Grace and Law XII: 20 Errors of Antinomianism

Throughout this podcast series, we have been following the flow of thought in Ernie Reisinger’s book The Law and the Gospel. In his discussion on antinomianism, Reisigner gives 20 errors connected to this heretical understanding of God’s law in the Christian life.

This week, we share most of those 20 ideas and stop to discuss a few of them. To help you better keep up with the flow of ideas, we wanted to write out the list here for you:

1. The law is made void by grace. Justification by faith alone renders good works unnecessary.
2. Since good works are unnecessary, obedience to the law is not required of justified persons.
3. God sees no sin in the justified, who are no longer bound by the law, and is not displeased with them if they sin.
4. God therefore does not chastise justified persons for sin.
5. Nor can sin in any way injure the justified.
6. Since no duties or obligations are admitted in the gospel, faith and repentance are not commanded.
7. The Christian need not repent in order to receive par-don of sin.
8. Nor need he mortify sin; Christ has mortified sin for him.
9. Nor ought he be distressed in conscience upon back-sliding, but he should hold fast to a full assurance of his salvation in the midst of the vilest sins.
10. Justifying faith is the assurance that one is already justified.
11. The elect are actually justified before they believe, even from all eternity.
12. Therefore they were never children of wrath or under condemnation.
13. Their sin, as to its very being, was imputed to Christ so as not to be theirs, and His holiness is imputed to them as their sanctification.
14. Sanctification is no evidence of justification, for assurance is the fruit of an immediate revelation that one is an elect person.
15. No conviction by the law precedes the sinner's closing with Christ, inasmuch as Christ is freely offered to sinners as sinners.
16. Repentance is produced not by the law, but by the gospel only.
17. The secret counsel of God is the rule of man's conduct.
18. God is the author and approver of sin, for sin is the accomplishment of His will.
19. Unless the Spirit works holiness in the soul, there is no obligation to be holy or to strive toward that end.
20. All externals are useless or indifferent, since the Spirit alone gives life.

Ernest Kevin’s book The Law and the Gospel- https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Law-Puritan-Theology-Puritanism/dp/1877611638

Get your copy of Reisinger’s book here: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/

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