ANTINOMIANISM—VEERING TO THE LEFT

The antithesis of legalism is antinomianism. Antinomianism originated from two Greek words, "anti," which is "against," and "nomos," which refers to "the law."

The Oxford Dictionary defines antinomianism as "a belief that Christians are released by grace from obeying moral laws."

In essence, antinomianism is the flawed and ultimately fatal belief that once a Christian is under the grace of God, he or she can freely partake in sin because the law of God (specifically the Ten Commandments) no longer applies in his or her life.

The phrase was first used by the great reformer Martin Luther in the 16th century to refer to his former student and one-time disciple, Johann Agricola. Agricola was initially very excited about Luther's revelation of "justification by faith." But he gave it a heretical twist by teaching that Christians are free from all the moral law of God and that the Ten Commandments have no more place in a believer's life.

This was the first major theological controversy in Protestant history and it lasted intermittently from A.D. 1537 to 1540. To counteract that heresy, Luther began to stress the role of the law in the Christian life and preached strongly that it was necessary for discipleship. In 1539, he wrote an important theological treatise, Against The Antinomians, to refute antinomianism once and for all.

JESUS CAME TO STRENGTHEN THE LAW

Does the moral law, also known as the Ten Commandments, have a contemporary relevance to us believers today? Well, what does Jesus say?

When someone came to Jesus with this question: "Good master, what must I do to have eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17). He then immediately explained that the commandments He was referring to were the Ten Commandments.

When the devil tempted Jesus in the desert, He rebuked him by quoting the First Commandment: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve" (Matt. 4:10).

The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is arguably Jesus' most famous sermon during His earthly ministry. It is really the Magna Carta or the Constitution of God's kingdom. That Sermon is a reaffirmation of the validity of God's moral law in the lives of a kingdom believer.

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."
(Matt. 5:17)

If Jesus truly did come to abolish or do away with the law and the commandments as claimed by the antinomians, this verse would not makesense. "I did not come to destroy the law but to abolish it!" Jesus would have been contradicting Himself.

In fact, the word "fulfill" (Gr. pleroo) is better translated as to expand, establish, strengthen, make firmer and fuller. It does not mean to bring the moral law to an end.

Jesus then gives a solemn warning to those who may think that they are somehow freed from obeying the law of God:

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:18-20)

Unlike the ceremonial and ritual Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments are God's eternal, immutable law. They are a reflection of the nature and righteousness of God. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the Gospels, Jesus time and again reiterated the importance of obeying them.

The sad fact is that pastors and church leaders all throughout Christian circles have taught against the truth that Jesus expounded here. One pastor whom I know even taught his congregation that the Ten Commandments are "poisonous" to the soul and should be avoided like plague. Without God's eternal, moral law to act as a compass and guide, antinomians become lawless. What does Jesus have to say about this group of people?

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matt. 7:21-23)

Who are those who call Him "Lord," prophesy, cast out demons, and perform signs and wonders? In our contemporary setting, they would surely be the believers from the "Charismatic, Word of Faith" circles. In my 18 years of full-time preaching ministry, I have seen some of my Charismatic colleagues reject the moral law of God and actively promote that idea to their followers. The Bible has stated their end very plainly. Antinomians are heretics who will eventually miss the kingdom of heaven!