Legalism

For such freedom Christ set us free. - Ga 5:1

Christ abolished the Law by fulfilling it.

Let's consider the significance of this.

First, notice that it is only the sinless man that can fulfill the righteous requirement of the Law. So, it has been proven that no one in Adam's offspring can meet the Law requirement.

Because of that, the Law carried out the role to expose the sins of people. In other words, the rules and regulations tend to incite sins. People are good at thinking of the loopholes in the law.

The more rules and regulations there are, the more they encourage hypocrisy.

Take regular pioneer service as an example.

The time requirement is set for regular pioneers, which is 70 hours a month for the field ministry.

And the time is supposed to be counted from the first witnessing to the first person until finishing the witnessing to the final person.

Then brothers and sisters would call someone to say "Hi" or to make an appointment first in early morning, in order to start counting the ministry time for a day and keep on counting it until finish the ministry.

And mostly, they go around visiting "not at home" during their field ministry.

In such a manner, house wife, full time worker, school student can meet the time requirement.

It seems to just count the time according to the rule for the pioneer rank. Additionally, some might be tempted to cheat on the time also.

If there is no such pioneer arrangement, there is no such hypocritical effort.

Rules and regulations tend to cause people to act to be viewed well by others and be spoken well of by them.

Mt 23:5-7
5 All the works they do they do to be viewed by men; for they broaden the [scripture-containing] cases that they wear as safeguards, and enlarge the fringes [of their garments]. 6 They like the most prominent place at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues, 7 and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by men.


I think we should realize the disadvantage of legalism.

The WTS create many rules and regulations for the Christian meeting, the assembly, the field service report, the Bethel service, and more, their organization is run by the legalism like secular corporation.

And the legalism will destroy Christian brotherhood and spoil Christian freedom.

Rules, regulations, and legalism are useless in producing true Christian.

Christ set sinners free from the Law which incites their sin.

It was the termination of the hypocritical way of life like that of legalistic Pharisee. Christians were freed from such legalistic system by means of Christ's sacrifice.

So we should not return to that system.

Related Scriptures

Related scriptures which support the above reasoning.

Ro 3:20
20 Therefore by works of law no flesh will be declared righteous before him, for by law is the accurate knowledge of sin.

Ro 7:7-14
7 What, then, shall we say? Is the Law sin? Never may that become so! Really I would not have come to know sin if it had not been for the Law; and, for example, I would not have known covetousness if the Law had not said: "You must not covet." 8 But sin, receiving an inducement through the commandment, worked out in me covetousness of every sort, for apart from law sin was dead. 9 In fact, I was once alive apart from law; but when the commandment arrived, sin came to life again, but I died. 10 And the commandment which was to life, this I found to be to death. 11 For sin, receiving an inducement through the commandment, seduced me and killed me through it. 12 Wherefore, on its part, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did, then, what is good become death to me? Never may that happen! But sin did, that it might be shown as sin working out death for me through that which is good; that sin might become far more sinful through the commandment. 14 For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold under sin.

Ro 8:3-4
3 For, there being an incapability on the part of the Law, while it was weak through the flesh, God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk, not in accord with the flesh, but in accord with the spirit.

An arrangement which makes person to differ from another, like pioneer service is like the abolished arrangement under the Mosaic Law such as the vow of the Nazarite.

All such arrangements under the Mosaic Law were abolished. So Christian shouldn't adopt such abolished arrangement again, which prompts weakness of flesh.

Col 2:16-18
16 Therefore let no man judge YOU in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; 17 for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ. 18 Let no man deprive YOU of the prize who takes delight in a [mock] humility and a form of worship of the angels, "taking his stand on" the things he has seen, puffed up without proper cause by his fleshly frame of mind,

Ga 6:12-13
12 All those who want to make a pleasing appearance in the flesh are the ones that try to compel YOU to get circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the torture stake of the Christ, Jesus. 13 For not even do those who are getting circumcised keep the Law themselves, but they want YOU to be circumcised that they may have cause for boasting in YOUR flesh.

Such arrangements that establish own righteousness are unnecessary for Christian, just as the Law abolished.

Such needless arrangements and the many rules that accompany them mean nothing to God, who gives undeserved kindness to sinners.

Our salvation or approval from God does not come from the work we perform, nor the rank we attain through legalism.

Christians should not be enslaved to religious arrangements or to many rules.

Jesus liberated people who had been suppressed by the legalism from the Mosaic Law system. So Christians must not go back to any legalistic system like the Mosaic Law system.

Including the WTS, all religious systems in the Babylon the Great are hierarchical legalistic system.

There are many ranks and rules and regulations in that system.

Some of the WTS' hierarchical legalistic system are as follows.
pioneers
traveling overseers
missionaries
branch personnels
headquarters
with many rules and regulations.

A legalistic system such as Judaism, which has been abandoned by God, does not produce true Christians. It tends to produce hypocritical Christians who practice their righteousness before men in order to be accepted by them.

The legalism incites sin.

Mt 6:1
1 "Take good care not to practice YOUR righteousness in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise YOU will have no reward with YOUR Father who is in the heavens.

Through Christ's sacrifice, which ended the Jewish system, people were freed from sin-inducing legalism and given Christian freedom.

Therefore, we should not let religious organizations like WTS take away our precious Christian freedom. So do not be deprived of the precious Christian Freedom by any religious organization such as the WTS.

Ga 5:1-6, 13, 16-18, 22-26
1 For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery.

2 See! I, Paul, am telling YOU that if YOU become circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to YOU. 3 Moreover, I bear witness again to every man getting circumcised that he is under obligation to perform the whole Law. 4 YOU are parted from Christ, whoever YOU are that try to be declared righteous by means of law; YOU have fallen away from his undeserved kindness. 5 For our part we by spirit are eagerly waiting for the hoped-for righteousness as a result of faith. 6 For as regards Christ Jesus neither circumcision is of any value nor is uncircumcision, but faith operating through love [is].

13 YOU were, of course, called for freedom, brothers; only do not use this freedom as an inducement for the flesh, but through love slave for one another.

16 But I say, Keep walking by spirit and YOU will carry out no fleshly desire at all. 17 For the flesh is against the spirit in its desire, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that the very things that YOU would like to do YOU do not do. 18 Furthermore, if YOU are being led by spirit, YOU are not under law.

22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace,long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled the flesh together with its passions and desires.

25 If we are living by spirit, let us go on walking orderly also by spirit. 26 Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another.

The rules, regulations, and legalistic system are for the untrustworthy ones, so as to control or regulate such ones conducts.

In contrast, Christian freedom is for those who believe in Christ, those who can be trusted.

The idea of legalism is to doubt the trustworthiness and credibility of people. On the contrary, the idea of Christian freedom is to trust our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The legalistic system conflicts with Christian Freedom based on the faith operating through love.

So the legalistic system featured in the organized religion is not for the sons of the kingdom.