In John chapter 5, Jesus heals a man who had been lame for nearly four decades. The man had no faith, no expectation, and no idea who Jesus was. He did not ask for healing. Jesus simply came to him. Rather than celebrating this miracle, the Pharisees were outraged because it happened on the Sabbath. They had built an elaborate system of rules around the day of rest, and in doing so, they had turned a gift from God into a measuring stick for their own righteousness. This is the heart of legalism: the belief that God's approval is tied to how well you follow the rules. But the gospel tells us that the standard before God is perfection, and none of us meet it. Our favor before God is not found in our obedience. It is found in Christ, and in Him alone.

The healing of the lame man also speaks directly to the prosperity gospel, the idea that God  ...