Hello, my name is Josiah Truthstickler and I am a Pharisee and a Legalist. You will not find these titles on my driver’s license or on a plate hung on my office door. In fact, I didn’t know I was a Pharisee or a Legalist until recently. Here’s what happened: A friend of mine and I were discussing a Bible issue over which we had some differences.   I tried to show him why I believed the way I did from the scriptures. I explained the need for authority in everything we believe and practice. My friend talked about different people and popular books who agreed with him. I kept going back to the scriptures and refused to move. I suppose he felt I was being a bit stubborn.

Anyway, he finally looked at me and said, “You sure do sound like one of those Pharisees. Why are you always so legalistic?” His words stung. Even people who aren’t Christians know that the Pharisees in the Bible weren’t the kind of people with which you would want to be associated. Since that day, I have given great thought to his estimation of me and as a result I feel the need to make a few confessions.  

I confess that I will not do or believe anything without the authority of God’s word. I know that when I say the word “authority,” it makes some cringe. It seems some automatically think the entrance of the word “authority” means prohibition.   I confess that the word “authority” doesn’t do this to me. You may hear me say use the phrase “book, chapter, and verse.”   You may also hear me talk about “direct command, approved example, and necessary inference.” Please do not mistake me for being old fashioned. I do not bring these up to “lose touch with society” but to stay in touch with God’s word. I believe that the scriptures give us the authorization for “every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). If a religious work or doctrine is good, it will be taught by God’s word. I confess that do not believe that God’s silence on an issue is an open ended permission slip to do whatever I want. The Bible shows us that when God is silent, He doesn’t mean go ahead (Hebrews 7:12-14). So yes, I refuse follow along with the “God never said not to” mentality... I want to know what God said to do. Why am I so insistent and strict about authority? I want to make sure I am pleasing God in what I believe and practice (1 John 3:2). I want to make sure that I am not just saying “Lord, Lord” with empty air, but that I am doing His will (Matt. 7:21-23). I want to make sure that I am not just appearing religious, but that I actually have God with me in what I do and say (2 John 9). You see, I am not a “stickler” about laws and authority just to be a stickler… I do it to glorify God and abide within His will. If I choose to set aside God’s way for my own way, who am I glorifying but myself?

I confess that I draw lines in matters of truth and righteousness. It used to be that only heard it from my worldly friends, but now I am also hearing it from my Christian friends. They tell me that I am too judgmental and that I need to be more accepting and open minded. I do confess that believe there is a right and wrong. I confess that I believe that anything that contradicts what God’s word teaches is wrong, is error, and is false doctrine. I confess that believe what the Bible condemns, whether by specific command or principle, is sin. I confess that when I see people breaking God’s laws that I am not accepting and tolerant of what they are doing. I confess that I seek to draw lines in the sand where the Bible draws them and I am unwilling to compromise those lines regardless of how politically incorrect and unpopular this may be. For instance, when Jesus said that divorcing your spouse for any reason except sexual immorality and marrying another person is adultery (Matt. 19:9), I believe it. I cannot make any other exceptions to this rule because it’s not my rule, but God’s rule. Hopefully you do not see me as a cranky, judgmental, and unmerciful person… that is not me at all. Yes, Jesus said not to judge but He was talking about unrighteous judgments – those that were hypocritical and unmerciful (Matt. 7:1-6). He actually teaches us to make judgments in those verses and commands them elsewhere (John 7:24). I draw lines, first because I love God, and second because I love others. In my love for God, I love His word, His holiness, and His will for our lives. This means that I cannot love or even tolerate anything that goes against these things (Psalm 97:10; Prov. 8:13; Rom. 1:32). Because I love others I will try to teach them if they are wrong, point out the sin in their lives, and hold them accountable for their lives. This is not because I enjoy condemning, but because I want to help people go to Heaven (Gal. 2:14). Sometimes in my passion for what is right I get unbalanced and don’t have the patience with those who are sincerely struggling and I pray that God forgives me for this. Having said this, balance also means that I stand up for what is true and right and this is something that cannot be compromised.

I confess that at times there are some traditions that I prefer over change. I understand that some things we do are more because of tradition, than because of obligation. These are often things that are expedients to carrying out the commands of God. I recognize that it would not necessarily be wrong to do them a different way, so in this case change would not be wrong. Sometimes I resist this change not because it is wrong, but because it may not be what is best. Paul described the nature of expedient matters by saying, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up” (1 Cor. 10:23). Sometimes we do a certain thing a certain way simply because it is what works best. Others methods have been tried, but are not used anymore because they simply were not as effective. Perhaps continuing to do things “the way it’s always been done” isn’t all that bad if it is the most effective way to do it. If there is a more helpful way, I am open to that change; however, change for the sake of change alone is not always a good idea. Show me a new way that is works better and is scriptural and I will support you fully. Some say doing things the same way over and over takes the meaning out of it, so we need to change things up for this reason. I suppose they failed to tell Jesus this because when He created the Lord’s Supper, He gave a set of instructions for it and we are told to continue doing it until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26). The problem isn’t always with the activity, but it seems the activity is the first to be changed.

If this is how you define a Pharisee and a Legalist, I guess I will have to confess to being one, but please understand that this is not how the Bible describes the Pharisees. Please do not confuse me with the Pharisees that Jesus met with opposition during His ministry. These men were prideful, intellectually dishonest, self righteous, self seeking, and they set aside the laws of God in order to cling to man-made traditions. I hope you can see that is not who I am or what I am about. I simply love God and His word and so I want to do everything I can to make sure that I am living consistently within His will.