(8-10 minutes, easy set-up)
Print one copy of the Legalist activity sheet for each learner.
Distribute the Legalist activity sheet to learners. Read through each statement, encouraging creative learners to come up with more. Discuss:
- Sometimes we do acts of righteousness for the wrong reason. For what wrong reasons might we perform those acts? (for others to see, for our own pride, or to earn favor from God)
- Why should we perform those acts? (We do not act righteous to gain something but because we have been given something.)
- How can we misuse the Old Testament for our own purposes? (We misplace the Old Testament’s value when we use it to increase our own righteousness.)
- How can we properly value it? (We can use it as a guide for living out the righteousness given by Jesus.) Emphasize that righteous acts should reflect the righteousness in our hearts through Christ. Jesus has given us His righteousness, and we must live out what has already happened inside of us.