"These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings" (Col. 2:22, NIV).
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules" (Matt. 15:9, NIV).
Martin Luther realized the threat of Antinomianism and debunked it in his book, Against the Antinomians. On the one extreme, there's the question of the Antinomian (anti-lawism or showing a distaste for the law) or libertine, on the other hand, we have the legalists. They both are too obsessed with what right and wrong behavior is, not heeding the warning to watch our thinking and to be mature in our thinking and not infants (cf. 1 Cor. 14:20). We are to be "renewed in the spirit of [our] minds."
Antinomianism suggests that since we are forgiven, we can live as we please, not as we ought. Their slogan is: "Freed from the law, Oh blessed condition; now I can sin all I want and still have remission." We are never granted carte blanche to live as we please or to do what is wrong. We must not be like Israel that did that which was right in their own eyes (cf. Judges 21:25). Antinomianism is nothing but moral liberty in Christ gone amok or plain moral laxity.
It is true that our faith is more than a list of dos and don'ts, and we are not under the law, but we are not lawless! What did Paul say in Romans 6, but that we should not go on sinning, now that we are forgiven? "Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more" (cf. Rom. 5:20); God will save the chief of sinners like Paul and that no one is too bad to be saved. Christians do sin once saved (cf. Gal. 2:17) and perfectionism (entire sanctification) is unattainable this side of glory (cf. Prov. 20:9; Psalm 119:96), but we are not servants to sin as our master, but to righteousness, and are set free from its dominion.
We are all slaves to the power we choose to obey (cf. Rom. 6:16; 2 Pet. 2:19). The point of being a Christian is being set free from our bondage. We don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit. That's why "the letter kills and the Spirit gives life"--we must learn to walk in the Spirit in fellowship with our God. We don't want to mimic the Pharisees who practiced the letter of the Law, without observing the Spirit. What they were especially guilty of, is going beyond that which is written, as Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 4:4. Legalism is sheer spiritual tyranny and those who impose it are on a power trip and are control freaks.
Spiritual believers need no law, for they observe the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, but unbelievers know no law! We must never major on the minors and become obsessed with a minor point or sin while avoiding major ones (cf. Matt. 23:23 where Jesus pointed out the Pharisees had neglected the heavier matters of the Law like justice, mercy, and faithfulness, cf. Matt. 23:23). We ought to always respect the weaker brother's conscience and not be offensive, flaunting our liberty--we all should keep our convictions on disputable or questionable matters to ourselves and not publicize them. We all have a right to an opinion on gray areas!
Grace, however, is not a license to sin and the Law still holds a place in our lives to be a mirror of ourselves, driving us to the cross, showing us we can't keep it and become convicted. But "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (cf. 2 Cor. 3:17). We ought not to misuse liberty and take advantage of it, which would be a presumptuous sin! By sinning we demonstrate our slavery, we don't prove our freedom. We are free from sin, not to sin! We are not under the Law but not lawless.
In sum, it's no use giving us a rule book, we cannot follow it! The problem with legalism is that no perfect set of rules can be made and even if they could, man could not abide by it, for even the yoke of the Law was too heavy a burden for Israel--no list could be comprehensive enough and cover all the bases--we live under the easy yoke of God's will and abiding in Christ as we walk in the Spirit and fellowship. The highest law is of love, and this can only be fulfilled in Christ! But God's Law is perfect and able to convert the sinner (cf. Psalm 19:7).
It's no use making up rules; we cannot keep them! In the final analysis, the only way to avoid both extremes is the antidote of the Truth in the serious study of the Word of God. Soli Deo Gloria!
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules" (Matt. 15:9, NIV).
Martin Luther realized the threat of Antinomianism and debunked it in his book, Against the Antinomians. On the one extreme, there's the question of the Antinomian (anti-lawism or showing a distaste for the law) or libertine, on the other hand, we have the legalists. They both are too obsessed with what right and wrong behavior is, not heeding the warning to watch our thinking and to be mature in our thinking and not infants (cf. 1 Cor. 14:20). We are to be "renewed in the spirit of [our] minds."
Antinomianism suggests that since we are forgiven, we can live as we please, not as we ought. Their slogan is: "Freed from the law, Oh blessed condition; now I can sin all I want and still have remission." We are never granted carte blanche to live as we please or to do what is wrong. We must not be like Israel that did that which was right in their own eyes (cf. Judges 21:25). Antinomianism is nothing but moral liberty in Christ gone amok or plain moral laxity.
It is true that our faith is more than a list of dos and don'ts, and we are not under the law, but we are not lawless! What did Paul say in Romans 6, but that we should not go on sinning, now that we are forgiven? "Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more" (cf. Rom. 5:20); God will save the chief of sinners like Paul and that no one is too bad to be saved. Christians do sin once saved (cf. Gal. 2:17) and perfectionism (entire sanctification) is unattainable this side of glory (cf. Prov. 20:9; Psalm 119:96), but we are not servants to sin as our master, but to righteousness, and are set free from its dominion.
We are all slaves to the power we choose to obey (cf. Rom. 6:16; 2 Pet. 2:19). The point of being a Christian is being set free from our bondage. We don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit. That's why "the letter kills and the Spirit gives life"--we must learn to walk in the Spirit in fellowship with our God. We don't want to mimic the Pharisees who practiced the letter of the Law, without observing the Spirit. What they were especially guilty of, is going beyond that which is written, as Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 4:4. Legalism is sheer spiritual tyranny and those who impose it are on a power trip and are control freaks.
Spiritual believers need no law, for they observe the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, but unbelievers know no law! We must never major on the minors and become obsessed with a minor point or sin while avoiding major ones (cf. Matt. 23:23 where Jesus pointed out the Pharisees had neglected the heavier matters of the Law like justice, mercy, and faithfulness, cf. Matt. 23:23). We ought to always respect the weaker brother's conscience and not be offensive, flaunting our liberty--we all should keep our convictions on disputable or questionable matters to ourselves and not publicize them. We all have a right to an opinion on gray areas!
Grace, however, is not a license to sin and the Law still holds a place in our lives to be a mirror of ourselves, driving us to the cross, showing us we can't keep it and become convicted. But "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (cf. 2 Cor. 3:17). We ought not to misuse liberty and take advantage of it, which would be a presumptuous sin! By sinning we demonstrate our slavery, we don't prove our freedom. We are free from sin, not to sin! We are not under the Law but not lawless.
In sum, it's no use giving us a rule book, we cannot follow it! The problem with legalism is that no perfect set of rules can be made and even if they could, man could not abide by it, for even the yoke of the Law was too heavy a burden for Israel--no list could be comprehensive enough and cover all the bases--we live under the easy yoke of God's will and abiding in Christ as we walk in the Spirit and fellowship. The highest law is of love, and this can only be fulfilled in Christ! But God's Law is perfect and able to convert the sinner (cf. Psalm 19:7).
It's no use making up rules; we cannot keep them! In the final analysis, the only way to avoid both extremes is the antidote of the Truth in the serious study of the Word of God. Soli Deo Gloria!
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