Gospel grace sounds too amazing and scandalous, and if we’re not careful, we’ll get skittish and downplay its radical nature. To make sure we are not selling it short, John Stott offers a test:
“If we are proclaiming Paul’s gospel, with it’s emphasis on the freeness of grace and the impossibility of self-salvation, we are sure to provoke the charge of antinomianism. If we do not arouse this criticism, the likelihood is that we are not preaching Paul’s gospel.”
-John Stott, Romans, p. 167
So when’s the last time someone called you an antinomian?
I think about this a lot. I acknowledge that I can intellectually understand that Grace is ‘that amazing’ but I often don’t live like it’s that amazing. I tend to legalistically want to be ‘right with God’ before approaching him in prayer. It’s hard to acknowledge that I already have my rightness with God because of Jesus.
But what if I just finished sinning, surely I have to do something before I can relate to God again!? (semi-rhetorical)
David! Great to hear from you!
I know the feeling. Knowing about grace and experiencing grace are two very different things. And honestly, being legalistic often feels easier than just accepting grace because with legalism at least we get to keep our dignity. Grace calls for child-like humility. But in that, we experience the most good and God gets the most glory.
Anyway, great feedback! Thanks for swinging by!