Legalism

I always used to think that the term legalism, theologically speaking, meant to try to earn one's salvation by merit of one's works or by keeping the law of God. But now I've realized that that is merely what results from legalism. Legalism actually means paying close attention to the minutae of the sacred text in order to ascertain how God desires people to live life. It pays very little attention to the sweep of the Scriptural narrative and the historical contexts out of which the narrative derives.

In that case, much of Christianity today is heavily legalistic, as seen in the attempts and the desires of people to make Scripture applicable to everyday life. People search for Biblical "principles" and the like, believing that adherence to such principles will take the edge off of a harrowing and meaningless existence, or at least placate the wrath of God. What occurs is actually the opposite of what is intended. People become more harried and frustrated while blaming it all on God, who is supposed to be lightening the load.

I've posed this question before and I'll pose it here once more, with a little added twist marked by italics:

Could it be that the Bible in a legalistic sense has no application to us whatsoever?

This is not to ask if Scripture is bereft of commands. Of course there are commands! That is painfully obvious. What is also obvious is the impossibility of obeying them. Legalism is the spurious attempt to make possible what is humanly impossible. Only Christ could obey the demands of the Law. And he did! But he wasn't a legalist. Those who opposed him were legalistic to the hilt!! That's why the life he lived and the death he died on the cross were so offensive to many. People would rather wallow in their legalisms than repent and follow Christ. We would rather feel important by gathering information from the pages of Scripture than saturating ourselves into the text in order to show due reverence to God for making us new and dwelling with us. This calls for a fresh reading of the Biblical text and for tuning out the voices of those who wish to foist "Biblical Principles" onto us.