Accusations of "legalism" still can be heard from enemy quarters much like desperate, sporadic, scud missiles, launched blindly into the night. Some think that they have discovered some "new, profound truth," but the accusation is as old as Augustine. Proponents of salvation by grace alone have long taken issue with the Bible's teaching that man must DO SOMETHING in order to receive God's mercy. In their way of thinking, one must either believe in justification by legalism or justification by grace alone - that is an improper "either-or" proposition
There is a certain inconsistency on the part of those who once embraced the faith but now accuse us of being "legalists" and "believing in justification by law." However, they seem unaware of that incongruity, perhaps, because they are unconscious of the inevitable conclusion to the position they are espousing. When they misuse Paul's statement that "we are not under law but under grace," (Romans 6:14) to make it mean that man is not responsible to obey law, because he is under what is supposed to be God's unconditional, all embracing grace, they draw a series of wrong conclusions which constitute false doctrine. Their false teaching aligns itself against many passages that teach that saving faith is always an obedient faith (Hebrews 5:8-9; Philippians 2:12).
Here is the inconsistency of the accusers who espouse that Calvinistic position. They accept, at least for the moment, that there are commands with which the LOST SINNER must comply in order to have God's saving grace. But they do not seem to understand that Calvin's system of theology demands that any obedience by man annuls grace. According to Calvin, grace is given by God unconditionally and if it is conditional it is not grace.
Now, these deluded souls who have embraced this false doctrine want CHRISTIANS to be free from obedience to God's commands. They think that a Christian's eternal salvation must be without obedience to commands, because, to them, obedience to any commands is a system of justification by law - or, in other words, "legalism." But, on the other hand, they still want to believe, at least temporarily, that God's grace for the non-Christian is conditional and the lost sinner must obey commands to believe, repent, confess and be baptized to be saved from sin (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Peter 3:21).
I predict that they will accept the logical consequences of their false concepts about "grace," swallow Calvin's theology of justification by grace alone and accept the inevitable but false conclusion that lost mankind can do nothing in order to receive God's grace. Consistency demands it - passing of time will produce it.
— Jim Everett (via Plain Talk)