50 Bible Verses about Legalism

but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them." Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."

yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter."

Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all those who believe. For there is no distinction,read more.
for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;

More than that, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of hell as yourselves.

By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But this crowd that does not know the Law is accursed."

The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.'

"Be careful that you do not do your righteousness before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from people. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe of their garments, and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by men.

He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

The Lord said, "Because this people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but they have removed their heart far from me, but in vain do they worship me, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men.

He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men."

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but took the spoils, and did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?" Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."read more.
Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

And he answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"read more.
he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the word of God void because of your tradition. You hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'These people honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"

He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"'read more.
then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.

Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you keeps the Law? Why do you seek to kill me?"

Some therefore of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was division among them.

Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

He warned them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

You observe days, months, seasons, and years. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?

For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are."

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman. However, the son by the handmaid was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.read more.
These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to slavery, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, you barren who do not bear. Break forth and shout, you that do not travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband." Now you, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. However what does the Scripture say? "Throw out the handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman." So then, brothers, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.

And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

But some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, "There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

who also made us sufficient as servants of a New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

"I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are this day.

One of the Law scholars answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you insult us also."