I'm not sure about the term "legalism". It gets bandied about quite a bit. Was Abraham, Zachariahs, David, Caleb, Anna, Simeon and all the examples of faithful men in the Bible "legalists" because they cherished God's instruction and walked in them? And Jesus Himself, was HE also a Legalist as defined by modern religious man?
This argument has puzzled me for some time now.
As for Abraham, it seems to me God instructed him just as Jesus instructs us.
Gen. 12:
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram,
Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from
thy father's house,
unto a land that I will shew thee:
Mark 8:
34 And when he had called the people
unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them,
Whosoever will come after me,
let him deny himself, (As Abraham was instructed to do) and take up his cross,
and follow me. (Into a Land HE will show us)
It seems Abraham believed God when HE told him to do these things, which seems to indicate Faith in God, and this Faith was shown by Abraham's willingness to deny his own religion, his own traditions, his own family and follow God's instructions.
4 So Abram departed,
as the LORD had spoken unto him;
In contrast, this same God, from the same Scriptures, also gave Cain instructions.
"If you do well, shall thou not be accepted"?
But Cain didn't follow the instructions of God. I find these two examples of men very telling. To those who did as God instructed, mercy and Praise. But for those who heard God's instructions, but rejected them and followed "another voice" instead, not so much mercy, and not so much praise.
I have wondered if I am reading these scriptures correctly. But Paul teaches the exact same thing, so I am encouraged.
Rom. 2:
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious,
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon
every soul of man
that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to
every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
So Paul is on the same page as I am regarding the difference between Cain and Abraham.
These are an example of the choice we all face, Yes? As the Christ tells us.
Duet. 30:
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20 That thou mayest
love the LORD thy God,
and that thou mayest
obey his voice, and that thou mayest
cleave unto him: for
he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Just like Abraham but Cain didn't.
I don't mean to be so long, I just wanted to show why I believe as I believe. Thanks for the question.