The Whole Christ

Order of Service

• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Whole Christ — Escaping Legalism and Antinomianism

Scripture: Romans 7:12-25

I. Both Legalism and Antinomianism Share the Same Root

A. The common assumption is that legalism and antinomianism are opposites, but both are failures of the gospel

1. The true opposite of both legalism and antinomianism is the gospel — grace in Jesus Christ
2. Both are bad reactions to God's graciousness

B. The root of both goes back to Genesis 3

1. The serpent distorted Eve's understanding of God's generous character
2. God's commands were surrounded by generous provision; only one restriction was given as an act of love and loyalty
3. The elder son in Luke 15 mirrors this same distorted reaction: "You never give me anything"

C. Antinomians never truly escape their underlying legalism

1. Their antinomianism does not deliver the heart from the spirit of bondage
2. The pride and dismissiveness antinomians show toward less "free" Christians reveals a remaining Pharisaic spirit

II. Historical Witnesses Who Recognized This Pattern

A. Tobias Crisp (17th century) — a famous antinomian who began as a rigidly legalistic preacher

1. Benjamin Brooke observed: persons who have embraced erroneous sentiments often think they can never move too far from them
2. Crisp's ideas of the grace of Christ had been exceedingly low, producing a legal and self-righteous spirit; he then overcorrected into antinomianism

B. Richard Baxter noted that antinomianism arose from obscure preaching of evangelical grace and an excessive insistence on preparatory tears and terrors

1. Demanding a Luther-like or Bunyan-like conversion experience left people never ready to come to Christ
2. When the grace of God in Christ is not adequately preached or understood, antinomianism results
3. The grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12)

C. Ralph Erskine (an original Marrow Man) concluded: the greatest antinomian is actually the legalist

D. Thomas Boston wrote that the antinomian principle — that a justified man need not endeavor to keep the law — reveals that legality is so ingrained in corrupt human nature that until a man truly comes to Christ, a legal spirit will reign in him regardless of the shape his religion takes

E. James Henley Thornwell (19th century Southern Presbyterian) confirmed the same: whatever form antinomianism assumes, it springs from legalism — none rush to one extreme but those who have been in the other

F. John Colquhoun (latter-day Marrow Man, late 18th–early 19th century) observed that some degree of a legal spirit remains in believers, inclining them to rely on their own attainments for some part of their title to God's favor

III. The Gospel as the True Solvent of Both Errors

A. A low view of the grace of Christ lowers the immune system against both legalism and antinomianism

1. It is union with Christ and a robust understanding of justification that guards against both errors
2. Grace in Christ — not antinomianism — is the true solvent of legalism

B. Personal illustration: the Sabbath commandment

1. Raised in a law-keeping but churchless home, Sunday was the most miserable day of the week — obligation without love
2. At conversion, Sunday instantaneously became the best day of the week — not because the commandment was removed, but because the heart now loved it
3. The same transformation is illustrated in Zacchaeus — Christ's grace turned a commandment he was breaking into one he delighted to keep

C. Both legalism and antinomianism also fail to understand the law of God rightly

1. Paul in Romans 7 felt the law as burden and was in a prime position to become antinomian, yet he concluded the law is holy, good, and spiritual (Romans 7:12, 14)
2. The problem is not the law but indwelling sin
3. The answer is not to abandon the law but to cry out: "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24) — and to keep running to Jesus Christ
4. The gospel creates a freedom that makes obedience a delight — the law's burdens become wings