No Antinomianism

“Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” —Romans 3:31

 I might literally translate the verse in this way: “Do we then abolish the Law through faith? No way! On the contrary, we make the law stand more firmly.” 

There is a term in theology called antinomianism.  It comes from two Greek words: anti, meaning “in place of” and nomos, meaning “law.”  In other words, antinomianism means that the law has been replaced (“in place of law”); that is, that the Law of Moses has been replaced by faith.  It’s a false doctrine; and this verse, along with several others in the Bible say so. 

Because we understand that the law is a STANDARD that originates in God and initiated by God, whether by works (obedience to commands) or by faith (trusting belief), one does not replace the other, nor is one nullified, abolished, or made void by the other.  Since we have been justified by God’s grace through faith, then the faith that is imparted to us by God to redeem us savingly firmly establishes and upholds the Law (because it’s speaking here of the law of works); it demonstrates just how holy, just, and good the Law is because the righteous Son of God fulfilled every obligation of the Law.  Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).