Tags
Antinomianism, Cheap Grace, Decalogue, grace, Justification, Legalism, Obedience, R C Sproul, Sanctification, Ten Commandments, Word of God
“If you love Me,” Jesus said, “keep My commandments” John 14:15
“Antinomians acquire their distaste for the law in a number of ways. Some believe that they no longer are obligated to keep the moral law of God because Jesus has freed them from it. They insist that grace not only frees us from the curse of God’s law but delivers us from any obligation to obey God’s law. Grace then becomes a license for disobedience.
The astounding thing is that people hold this view despite Paul’s vigorous teaching
Theologian and Pastor Dr R C Sproul
against it.Paul, more than any other New Testament writer, emphasized the differences between law and grace. He gloried in the New Covenant. Nevertheless, he was most explicit in his condemnation of antinomianism. In Romans 3:31 he writes, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
..[Martin] Luther’s view of the law. In the Formula of Concord (1577), the last of the classical Lutheran statements of faith, they outlined three uses for the law:
(1) to reveal sin;
(2) to establish general decency in the society at large; and
(3) to provide a rule of life for those regenerated through faith in Christ.
Antinomianism’s primary error is confusing justification with sanctification. We are justified by faith alone, apart from works. However, all believers grow in faith by keeping God’s holy commands—not to gain God’s favor, but out of loving gratitude for the grace already bestowed on them through the work of Christ.
It is a serious error to assume that the Old Testament was a covenant of law and the New Testament, a covenant of grace. The Old Testament is a monumental testimony to God’s amazing grace toward His people. Likewise, the New Testament is literally filled with commandments. We are not saved by the law, but we demonstrate our love for Christ by obeying His commandments. “If you love Me,” Jesus said, “keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
We frequently hear the statement, “Christianity isn’t a lot of do’s and don’ts; it is not a list of rules.” There is some truth in this deduction, inasmuch as Christianity is far more than a mere list of rules. It is, at its center, a personal relationship with Christ Himself. Yet Christianity is also not less than rules. The New Testament clearly includes some do’s and don’ts. Christianity is not a religion that sanctions the idea that everyone has the right to do what is right in his own eyes. On the contrary, Christianity never gives anyone the “right” to do what is wrong.” R C Sproul – Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (c) 1992, Antinomianism, p. 194-195 (emphasis in bold are mine)
Misunderstanding Grace : Misconstrue Law and Grace as Opposing, Contrary and Irreconcilable Systems
The Perfect Law of God Must Stand Forever
The Law of God Must Be Perpetual: No Abrogation, No Amendment.
The Heart of Every Real Christian is Most Reverent Towards the Law of the Lord
Misunderstanding Grace : “outside the law” is not the same as having no law
Misunderstanding Grace: Easy to miss the path and go far astray from the truth
God's Word is Truth 袮 的 道 就 是 真 理 