For this is the love of God': that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.

- I John 5:3

Teach me, 0 LORD, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

- Psalm 119:33-35

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

- Romans 13:9-10

Do Antinomians deny active or passive sanctification? (See Chapter 17.) Explain your answer.

After some time, he lost all his money and was left penniless.

The bank that had loaned him thousands of dollars demanded full payment. This man objected and complained everywhere, telling everyone who would listen, "These bank officers are so cruel - they demand that I pay, when they know that I have nothing with which to pay!"

In this example, the bank officers are not unfair nor wrong, but this man is. Why?

Antinomianism is a belief that the law does not apply to true believers. The word "antinomian"is derived from two Greek words - "anti" meaning "against," and "nomos" meaning "law." Antinomians are against the use of the law in the lives of believers. They stress the scriptural truth that Christ has delivered His people from bondage to the law and quote texts such as: "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" (Romans 7:4).

The error in Antinomianism is that it fails to balance the fulfillment of the law in a believer's justification with its use in his sanc-tification. Jesus Christ bore the full curse of the law in His passive obedience and perfectly fulfilled the law's demands in His active obedience. Therefore, by His passive and active obedience, Jesus Christ has earned the believer's complete justification - the forgiveness of his sins and his right to eternal life. In the matter of justification, the believer is totally free from the law.

While God's children are free from the condemning power of the law and its requirements for meriting eternal life, the law remains as a rule of life for them. In thankful obedience, they desire to walk in agreement with God's holy will in daily sanctification. The law informs them of that which is pleasing and displeasing to the God whom they love most deeply. In this sense the law remains, causing the believer to exclaim with David, "The statutes of the LoRD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:8,10).