Is Having Standards Really Legalism? The Truth About Rules, Grace & Holiness

🗡️ This expository sermon was delivered at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Cookeville, TN on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 10:00 am. 🗡️

Ever been called a legalist for having biblical standards? Or maybe you've wondered if your church is too strict? In this eye-opening message, Pastor Fortunato tackles one of the most misunderstood topics in Christianity today—legalism—and reveals why it's not what most people think.

What You'll Discover:

Legalism isn't about having rules or standards. Every church, every family, every parent has standards—that doesn't make them legalistic. The real issue? It's a heart problem, not an external rules problem. This powerful Bible teaching exposes the difference between biblical holiness and pharisaical hypocrisy.

In this first part of a two-part series, you'll learn about salvation legalism—the dangerous belief that your works contribute to your salvation. Discover why grace and holiness must work together, and why divorcing one from the other leads to either legalism or compromise.

Pastor Fortunato addresses tough questions every Christian faces: How do we judge righteously without being harsh? What does it mean to be peculiar people? Can you be right in your position but wrong in your disposition? Why does having higher standards than others automatically get you labeled a "legalist"?

This message will challenge you to examine:

✓ The relationship between rules and relationship with God

✓ How salvation legalism denies the power of grace

✓ Why biblical standards aren't the same as weaponizing guilt

✓ The balance between grace that saves you where you are and holiness that refuses to leave you there

✓ What it truly means to live as a peculiar people set apart for Christ

Whether you're recovering from a legalistic church background, trying to raise godly children with biblical standards, or simply want to understand what the Bible really teaches about Christian living and holiness, this sermon provides scriptural clarity on a topic that desperately needs to be addressed.

⛪ Connect With Pilgrim Baptist Church:

🌐 Website: https://pilgrimbaptist.church/

📝 Pastor Fortunato's Blog: https://fortunato.blog/

👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PilgrimBaptistCookeville

💝 Support Our Ministry: https://pilgrimbaptist.church/giving

📌 Don't miss Part 2 where we continue this important discussion on legalism and explore the other side of the coin—libertinism and compromise.

If this message blessed you or challenged your thinking about biblical standards versus legalism, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share with someone who needs to hear this truth. Drop a comment below sharing your thoughts or questions about grace, holiness, and Christian living!

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