Blog

One of my favorite board games is Monopoly. My dad, brother, and I played it so much growing up that we have nearly all of the rents memorized, so when we play it together we just hand money around without ever telling each other how much is owed! One of my favorite parts about the game Monopoly is the “get out of jail free” card. Whenever I get one, I feel like I have an extra measure of security. If I do get sent to jail, I can get out right away without having the pay the fee!

This week the word we’re looking at is antinomian (pronounced anti-NO-me-in), and it reminds me of the “Get Out of Jail Free” card in Monopoly. Antinomians believe that because they have salvation in Jesus Christ, they no longer have to abide by the law! The word itself states this, because it is from anti (again) and nomos (“law” in Greek).

The belief of antinomianism started in the early chruch but it has continued throughout the ages. It definitely appeals to our human nature - who wouldn’t want to be able to do whatever you want in life? Need money - go rob a bank! Want something that someone else has - go steal it! Who cares? You’re saved through Jesus!

But that is NOT what the Bible teaches us. Romans 3:8 says, “Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—’Let us do evil that good may result’? Their condemnation is just!” Paul is telling us that doing evil is never the right answer, even for those who are covered by God’s grace and faithfulness.

Paul also addresses the antinomian idea very thoroughly in Romans 6. In verse 15, he write, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!” I looked up the Greek text of this verse to more fully understand what Paul is writing, and the idea of the words used is that you have not become that way! When you committed your life to Jesus Christ, you were made a new creation and the person you have become is not one who disobeys the law, even if you have the “get out of jail free” card of God’s grace. When you strive to live in the nature of Christ, you cannot act in such a manner.

As Christians, we should want to obey the law even more than before we were Christians. Obedience to God’s law honors Him. While God promises that Jesus’ blood will cover all of our wrongdoings when we have faith in Him, we must sill strive for obedience. When we study the Scriptures, it is clear that the antinomian belief is purely a human creation and is not of God.

Our “get out of jail free” card is not to be antinomians and have no regard for the law. Instead, having faith in Jesus and his sacrifice for us on the cross gives the best “get out of jail free” card - the grace of God.