Antinomianism - the seduction of lawlessness

For the last several weeks, there was a permanent article in the Singapore Christian Post by the Rev. Kong Hee of City Harvest Church at Expo concerning "Antinomianism - the seduction of lawlessness" with a part 1 and a part 2. I know I should not be, but I am happy that Law is strongly preached in that church because they are setting the stage, the perfect storm of judgement. We have here a very great evangelist perhaps distracted by his "bathsheba" against a church at Suntec who preaches the grace of God in Christ Jesus.The Word of God is powerful, for good and for harm, ie if used wrongly it can caused great harm, just as if one would dare open the Ark of the Covenant.

Yes, the church have been seduced but not by lawlessness but by the religious self righteous legalist now championing the anti-gay movement at GAFCON and if they continue would bring down the spiritual and moral standing of the church. I have a worker whom after so much grace given to him (and he is a christian) still never changed and considers his actions and work as normal despite being extremely poor. He still considers himself doing well. Therefore, the "Law" or a list of explicit rules would be clearly handed down of things that must be done and the consequences of failure.

The reason for having the law is simple, not that it might or will likely stop his lawlessness, but so that we can have very specific and clear reasons or a basis to judge him guilty. His greatest failure was perhaps not realising the grace of God in His life, and taking it for granted by continuinally living in this life of "sin". The Law is not to make people law abiding but to penalize them and to justify that they are sinners and lawless. It is the grace of God, the understanding that the judgement is forgiven by so great a God that makes us realized what a sinner we are and to change our ways.

The church is under so much grace concerning how it had dealt badly against gays, but the time is coming when judgement comes and our lawlessness that was under grace will come to light for all to you and can no longer be hidden. We have continued to preach Law when it cannot change people inwardly (perhaps outwardly through penalties), and attracts only judgement. Some have argued that we will be in danger of antinomianism, where there is no need to follow strictly by the laws as a demand. In essence, we all live as though there is no law although outwardly clinging to the delusion that we are religious and law minded (John 7:19).

Jesus defines disobedience to the law as extending to the thoughts of the heart, truly condemning us as law breakers despite our self-righteous claim that we are able to abide by the law. We are no different than people who claimed that there is no need for the law, at least they are being honest and recognize that they are intrinsically lawless. Irrespective whether one claims the need for law or otherwise, we are all condemned as sinners in the sight of God (Rom 3:23). We could not save ourselves through the law because we are intrinsically unrighteous and produce sinful actions despite all our efforts. The Law just makes it clearly obvious and without doubt because it is so well defined. It is a very good teacher to lead us to frustration and see that we are sinners. Christianity is about Christ being our righteousness through His death and resurrection (Rom 1:17).

The Laws does not define us anymore. We naturally produce good works if we are indeed born of God. (Mat 5:13,14 NIV) "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. The bible reminds us in Mat 5:13,14, that the Christian Church is to show a much better lifestyle of humility, love, generosity and grace because of Jesus Christ as compared to the rest of the community. If there is no difference with the same self centered aspirations and even worst because they blame minority groups for the caused of their own failings, then what is the purpose of the Christian Church? What is it good for if it does not achieve its purpose and be a light of the world, the light to Christ, God's salvation to mankind. Indeed, when religious law so much expounded by the churches in Singapore controls us, we come into its curse and reveal our true nature of carnality. Instead of focusing on Christ and be renewed inwardly, we exhibit a lifestyle of sin though we deny it.

The Religious Fundamentalist are also keen to confuse with terms such as "antinomianism" claiming that this is the beliefs by those who consider themselves not under law and that this will lead to lawlessness. The truth however is that, antinomianism as practiced by the Gnostics in the first 500 years of Christendom was without Grace or truth concerning Jesus Christ. Antinomianism was a perversion in that despite not believing that Christ physically died and resurrected for our salvation, the Gnostics STILL claimed that they were not under the Mosaic Law. Jesus did not come to take away the legal demands of the law but to satisfy its requirements so that as Christians we are not bound by the condemnation of the law giving us the victory and strength to overcome our sin consciousness. We can only be truly free when we are changed inwardly by being conscious of God's grace and Mercy and be surrounded by His Love.

 The time of judgement is coming in Singapore for the Christian Church, not because we have continually refused to repent of our homophobia, discrimination, and persecution of the gay community but because we have been the stumbling block between Gays and their God who created them. Judgement would not have come, if we have sought out the grace of God, the covering of the blood of the lamb because Jesus would have bored the judgement due to us at the cross of calvary. However, we have sought the Law, and hence we will be judged by the Law, and our judgement would go far far beyond the Gay issue. We prophesied that there will be tribulation upon America because of the Christian Right in America (Bush elected and 11 states banned gay marriage) where Bush won the electing using the gay community as a scapegoat to galvanised the Christian Right Support. It has indeed beginning come:-

 a) After 4 years of a Bush initiated rule by the Christian Right, we have an Opinion Research Business (ORB) survey conducted August 12-19, 2007 estimated 1,220,580 violent deaths due to the Iraq War. The financial cost of the war has been more than £4.5 billion ($9 billion) to the UK, and over $845 billion to the U.S., with the total cost to the U.S. economy estimated at $3 trillion. No weapons of mass destruction have been found and the Iraq war has been used by the terrorist to fight against America using their proxies. As a result the economy of USA is weak and in large debts.

 b) Aftre 4 years of the support for big business and the Christian Right with their prosperity theology, the greed was personified in the sub prime saga. The subprime lending is lending at a higher rate than the prime rate to loans that do not meet credit status of the borrower. Beginning in late 2006, the U.S. subprime mortgage industry entered to a meltdown. A steep rise in the rate of subprime mortgage defaults and foreclosures has caused more than 100 subprime mortgage lenders to fail or file for bankruptcy causong prices in the $6.5 trillion mortgage backed securities market to collapse. As these loans are repackaged into attractive investments, all round the world, it has resulted in world wide exposure undermining the banking system even shaking the foundation of Fannie May and Freddia Mac, morgage giants which controls 50% of the US homeloans. .

 c) Oil prices has arisen from USD 40 in 2004 to USD 140 in July 2008, more than 300% increases caused by the fears of middle east conflicts fanned by the Iraq War. This is further caused by the linkage to the devaluation of the US currency as oil is traded in USD. The rise in Oil has a major impact causing inflation to rise significantly not only in America but in the rest of the world forcing many governments to reduce the oil subsidies causing widespread protests and large rises in food costs which impacts mostly the poor..

The above defines the Gospel of the Christian Right - the Gospel of wealth, power, and of the sword. As we live by the sword, scheming and planning eg in the Glenferry protocol to start war against the very small gay minorities through deception and fear, we may die by the sword but worst than death is to see the true Gospel message being scorned on our account. The churches will still be there, praises will heard, there will be great preaching, but the mighty move of the Holy Spirit may be seemingly absent and what we do each week at church may sound like a hollow gong long after gays are happily married and not surprisingly the straight marriages will not be impacted.. The greatest judgement is the silence of God and the lifting of His Grace and Mercy. We have made the grace of God so cheap and realised it not but instead boast of the Law. The Christian Right has the power and the money to go much unopposed to do what they liked but at the end, they have God to answer to. May God have mercy on us.