By: Paul Tautges
The heart motivation behind Jesus’ teaching ministry was His love for God and others. This explains why, when He saw how the external, law-keeping approach to spirituality placed unbearable burdens upon others, He spoke against them (Luke 11:37-46). But He also warned against a loose view of the commandments of God by exalting the listening that leads to obedience (Matt. 7:24-29). The apostle Paul did the same.
In his letter to the churches of Galatia, the apostle warns congregations to avoid two distortions of biblical grace that hinder sanctification.
Two Dangerous Ditches
Properly understood, the Christian life is a balanced walk, which means we need to learn to stay on God’s good road by keeping out of the ditches. Two ditches that Galatians warns against are legalism and antinomianism.
Antinomianism is a compound word made up of anti (against) and nomos (law), meaning against law, or against the righteous standards of the law. This error stems from a misunderstanding of the sanctifying power of grace. Though the person guilty of this error rightly understands that when we come to God for salvation, He accepts us the way we are, they also wrongly think that God is content to leave us that way. In his outstanding book, The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance, Sinclair Ferguson says it this way: Antinomianism “fails to appreciate that the law that condemns us for our sins was given to teach us how not to sin.”[1] The antinomian Christian is one who gets so enamored by the free grace of God in Jesus Christ that he abandons the hot pursuit of practical holiness. Instead, he remains in spiritual immaturity by continuing to live in the flesh, with one foot in the world and the other foot in the church.
Legalism, like antinomianism, stems from a misunderstanding and misapplication of law and grace. It fails to understand that the purpose of God’s law is to drive us to Christ, where we find saving grace as a gift from the One who fulfilled the law on our behalf (Rom. 5:18-19). It, too, fails to apprehend the fullness of God’s grace in Jesus Christ and results in a person’s confidence remaining in their own law-keeping ability. Again, Sinclair Ferguson gives helpful insight: “Legalism is simply separating the law of God from the person of God” (p. 83). “The essence of legalism is a heart distortion of the graciousness of God and of the God of grace” (p. 88). He then goes on to say, “Legalism is almost as old as Eden itself. In essence it’s any teaching that diminishes or distorts the generous love of God and the full freeness of his grace. It then distorts God’s graciousness revealed in his law and fails to see law set within its proper context in redemptive history as an expression of a gracious Father. This is the nature of legalism” (p. 95).
The answer to both errors is a more accurate, fuller understanding of the gospel and its implications for Christian living. Ferguson writes, “Antinomianism and legalism are not so much antithetical to each other as they are both antithetical to grace. This is why Scripture never prescribes one as the antidote for the other. Rather grace, God’s grace in Christ in our union with Christ, is the antidote to both” (p. 156).
A Life-Transforming Bible Study
In Galatians, the apostle deals with both errors by directing our attention to God’s sanctifying grace, the sufficiency of the work of Christ on our behalf, and the supernatural outworking of the Spirit’s indwelling presence. Read Galatians 5:1-26. Specifically, think about how staying close to this Scripture will help to keep you out of these two ditches:
The Ditch of Legalism- Meditate on Galatians 5:1-15. Notice how legalism undermines Spirit-produced sanctification in three ways:
Legalism erodes the hope of righteousness by minimizing the gift of grace (vv. 2-6).
Legalism hinders the true obedience of faith by minimizing the sufficiency of the cross (vv. 7-12).
Legalism feeds the self-centeredness of the flesh by minimizing the priority of love (vv. 13-15).
The Ditch of Antinomianism- Meditate on Galatians 5:13-21. Think again on verses 13-15 and how love keeps us on track. Notice three ways that antinomianism undermines sanctification:
Antinomianism diminishes the law of love, which guards against the abuse of liberties that may harm others (vv. 13-15).
Antinomianism works against the sanctifying purpose of the Holy Spirit (vv. 16-18).
Antinomianism hinders the development of biblical assurance of salvation, which the Spirit develops internally through an increasing growth in holiness and Christlikeness (vv. 19-26).
God wants us to walk in love, which requires avoiding law-based sanctification as well as grace-abusing approaches to the Christian life—not only for our spiritual health but also for the sake of those whom we disciple.
Questions for Reflection
In what ways are you tempted to base your relationship with God upon your ability to keep rules and regulations?
In what ways are you tempted to take advantage of God’s grace?
In your counseling ministry, are there ways you are subtly slipping into the ditches of antinomianism or legalism? If so, what do you need to change in your manner of communication and your design of homework?
[1] Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2016), 141.
Posted at: https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2020/03/02/avoid-two-distortions-of-grace/