Are Christians Antinomian?

 

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he word Antinomian is not a term we use in everyday language. It is a theological word. It is a compound word. The prefix anti means against. The suffix is nomos which means law. So, an Antinomian is someone who is against the law. In particular the law of God. The apostle Paul was accused of teaching Antinomianism.

In Romans 8:1-2 we read:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death.

The child of God should always give praise to God for this above reality. Because we are saved, we are also free from sin and death. To be judgment free speaks of the mighty power of God. Prior to Christ’s salvation we were bound by sin. Now we are free to serve God instead of sin. We have a new Master.

Sadly, many Christians have taken terrible advantage of God’s grace. They believe our freedom gives us license to sin; to do anything we want because we are in Christ and our salvation is secure.

Paul in Romans 6:1-12 says:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized unto His death? Therefore were buried with Him in baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts.

The preceding twelve verses gives the believer the formula for a victorious Christian life.  Paul gives the child of God revelation knowledge of why Christ died: 1) to destroy sin’s power (vs 2). 2) To put to death the old man of sin in baptismal death (vs.2). 3) Provide us with new life in His resurrection (vs 5). As a result, we are to no longer serve sin and its evil desires but serve Christ (vs 12).

A Christian that lives anyway they want is an immature believer. A friend of mine long ago called that type of person a Fire Insurance Christian – a Christian that only wants salvation so they can escape hell. They have no desire to live holy and submitted to the law of Christ. A person who claims to have been a Christian for a while that lives anyway they want to need to examine themselves to see if they are truly in the faith (1 Cor 13:5).

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iving a lawless life as a Christian is an oxymoron. Freedom to sin is not freedom at all; its bondage. It’s the old unregenerate nature that Christ nailed to the cross when He died to destroy sin. A proud sinner is a Satan pleaser, not a Christian! 1 John 3:8 says he that practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifest that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Notice the word practice. When one practices something their intent is to become an expert at whatever they are practicing so you do it over and over again. Those who practice sin become masters of evil proving they do not belong to God, but to the devil. 1 John 3:7 says he who practices righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous.

So, Christians cannot live a life as an Antinomian. We are free in the sense that we are free to NOT serve sin but free to serve God in righteousness.

Let us not frustrate the grace of God and treat the death of Christ as something common by living ungodly. Remember, those who are in Christ are new creations. Old things have passed away; all things are new. We are not the same people anymore. Let’s act like it (2 Cor 5:17).