Antinomianism

This system exaggerates the antithesis between faith and works. Faith is emphasized so strongly that good deeds lose by importance in the believer’s life. Since “Jesus paid it all” we don’t need to be concerned about turning from sin or pursuing godly living. The first traces of these ideas are found in Gnostic teaching which dropped the whole moral sphere of our present life as believers. The later exposition of these ideas came from Agricola who clashed with Melanchthon in 1537 about them. Agricola is quoted as saying that “all who had anything to do with Moses should go to the Devil, for Moses ought to be hanged”. For this he was rebuked by Martin Luther. It is one thing to reject the keeping of the Mosaic Law for purposes of salvation. It is another matter to reject the true purpose of the Law, conviction of sin, as having any contribution to make in preparing a soul to come to Christ as our “schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24).