A legalistic attitude will destroy Christian fellowship.

This attitude is vividly pictured in the way the religious leaders looked at Jesus. It makes its way into a church when leaders or individual Christians judge others by their personal preferences and traditions. Those who do this often support their legalism by applying general commands from the Bible in specific ways and then openly or subtly using their applications to measure the spirituality of others.

They wrongfully place their applications of general commands on the same level as the authority of Scripture itself. And they show their true legalism, when they judge as unspiritual all who fail to live by their standards.

Why is this an ongoing problem?

Consider six reasons (to help explain why legalism remains a challenge for Christians)

1. The desire to please God

When a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, he experiences a powerful…