Pilgrim's Progress: Worldly Wiseman 2

If you would recall, Worldly Wiseman had encouraged Christian to ease himself of his burden.  To help him in this task, he sent him on his way to the town of Morality to see a man, Mr. Legality.  Wiseman tells him that Legality is a very judicious man who has a very good name and who has done much good. The town, he says, is filled with honest neighbors. 

I think a lot of Christians view this as the ideal Christian community, full of hard working, honest people.  People who work really hard for God. Many of us view this hard work as the means of our salvation, even if we don't say that it is.  I remember growing up and hearing about "good Christian people."

To be fair, to have a good name, to be judicious, and to do good are not bad things.  Indeed, they are encouraged.  However, Christian was looking for his burden to be removed and these things can never remove the burden. Legalism and morality have no hope of removing the burden of our sin and may, unfortunately, create an obstacle that keep us from seeing the grace we so desperately need.