Tony Evans is a Grace Abuser

If inanimate objects could show their true colors, surely the 70’s superhero Stretch Armstrong’s would be true blue. This toy muscle man measured in at only about a foot tall, but when stretched and pulled by reckless, fun-loving hands, Stretch’s pliable body could outstretch those of his young tormentors. At his best, Stretch mirrored the shoestring of a toddler who hadn’t quite mastered the art of tying, and at his worst… well, he never quite recovered from that maneuver. Even Stretch Armstrong could be stretched too far.

Antinomianism is the “Stretch Armstrong” of theology. It is a theological term used to describe the unscriptural, unhistorical grace teaching widely accepted as orthodoxy in the church Christian today. When seriously mistaken, but quite often well meaning pastors and teachers stretch and contort the pure bible doctrines of grace beyond the bounds of scripture, the Stretch Armstrong of antinomianism rears its grossly deformed head. In this regard A. W. Tozer said…

Antinomianism is the doctrine of grace carried by uncorrected logic to the point of absurdity. It takes the teaching of justification by faith and twists it into deformity.¹

Grabbing the doctrine of salvation by grace, misguided theologians yank its unassuming appendages in every direction. They pull, and wrench until saved by grace means that obedience and holiness are an option, an option which professing Christian fornicators, liars and thieves choose to waive and still enjoy “eternal security.” It is a good idea to obey according to the antinomian apologist, but obedience to Christ is not imperative for the sake of final salvation.

Not yet satisfied with Stretch’s new shape, abusers of God’s grace such as Moody Press and Tony Evans, a Dallas Theological Seminary alumni, squeeze and twist the gospel doctrine of justification until the mire of antinomian heresy swallows this pillar of truth as well. Consider:

The early church also contained examples of spiritual failure. The incestuous man in Corinth fell into a deep moral failure (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-5), but as we noted in a previous chapter, even in this case the man's eternal salvation was not at stake.²

But believers who turn away from God can become so hard other people can't win them back, and their lives may end in spiritual ruin as far as their earthly service is concerned- even though they are saved.³

Jesus said in Matthew 8:12 that the sons of the kingdom are cast in outer darkness at the start of the kingdom banquet. That is, they were not admitted to the banquet to enjoy this thousand-year party called the kingdom. They're still saved people, but they are the ones whose works burned up at the judgment seat of Christ and so they have nothing to present to Him from their time on earth. Their judgment is to be put outside, not of heaven, but of the kingdom banquet. Jesus said this judgment would cause "weeping and gnashing of teeth." This isn't the suffering of hell, but the anguish of those who miss the greatest party of all time and eternity.⁴

With one final tug the antinomian theologians distort the scriptures and the gospel to fit their stretchy system. Once saved, always saved,” they promise.. “Don't worry about 'weeping and gnashing of teeth,'” they promise, “this isn't the suffering of hell.” “Incest,” they say, “No problem!Eternal salvation is not at stake.” The popular notion that Christians are accepted in Christ by grace while engaging in disobedience to Christ in spite of grace screams, “Antinomianism !”

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Jer 23:21-22

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 2 Peter 2:18-20

Much is said in our day about legalism and that to the detriment of exposing the law-nullifying, lesser known but no less damning error of antinomianism. Popular, accepted teachers like Dr.s Erwin W. Lutzer, Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll, and Anthony T. (Tony) Evans all censure legalism, but never reference antinomianism. In Free At Last, Tony Evans dedicated a chapter to “The Bondage of Legalism.” And in The Grace Awakening, Chuck Swindoll is “Squaring Off Against Legalism.”⁵ Though we would not know it from the tenor of these pop Christian teachers, many would argue that scripture decries lawlessness or antinomianism more so than it does legalism.

From the lying promise of Satan in Genesis chapter 3 to the false prophets who declared “Peace, peace” to the unrepentant – antinomianism deceived. And from Paul’s warning about using liberty as an “occasion to the flesh” to Jude’s grace changers – antinomianism threatened. And from James’ “faith without works” to the condemned doctrines of the Baalamites and Jezebel in Revelation chapter 2, the holy writ incessantly warns of antinomian teaching.

Beware of Antinomianism this may steal upon you in a thousand forms, so that you cannot be too watchful against it. Take heed of everything, whether in principle or practice, which has any tendency thereto. Even that great truth, that ‘Christ is the end of the law,’ may betray us into it, if we do not consider that he has adopted every point of the moral law, and grafted it into the law of love.”⁶

In our day many have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Evangelical leaders cry, “Legalism!” at the first teacher that dares agree with the Apostle John by insisting, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). “Works salvation,” they say, whenever some lowly servant of God believes that all men must pursue “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). This, the doctors of the modern church do to the exposing of their true, antinomian colors.

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