False Leaders (long article, but worth the read)
PERSONAL NOTE
While I was a legalist I also sought and obtained leadership positions because I 'needed' to be in control so that I could attempt to keep from getting hurt, and I also sought to follow other legalistic leaders. Rules are easy to deal with, relationships aren't. Legalism and hierarchy are two sides of the same religious coin. True friendships don't exist within a hierarchy because there's always someone above you and below you; and even amidst the congregants there are levels of giftedness and usefulness. Religions are based upon fear of rejection; relationships are based upon acceptance.
Christians are commanded to "love one another". Love is agapao in Greek and means beloved, to accept or to welcome or to entertain. In a religion, one is accepted based upon adherence to the rules and submission to the hierarchy. In Jesus' Church, one is accepted based upon one's faith in one's acceptance by Jesus through the repentance and forgiveness of one's sins. The funny thing is, in order to reach the rule-oriented legalist, you use rules to bring them into loving relationships. If you just tell them they are being "unloving" toward others, they' won't listen. You have to point out a sin they are constantly committing (practicing) which is hurting others, and use the tough love of Mat. 18 to bring them to repentance and restoration to real relationships in the body. Relationships based upon knowing Jesus and one another, not based upon knowing about Jesus and about one another.
As a legalist I took a personality test and rated 99% hostile and dominant, but no one ever told me I was committing the sin of hatred. I was often contentious and quarrelsome, but not told I was committing the sin of variance. I had one dear young sister in Christ who, not yet having been religiously indoctrinated, pointed out a fault in me, and we have remained friends for years. Children are also great for pointing out our faults - is that the real reason we often segregate them from 'church'? Why do we disobey "confess faults (sins) to one another"? Practicing sin keeps one from inheriting God's kingdom. What are we thinking when we let brethren continue in a course toward hell? Maybe secretly we don't want a relationship with that person here or in eternity, but if they repent of that sin, Jesus will change them. "The Holy Spirit will reprove the world of sin," but God commanded His children to reprove one another (Heb. 3:12-14), even if that person's in leadership. Yes, you jeopardize your fellowship with those saints when you reprove a leader of sin (because he may kick you out of the man-made group), but do you want that leader to continue making "converts twice as fit for hell" as he is making himself.