Hi A.C. - Yes I know you! Good to see you again! And thanks for posting this article.
McMahon gives an accurate definition of legalism:
To define Legalism in a Biblical way would be to say "any person who takes the Law and uses it in a way which would merit salvation". Legalism is an attempt at salvation.
Strictly speaking, any attempts to "do" or perform any works in order to achieve salvation is indeed legalism, and sadly, I'm sure there are many who are trusting in their own observances rather than the finished work of Christ.
There are those, however, who adhere to man-made rules and judge others who don't, but they don't view the keeping of those rules as necessary to their salvation, so I suppose they would not fall under the definition of legalists? The churches/people who I think of as legalistic in nature are those who have sets of rules which cannot be found in scripture, and they judge, criticize, shun, and look down their noses at those who do not conform to those same outward rules. They do not, however, teach that the keeping of those rules lead to salvation, but they do *conclude* (read judge) that a person who does
not keep them is showing that in reality they are not of the kingdom. In other words, you don't have to do or refrain from xyz, but IF you are truly a child of God, you
will. So technically they are not teaching that these things are necessary for salvation, but they look at them more as "proofs" that one is really saved. They are very rigid and strict in their views on these man made rules and do not allow anyone's conscience in them even though they cannot show from scripture where they arrived at such doctrines of belief.
I'm not sure what category these folks would fall in, whether they would be considered to be legalistic or not.
To be a believer is to be obedient to Christ, as Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His commandments, and that's what I long to do with all my heart. Where I am right now is trying to study and discern what exactly are Christ's commandments and what are man's. I grew up with a whip over my head and taught to believe that all the "man of God" said is to be believed and obeyed. In God's gracious workings in my life, however, I have found that much of what these so-called men of God say is not what God has said. I would be a follower of God and not of man.
