What is Antinomianism? Plus Moral and Ceremonial Law Analysis

Antinomianism means “against law.” Teaching that Jesus’ grace relieves from subjection to God’s law is antinomian teaching. Antinomianism prevails in the realm of professing Christianity. Some even say directly that Jesus’ grace replaces law. Some teach Antinomianism by saying that the Law of Christ does not correspond to the moral principles in the Law of Moses and throughout the Old Testament. These neglect that Jesus was in the beginning and He never changes. They also do not account for the numerous references in the New Testament to the Old Testament which are given to affirm what is taught in the New Testament. Some antinomians just focus on defending practical expressions of sin.

Consider John 3:16 in its context and consider what it is actually communicating.

John 3:14-20: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

He that believes not on Him is condemned already. The condemnation is established since men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Jesus obviously didn’t do away with law. His grace is not for those who are out of line with the law. No one can receive His grace without forsaking the darkness of sin. Some in Israel were already right with the Lord before the Messiah appeared there. They were living by faith in subjection to His law (like Abraham did) and hoping in the coming Messiah for the right reasons (they were seeking redemption from sin and valued that more than earthly prosperity).

Transgressing God’s law is the very definition of sinning. It is impossible to righteously rebuke someone of sin without a solid basis to do so from the law of God.

The Bible says in 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

People can acknowledge Jesus is the Messiah and profess faith in Him without repentance. Unrepentant people committed to transgressing the law cannot be saved except they repent of their violations of God’s moral law. Sinners are sinners because they are willfully violating the light of the law. People are brought to a deeper understanding after a real new birth in Christ, but that is only in the context of already walking in the light. It is also possible to turn away from Jesus after a real conversion and fall from grace by being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-15, 2 Peter 2:18-22, etc).

Jesus does not save the unrepentant since He is not an enabler of sin. Someone accepting that they are a sinner isn’t repentance nor does that in itself lead to repentance. A sinner is actually an enemy of God’s authority. True repentance necessitates facing that enmity head on and turning from the deeds whereby that enmity is expressed. The Bible does not teach that anyone can just admit that they are a sinner and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity (or, wickedness) in my heart, the Lord will not hear me…”

Applying these things to a real life illustration: It is seen in Luke chapter 19 how Zaccheus rightly understood that to properly receive Jesus and become a true spiritual son of Abraham he needed to make restitution to those whom he had defrauded and to give half of his goods to the poor. Zaccheus had to tear his heart from the love of money, amend the injustices he had committed to the best of his ability, and do the good which he had neglected to do for so long. It is evident that if Zaccheus turned back to sin afterwards, he’d be denying Jesus and he’d no longer be a partaker of God’s grace.

None of this changed the slightest bit after the cross. The Apostle Paul testified the following before King Agrippa.

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 (or, fit) for repentance.”

Paul also testified the following concerning the uselessness of the profession of faith from those who live in sin.

Titus 1:16: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (or, disqualified).”

Antinomians have their choice quotations which might make their Antinomianism sound credible to those who don’t see how they are isolating select verses and twisting their meaning. Considering the surrounding verses and the Bible’s counsel as a whole of any text the antinomians put forth to justify their lies will demonstrate they are deceiving. One such text is 1 Timothy 1:9.

The first phrase in 1 Timothy 1:9 says: “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man,”

Though this phrase in itself is one that the antinomian can use to fool someone who is looking for an excuse for their sin or someone who is simply unlearned, this is really an instance where the KJV translators could have done better. This should have been translated as something like “the law does not lay against a righteous man” or “the law does not strike against a righteous man.”

If you are not a thief, laws against theft do not strike against you. If you steal, they do strike against you.

Is a righteous man above the law? Of course not. It is the people whom Paul is about to mention (the lawbreakers) who consider themselves above the law. These are clearly not righteous people. The Bible warns repeatedly that workers of lawlessness will be cast into the fire of hell- including those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus does not apply His blood to justify anyone who is not subject to His law.

Continuing to read 1 Timothy 1:9 through verse 11 reveals a very different message than what you’d get from looking at the beginning of verse 9 and not continuing to read forward.

1 Timothy 1:9-11: “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, But for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”

The law does indeed strike against lawbreakers in God’s eyes. These do not have an interest in the glorious Gospel of the blessed God. Sound doctrine is actually that the moral principles of the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ are in perfect agreement and unity.

So what about the ceremonies in the Law of Moses? Is it an expression of Antinomianism to not keep them? No, it is actually transgressing the law when anyone now tries to keep these since they were prescribed to Israel as a package and there is no Temple now.

The Law of Moses in itself, when taken without the grace which it testified of in many ways through the coming Redeemer it pointed to, only works wrath since it testifies of man’s just condemnation. Even those walking in the light of God’s Word before Christ died and rose again understood well that ceremonial Judaism testified the need of atonement for sin instead of providing atonement through its practice. If the Mosaic ceremonies atoned for sin, then Christ would be dead in vain. They were rather intended as a schoolmaster to Christ.

Since ceremonial laws are things which are only right and holy by God’s appointment, unlike moral laws which are inherently right and holy, then He can choose to cease causing ceremonial laws to be binding whenever He sees fit. That is obviously something which He could not, and would not do, regarding moral laws. To think that it is necessary to continue practicing the ceremonial aspect of Judaism after Christ has come, and the Lord has released you from that, is to make Christ of no effect to yourself.

Many foolishly lump the moral law of God together with the Mosaic ceremonies when they say that Christians are not bound by the law. Those who tried to bring Gentiles under those ceremonies after the clear verdict in Acts chapter 15 were committing sin. This is actually the case now when anyone tries to bring anyone else under the Mosaic ceremonies since the Second Temple was destroyed in AD 70.

The Apostle Paul rebuked the Galatians for keeping the Mosaic ceremonies after they had been released from them. Paul didn’t rebuke anyone for believing they needed to keep sin out of their life and be faithful to Jesus’ Lordship. Neither the Acts 15 council nor the Temple’s destruction released anyone from the moral aspects of the Law of Moses. Idolaters, fornicators, and others which transgress God’s moral law will still go to hell- whether they profess faith in Jesus Christ or not (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Revelation 21:8, etc). Paul would show in Galatians 6:2 that we are still obligated to fulfill the Law of Christ. The Law of Christ is the moral law of God and Christian ordinances.