A Single Cure

Antinomianism and Legalism. They seem like two different maladies. They aren’t.

Both ignore the perfect demands of God’s Law. The legalist ignores the “perfect” part; the antinomian ignores the “demands” part.

Both abuse the Grace of God. The legalist abuses Grace by making Grace contingent on obedience. The antinomian abuses Grace by making Grace a license to sin.

Both have exactly the same result: a sinner who will not hear the perfect demands of the Law, and therefore cannot hear the Gospel’s answer to those perfect demands in the perfect life and death of Jesus.

Understood this way, it is clear that antinomianism isn’t the result of preaching too much Gospel, and legalism isn’t the result of preaching too much Law. Both are the result of not preaching Law and Gospel.

The one and only antidote for both legalism and antinomianism is simple. Preach Law and Gospel.

http://thebarebulb.com/2014/02/06/a-single-cure/