Gospel Adulteration: A Two-Headed Monster

Though we would not know it from the tone of much Protestant church teaching today, gospel adulteration is a two-headed monster. I mean, in modern Christian culture cries of “Legalism!” are legion. For example, Dallas Theological Seminary alumnus Anthony T. (Tony) Evans wrote an entire book on the topic: Free At Last. This book, published by Moody Press, warns of the “The Bondage of Legalism.”¹ And in his magnum opus, The Grace Awakening, Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll is “Squaring Off Against Legalism.”²

Indeed, scripture warns of legalism, but it also warns of grace abuse or what Luther termed antinomianism. Gospel abuse is a two-lane highway, adding to it through legalism and subtracting from it through antinomianism. John Wesley wrote that “the imagination that faith supersedes [removes the need for] holiness, is the marrow of antinomianism.”³ A balanced, scriptural view of the gospel must avoid both of these salvation destroying diluents, not merely one or the other. To lop off the head of legalism but ignore that of antinomianism merely creates a one-headed monster!

“Sin shall not be master over you,” declared the Apostle of gospel freedom, “for you are not under law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14). The inspired writers often contrasted the gospel dispensation of grace with that of the Jewish dispensation of the ceremonial law. As a result, many wrongly assume that moral law or universal, ethical standards are also opposed to his grace, as sorrow is opposed to joy or black is opposed to white. However, grace is not the antithesis or the direct opposite of law. The opposite of law is lawlessness or antinomianism.

The popular but unscriptural notion that grace and moral law are opposing principles leads not a few down a deceptive path of antinomian assumptions. Many believe and teach that because the law has absolute, binding standards that grace does not. Many wrongly conclude that because the law required strict obedience, that grace does not. Such fancies ultimately lead to the definitive antinomian atrocity of emasculating God’s law by removing its penalty. “As law promises hell to the unrepentant and the rebel,” reasons the antinomian dreamer, “surely grace does not.”

The antinomian is against law or lawless. Such opposition to God’s law doesn’t always take the form of a radical, liberal denomination ordaining homosexuals or teaching that sin is acceptable. O’ that recognizing this devilish gospel dilution were so simple! I have never heard an evangelical leader give the thumbs-up to sin, nonetheless many are antinomians. Conservative congregations and pastors by the droves would never knowingly speak a word against God’s law or intentionally encourage the immorality it seeks prevent, yet they have unwittingly aligned themselves with Satan, the crown prince of antinomianism, in opposition to the law of God!

Popular evangelical leaders deceive many, including themselves, regarding their own lawless, antinomian opposition to God and His law. They tip their theological hats in the direction of God’s law by encouraging Christians to be holy and not to commit adultery, lie, fornicate or steal which leads many, including themselves, to believe they don’t resist God’s law. But they oppose and betray these very precepts and even war against them by removing their penalties. As Charles R. Finney rightly observed, a precept without a penalty is no law. A precept without a penalty is merely good advice. To annul the penalty is to repeal the precept.

Preachers may appear to stand up for righteousness, they may even teach against antinomianism, but if their view of salvation allows a professing Christian to continue in willful rebellion against God’s moral law without fear of damnation, they destroy with one hand what they attempt to build with the other. Regarding legalism, Paul indeed warned of it, but he taught the Galatians that Christ abolished “the weak and beggarly elements,” (Gal 4:9), not the moral precepts of God’s law or their penalties.

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