I John 5:2-3
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
The “Christian” churches of this world are predominantly antinomian to some extent. Both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism belong to what can be termed Hellenistic Christianity, that is, a form of Christianity heavily influenced by Greek philosophies, particularly Gnosticism. Catholicism may be slightly more moderate of the two, its belief of the afterlife, with its levels of heaven, limbo, purgatory, and beatific vision – not to mention its belief in an immortal soul – brand it as Gnostic.
Protestantism is more antinomian, having rejected Catholicism’s works during the Reformation. Martin Luther’s doctrine of salvation by grace “through faith alone” removes God’s law from the equation altogether. Pure Protestant theology is so antinomian that it claims that lawkeeping in any form – which it terms “legalism” – is detrimental to the soul’s growth in spirituality. This form of Christianity also champions the doctrine of eternal security, the idea that, once one accepts Jesus, he can never lose his salvation, no matter what sins he commits (“once saved, always saved”). This doctrine knocks out law and judgment for sin in one blow.
Of course, the world itself is antinomian because it is under the sway of Satan the Devil, who despises God’s law (Ephesians 2:2; I John 5:19; Romans 8:7). He even tried his antinomian tricks on Jesus, who countered with quotations from the law (Matthew 4:1-10)! Certainly, our adversary will tempt us similarly, trying to get us to put God’s law aside so we can fulfill our desires.
Knowing God’s truth and practicing it to become holy will protect us from the rampant antinomianism of this world, this age that is soon to end. Still to come are the Beast and his False Prophet, who will exemplify this anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-law spirit. To endure to the end, to survive the mystery of lawlessness that will mark the end time, we must hold fast to God’s Word and seek His righteousness.
