just useless—they are spiritually deadening. The Bible calls them “dead works” (Hebrews 6:1; 9:14). These works do not arise from a heart that knows it is accepted in the Beloved. Instead, they flow from fear, insecurity, and unbelief. They ignore what God has accomplished in Christ and keep you from freely approaching the living God. The more you labor under this system, the more it deadens your conscience and robs you of joy, assurance, and spiritual vitality.
Good Works: The True Fruit of Grace
Let there be no confusion: the New Testament is filled with exhortations to good works. But these are not the works of the exchange system. Good works are the spontaneous fruit of a heart already satisfied in Christ—works that adorn the gospel and express love, not works that attempt to secure what God has already given. When you make good works a requirement for salvation or for maintaining your standing before God, you turn them into dead works. You put the cart before the horse and fall into the very error Paul rebuked in Galatia.
To teach a justified believer that they must secure by works what is only received by faith in Christ’s blood is to undermine the very foundation of the gospel. This is not a secondary issue. If you accept the exchange system, you lose the reality of justification, sonship, and inheritance. You trade the living relationship God intended for a treadmill of dead works and perpetual uncertainty.
The Only Way In: Faith in Christ Alone
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The Christian life is not about maintaining your standing through effort. It is about resting in Christ’s finished work, with a conscience cleansed from dead works, and letting your life become a spontaneous response of gratitude to the One who gave everything for you. Any system that puts you back under works as a means to secure what God gives freely in Christ is not merely unhelpful—it is deadly. It severs you from grace and leaves you with nothing but dead works.
Do not settle for the exchange system. Embrace the grace of God, accessed by faith, and let the fruit of good works flow—not as a means to earn, but as the evidence that you are already complete in Christ.
