Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," Winter Edition 2000
More About Antinomianism
"Christianity was very early disfigured
by antinomianism, a doctrinal and practical error -which opposes itself to God's
law even in the evangelical form in which it was defined by his adorable Son.
"Thou shall love God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself. . . . The
consistent Antinomian—that is, one whose practice accords with his theory—is
loud in his proclamation of a finished eternal salvation, the blotting out of
his sins, past, present, and future, on the Cross . . . without respect to his
own conduct, character, or words. His salvation is so finished that no sin can
ever blot his name out of the Book of Life. . . . This [antinomian] doctrine
destroys the distinction between right and wrong, and removes all motives to
abstain from sin. It boasts in the perseverance of the saints, while it believes
in no saint but one, that is, Jesus, and neglects to persevere. . . . When
Calvin arose, though he seldom went the lengths of some of his followers in the
next century, yet he laid excellent foundation for it in his un-Scriptural and
unguarded doctrine of absolute decrees, and of the necessary, final perseverance
of backsliding believers" (excerpts from Daniel Steele in the chapter
"Antinomianism Defined" [Steele's Answers: Schmul Publications,
pp. 18-24]).
To say that antinomianism is extremely relevant to
contemporary American evangelical Christianity would be the over-statement of
the past twentieth century! Friends, popular evangelical Christianity in America
today is shot through to the core with antinomian ideology, exhibited in the
teaching of Charles Stanley, and many other advocates of "once saved always
saved" salvation doctrine theory.
The modern Wesleyan Holiness Movement will do well to stand
up and strenuously oppose the rampant antinomian heresy endorsed by the popular
American evangelical Christianity of our day, and call its constituents back to
the "old paths" of righteousness and true holiness with Bible doctrine and Bible
standards. Hats off to Brother Dan Corner of Evangelical Outreach, P.O. Box 265,
Washington, PA 15301-0265, and others like him, who are trying to do just that!
Related Article Links
The Gospel Of Antinomianism
Antinomianism And The Future Of The Wesleyan Holiness Movement
A Prime Example Of Practical Antinomianism