WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I AM NOT UNDER LAW, I AM UNDER GRACE!

Chapter 2 - The Problem of Grace and Law Extremes

R.E. McMaster Jr, some years ago (1980's) in the Chalcedon Report, has this to say about law/grace extremes.

"Where Christians becomes exclusively "grace" oriented, the overwhelming tendency is to become lawless. "Grace-only" believers in their subjectivity and emotionalism can and do justify almost anything. Their desires become "right in their own eyes" since they have no firm standards. They have no "law" to guide their own eyes" since they have no firm standards. They have no "law" to guide them... Such believers forget and/or ignore that Paul said in 1 Tim 1:18, "that the law is good if one uses it lawfully..." The end result is that the "grace" extremist becomes autonomous, a law unto himself. He may become self-righteous. He is no longer under hose authority. He has manifested Satan's first sin as recorded in Isa 14L12-14, the sin of pride and lawlessness, leading to autonomy. This is humanism.

Concerning the other extreme, McMaster continues : "The 'law' extremist ends up in the same place. He just arrives there by a different path. The "law" believer rightly condemns the "grace believer's" perspective as akin to magic... But more often than not, the "law" extremist accomplishes his works "in the flesh". The result is that this legalist attempts to become righteous by his own efforts... In such realms, the "letter of the law" is upheld, to the exclusion of the "spirit of the law." Striving to keep the law by his own efforts, such a believer becomes his own law, and thus is under the authority of no one".

Grace without Law - Antionomianism. "Antinomianism" is made up of two other Greek words - "anti" meaning "against" and "nomos" which means "the law." Those who are against law - in the last days, "lawlessness will abound and the love of may will wax (grow cold)" Max 24:12. One of the designations for the Antichrist is the "man of sin, the lawless one" (2 Thess 2:1-12).

1. What Paul Said - Rom 3:4-8, 5:20,21, 6:1,2,14,15

2. What Jude Said - Jude 4

3, What Peter Said - 2 Peter 2:1-3

Summary
All believers, and more so leaders, need to avoid being a grace extremist ending up in antinomianism, or a law extremist ending up in legalism. It is necessary to seek the Lord to help us all to have a balanced theology.

Grace and truth belong to each other. "Grace reigns through righteousness" unto eternal life.

"The law is good, if a man use it lawfully.."(1 Tim 1:18)
"The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified through faith (Gal 3:24)

But no one can be saved by works of the Law, or by legalistic ceremonies of the Law. All can be saved only by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Antionmianism on the one hand, an legalism, on the other hand, must be avoided at all costs. Either extreme can destroy the people of God.