I first encountered the term “antinomianism” during my time in undergrad. It was the first time I heard this term because I grew up with little to no knowledge of theology. I have found over the years that many people are not familiar with this term either.
It is important to educate ourselves on antinomianism and its meaning because it is a dangerous teaching that can lead many individuals astray.
Greek Meaning of Antinomianism
Antinomianism is a large word that not many people are familiar with in the modern-day. The word “antinomianism” comes from two Greek words: anti and nomos. Anti means “against,” and nomos means “law.”
Therefore, the word antinomianism means “against the law.” As one can see, this term has a lot of questionable arguments around it.
What Is the Purpose of Antinomianism?
As stated, the word antinomianism has the Greek meaning of being against the law. Within theology, antinomianism is used in the sense of being against God’s laws. In other words, antinomianism teaches that Christians are not under any moral laws by God.
This belief causes individuals to believe they can do whatever they want without any punishment, problems, or side effects. It is a very dangerous business to adhere to antinomianism.
If Christians practice antinomianism, then they would freely commit any sin without regard for God because they believe there are no moral laws one has to follow.
This entails that a Christian could commit many sins, such as lying, hurting others, or adultery, without any conviction or repentance. As one can see, antinomianism is unbiblical and heresy against the Christian faith.
Paul spoke against antinomianism in his writings. While Paul does not use the direct term “antinomianism,” the concept is still there.
Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
By this passage of Scripture, we are told that we should not go on deliberately sinning because we have been saved by Christ.
As Paul says, “How can we live in it any longer?” If an individual believes salvation is a license to sin, then it would be right to question if the individual has truly come to know the Lord.
If a person has truly accepted Christ, they would not want to continue to hurt God by sinning. While we will all continue to commit sins in our lives, we should never want to deliberately sin against God or sin just for the point of sinning.
The Holy Spirit inside of us convicts us of sin, and He actively gives us encouragement and strength. If we have truly come to know Christ, then we should overflow with love, gratefulness, and thankfulness because of the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.
We should not try to disobey Him by committing heinous acts of sin. Yes, God forgives us for our sins, as stated in 1 John 1:9, yet it is unbiblical to think we can use God’s kindness and forgiveness to continue to commit any sin because “God will forgive me.” This belief is unbiblical, and it goes against the core of Christianity.
Antinomianism and Moral Law
As stated, antinomianism does not believe that Christians are required to obey the moral law because Christians are not under the law but under grace.
Those who follow antinomianism misuse the Bible verse of Romans 6:14 and manipulate this passage as well as other passages of Scripture for their own twisted means.
God does expect us to follow the moral law. Even though we are not under the Mosaic Law, we are still under the moral law.
1 John 5:3-5 tells us, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
As John tells us in this passage, to love God is to keep His commands. The Lord’s commands are to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).
Those who adhere to antinomianism forget the truth that while we are not under the Law of Moses, we are still, in fact, under the law of Christ.
Antinomianism’s Use Today
Unfortunately, antinomianism is still in use today. It is debated whether or not Steven Furtick teaches antinomianism; however, one cannot be dogmatic to call him a teacher of antinomianism because there remains much debate surrounding this claim.
While some accuse Furtick of antinomianism, others believe he just has a poor understanding of the Old and New Covenants.
Those who teach antinomianism can easily be seen because they will preach against the moral law or misuse Bible verses in an attempt to misrepresent Scripture and distort it.
If a pastor teaches that Christians are not under the moral law and that salvation is a free license to sin, you can be assured that the individual teaches antinomianism.
Sometimes preachers or teachers hide their antinomianism, yet it will expose itself through sermons, Bible studies, and discussions.
If you are in a church that teaches antinomianism, it is best to leave. Anyone who teaches antinomianism is teaching an unbiblical belief. It is extremely dangerous for a Christian to believe in antinomianism and then to live according to it.
No true Christian pastor would practice this belief, much less teach it to other individuals. Everything taught within antinomianism is in direct conflict with the truth of God’s Word. The Bible never tells us it is “okay” to keep on sinning because we know Christ.
In fact, the Bible tells us directly, “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:16). This passage of Scripture tells us specifically to not use our freedom in Christ as a cover-up for evil.
Furthermore, this passage tells us to live as God’s slaves. As servants of Christ, we should strive to glorify Him, obey Him, and serve Him to our best ability. If we are not slaves to God, then we are slaves to the sinful flesh.
Jesus died on the cross in order for us not to be slaves to our sinful nature any longer. Since the Lord died for our sins, for us to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, we owe everything to Him.
We owe Him our lives, our hearts, and our obedience. Jesus Christ does not want us to use our freedom as believers to engage in antinomianism. Antinomianism goes against everything the Bible teaches.
What Does This Mean?
In order to believe in antinomianism, you would have to take the Bible out of context and change it in order to make it say what you want it to say because antinomianism is not biblical. We can show our love and gratefulness for Jesus’ sacrifice by obeying His commands.
By obeying God by following His commands, we are truly showing we know God and that we love Him (1 John 2:3-6). How we live, what we do, and how we act attests to who we truly obey.
Do we follow antinomianism and obey our own sinful nature, or do we truly follow God and obey Him? Thus, antinomianism should not be practiced, taught, or endorsed by Christians.
For further reading:
Should Christians Follow the Book of the Law Today?
Why Did God Have to Give His People the 10 Commandments?
Is Eternal Security a ‘License’ to Sin?
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