Antinomianism, Easy Believe-ism, and Unconditional Security Review: What You Need to Know
Antinomianism is the concept that Jesus Christ has released Christians from having to keep the moral Law of God. Anyone who believes that God’s grace in Jesus Christ relieves them of their duty to do what is right in God’s eyes, in accordance with His eternal moral Law, is surely an antinomian.
Antinomianism is the prevailing concept in evangelical Christianity today, as well as in the realm of professing Christianity overall. It is closely related to, and impossible to practically separate from, the concepts of easy-believe-ism and unconditional eternal security. Easy-believe-ism is the concept that Christ can be received apart from a total break from sin in one’s heart, apart from restitution for one’s unlawful deeds, apart from deeds which overall demonstrate genuine repentance from sin, and continued obedience to Christ’s Word. Unconditional eternal security is also known as OSAS (one saved, always saved). OSAS teaches that someone who has received Christ can never ultimately fall away from Him unto damnation. It is obvious that easy-believe-ism teachers who don’t teach the necessity of repentance from sin, and the necessity of deeds worthy of repentance from sin, in order to receive Christ would also teach unconditional eternal security. Yet some people, contrary to logic, teach unconditional eternal security while claiming to teach the necessity of repentance from sin and deeds worthy of repentance in order to receive Christ. Logically and practically though, antinomianism, easy-believe-ism, and unconditional eternal security doctrine teaching are inseparable due to how well they correspond with each other and due to how inconsistent and illogical it is to separate them in any way.
Applying these things to a real life illustration: Zaccheus understanding the need to make restitution to those whom he had defrauded and give half of his goods to tear his heart from the love of money and do the good which he had neglected for so long, in order to receive Jesus unto salvation, is a rebuke which exposes antinomianism and easy-believe-ism as the devilish lies which they are. The unconditional eternal security teachers are also rebuked by this fact and proven to be in league with the antinomians and easy-believe-ism teachers. Zaccheus had to break from his sin to receive Jesus and demonstrate this break by his deeds. It is evident and obvious that if Zaccheus turned back to sin, he’d be denying Jesus and he’d no longer be a partaker of Jesus’ grace.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
None of this changed the slightest bit after the cross, as the Apostle Paul testified of the Gospel which he preached, as he was testifying before King Agrippa, in Acts 26:19-20: “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”
Paul also testified in Titus 1:16 about professing Christians who live in sin, regarding the uselessness of their claim to being partakers of Christ’s grace: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
Many know the hymn verse which goes:
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
Tis life, and health, and peace.
Jesus’ name should not be music to the sinner’s ears in the sense that the sinner should think they’ll be pardoned as they continue to turn from God and practice sin (though many, through the devilish lies of Antinomianism, see it that way). When it is understood that Jesus offers pardon and cleansing to those who turn to God through Him with their whole hearts and abandon all regard for sin like Zaccheus did, that is another story since that is a true Gospel concept.
Every moral principle and command throughout the Bible, and every ordinance given to Christians to observe, must be welcomed and walked in if we are to have a true, solid hope in Jesus Christ. Otherwise, you are practically trusting in a false antinomian grace rather than Jesus Christ’s true grace which upholds God’s moral Law, and which is offered with the intent of actually redeeming us from our sins and transforming us into fitting subjects for God’s eternal kingdom. You can’t have a part in that kingdom when you are at enmity with the King’s Law or if you are in any way tentative to walk therein. He loves righteousness and He hates lawlessness. He offers mercy and grace to those who will adopt the same attitude and come to Him continually to live in accordance with this attitude. None can earn their own salvation; and none can make another way to be accepted by the King.
Psalm 119:142: “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”
1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Romans 3:29-31: “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Note there how Jesus Christ’s true grace is power to save from both the guilt and power of sin. There is no alternative or secondary grace in Him.
Titus 2:11-14: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity (lawlessness), and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Make sure you have this grace. Don’t trust in an experience whether that is responding to an altar call, saying a spinner’s prayer, or any other experience! These are key strongholds of antinomianism, easy-believe-ism, and unconditional eternal security.
Revelation 22:14-15: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Hebrews 1:8-9: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity (lawlessness); therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
Luke 13:24-27: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (lawlessness).
1 John 2:1-6: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
John 17:3: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Hebrews 5:7-9: “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”
Aaron’s email is: [email protected]