...I wonder if you could summarize the difference between orthodox Christianity and antinomianism along these lines:
The orthodox Christian knows himself freed from the curse of the law (by the Savior's righteousness - his flawless obedience to the same);
The antinomian imagines himself freed from the law (which is, after all, but the expression of God's will that we live in love).
The orthodox Christian has no fear of the Law, for he knows that perfect love casts out fear.
ReplyDeleteThe antinomian thinks that there never needed be any fear of the law, regardless of love.
(The legalist thinks that we ought to hedge our bets on that whole perfect love thing.)
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The orthodox Christian delights that he no longer needs to worry about how his works impact himself so now they can be focused totally upon his neighbor.
The antinomian thinks he need no longer worry about the law so he may do whatever pleases himself.
(The legalist delights that he may point to rules that show him to be "good" regardless of how this impacts his neighbor.)
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As a note about yours... I'd probably drop the "curse of the" - because Christ wasn't just obedient to the curse of the law, but to the Law, active and passively. Or perhaps "the punishments of the Law" and "obedience to the Law) -- otherwise that "to the same" is slightly unclear.
Of course, like mine are any more precise.
Of course, I like to think of this as a fenced back yard.
ReplyDeleteThe orthodox Christian delights to play in the fenced back yard his Father has provided for him. The antinomian wishes to ignore the fence and run away. The legalist builds his own personal castle in a corner of the yard where they have built their own walls and trenches to keep themselves safe.
My former priest taught we that, I have been saved, I am being saved, and to have faith that I will be saved because I might fall away- which lays the foundation of cooperation in salvation- because I might fall away from Him.
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