Introduction

“Antinomianism” (from the Greek anti and nomos, ‘against the law’) is one of the most virulent forms of heterodoxies about Christianity. It promotes two erroneous teachings.

1. Christians are justified by faith through grace, and since sanctification is a divine work, good works do not in any way promote salvation (true…), but neither do evil works hinder human salvation (false…).

2. Dispensationalists in particular argue that the laws of God are for Israel and not for believers under divine grace.

What does the Bible say?

1. Christ didn’t abolish the law. He fulfilled it, (Matthew 5:17). He has made agreement betwixt us and the law, therefore we delight to walk in it for love of Christ.

2. Grace is not proportionate to sin, (Romans 6:1-2). A common misinterpretation of Romans 5:20-21 is that grace is proportionate to sin.  The truth is grace and sin is inversely proportional. The more grace I receive the less I should want to sin because God’s grace empowers me to live for Him. Grace never leads me to continue doing the very thing it just rescued me from. True grace  never leads me to take it for granted by trampling on it.

3. Grace is not a license for lawlessness, (Jude 1:4). Grace is given so that the sinner can walk back to God in repentance. To repent means to confess sin and turn away from it. You cannot repeat the same sin.

Historical facts

1. John Wesley emphasized, that the Christian is required to obey the moral law, not in order to be accepted by God but in order to continue in His grace.

2. Luther wrote, that God promises grace and every blessing to all who keep His commandments and Christians should therefore love Him, trust Him, and cheerfully do what He has commanded.

3.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “If you dismiss the word of God’s command, you will not receive His word of grace. How can you hope to enter into communion with Him when at some point in your life you are running away from Him? The man who disobeys cannot believe, for only he who obeys can believe.”

The role of the moral law

1. There’s a profound relationship between Law and Gospel. Just as the Law could not be fulfilled without the Gospel, so the Gospel can never be preached without the background of the law. Apart from the law the Gospel is meaningless.

2. The law drives sinners to the saving grace of God in Christ because it reveals the reality of sin and the culpability of all human beings even as it drives them to the saving grace of God in Christ, (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:19,24)

3. The Law reminds Christians that, if not for the grace of God, they would still be under the curse of sin and enables them to live a life of repentance.

4. The Law helps us to discern the Lord’s will thoroughly and be aroused to obedience.

Conclusion

While other religions insist on keeping the commandments in order to receive grace our God has already given us the grace we need so that we can keep His commandments and be blessed. Therefore let us remember that grace is not cheap though it’s free and continue to thrive for the standard of holiness and righteousness God expects from His children.