Friday 11 October 2013

Antinomianism: The Destructive Heresy

One of the oldest heresies to infect the church wasn't Arianism, Modalism, Subordinationism, Nestorianism or any of those, but antinomianism, which is the rancid idea that a person who professes faith in Christ is going to heaven regardless of their actions, thoughts and words.
It is often claimed by those outside the church, specifically atheists, Muslims and even sadly Rabbinic Jews, that Jesus blood allows one to live in sin which such an idea is repudiated by the Old and New Testament.

There are some passages I want to address which are often misused not just by antinomians, but also hyper-grace reprobates. Sadly, some of paltalk have subscribed to what I can only see as hyper-grace such as jonnykzj and westoftherockies. Now whether jonny has repented or not I do not know, hopefully he has. I don't judge him on a personal level, I simply see him in grave error.
The first verse I want to tackle is in 1 John 3:9.

"9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. "

I have seen this verse pointed to say that once someone is a Christian, they are perfect in the sense that they NEVER EVER SIN. However, the verse in question has an ongoing action in the context, It essentially means that someone who has been born again will not make a habit of or continually practice sin. We do stumble, that is a fact. The very fact that only 2 chapters ago we are told the following:

"6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

The context of the verses themselves make it clear that one who claims he doesn't sin, he decieves himself, Why are we told to confess our sins if we don't sin anymore?

Now some will try and say "Well that's only to unbelievers, you don't need to confess your sins after coming to Christ". That's what some claim, but that is absurd because John is addressing BELIEVERS.

Remember there were no chapter divisions in the time the New Testament was written, so it is clear whom John is writing to, He is speaking to believers because he addresses them as dear children and later goes on to show what that means. I have had westoftherockies claim that I don't trust Christ because I continually ask Christ for mercy, the sheer arrogance of that child of Satan is astounding.
I know there is a discussion about judicial and relational forgiveness among Christians, but that is not my focus in this article.

Another verse that's appealed to is in Colossians 2:14

"14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. "
Within the context of the chapter we are free to eat and drink anything we choose, except for what is mentioned in Acts 15 but that's another topic. Anyway, the context doesn't allow for the anti-nomian interpretation because the written code is not referring to the law, it is referring to the debt of sin that we owe that has been paid. In the next chapter it talks about what we should abstain from.

"3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."


This isn't a legalistic command, this is something that we are called to be once Christ has justified us, which can only be accomplished by surrendering to Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to conform us to his image.

Even Romans 3 in the context doesn't prove anti-nomianism either, Just read the passage itself. Turn with me please to Romans 3:19-31

"19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."


If you have your Bible infront of you or you have the page on biblegateway opened up. The Law doesn't bring rightousness that God requires, instead, it shows how bad you are and that you need the rightousness of Christ to grant you reconcilation with God. Once in Christ, he can give you the means of upholding God's commands, not to get saved, but to demonstrate our gratitude to God. As for Romans 10:4, that simply means that Christ was the goal that the law was pointing to, thus rightousness has come. It doesn't mean however that we are to observe the Torah which is something
I need to make clear.

Funnily enough, the same book of Romans that the anti-nomian appeals to says in Romans 6:

"6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

The passage in question I think would cause any anti-nomian to squirm in their chair and say "Don't judge me" or "How many sins have you repented off?"

Nextly we will tackle the subject of 1 Corinthians 5 quickly while we are one the subject.

"5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,[a][b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord."

Paul is dealing with a backslider within the confines of the Corinthian church and demands that he is put out of fellowship immediately until he repents. The text doesn't say he will be saved, the keyword is MAY be saved. There isn't always a guarantee that the man will repent. The Lord will go after backsliders and bring judgement as well other calamities on a person to get them to repent before it's too late.

It's so sad that people have to contend with this silly heresy which has been refuted by the apostles and those who came after him. Now the people listening may say "Aren't you teaching works salvation?" No, certainly not. Faith alone is not Faith that is inactive. In fact a better of looking at the Book of James in particularly is faith without ACTION is dead.

In fact, Keith Thompson has a video on Sola Fide which explains what Sola Fide actually is: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6iOtkVFU5k (This video is unavailable.))

Though I am not a Calvinist, I know for a fact that both Calvinists and Arminians will agree with me that someone living in sin and claiming to be a believer is CLEARLY in error and that the anti-nomians NEED TO REPENT.

Anyway, I hope this video better equips you against the anti-nomian. Lastly, westof the rockies, if you are watching this. Notice I went with scripture and didn't merely assert my point, I actually addressed some passages that are commonly used.

Hope this article has addressed all the points to the best of my ability by God's grace.

Take Care.

Answering Judaism.

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