I once listened to a sermon on Luke 6. The sermon highlighted four characteristics of legalisms that are apparent from the passage of scripture. Each of these characteristics start with the letter C.
CRITICAL:
Legalistic people have their set of rules by which they judge everyone else. They cannot encounter or interact with anyone without judging them by their set of rules.
CONTROLLING:
They believe it is their duty to enforce their set of rules on everyone and indeed that is what they endeavor to do.
COCKY:
They are conceited. They are convinced they are right. They think they know everything. Trying to correct them is a futile exercise.
CALLOUS
They are without sympathy and empathy for others. They do not feel anything for the convictions, feelings or tears of others. All they care about is their set of rules which they have made their duty to enforce on everyone.
‐———————————————-
May God have mercy on us. May He grant us His Holy Spirit, which brings life. May we not have a legalistic spirit which brings only death.
‐———————————————-
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Knowing God's heart 