"Damnable Heresies"
2 Peter 2:1
Let me warn you about three damning forms
of heresy to which all people are naturally attracted because they are all
appealing to the flesh.
FREEWILLISM - Freewillism is that doctrine
that says, "God loves you, Christ died for you, and the Holy Spirit is
calling you; but it will all be vain unless you choose to be saved."
Freewillism makes the determining factor in salvation to be the will of man. It
makes the work of the Triune God and the grace of God to be impotent without
the consent of man's "freewill." Freewill religion is in direct
opposition to the gospel of the free grace of God. The Bible declares that
salvation is not accomplished, determined by, or dependent upon the will of
man, but by the will of God (John
LEGALISM - Legalism is the teaching that
sinners are saved (justified, sanctified, and accepted with God) upon the basis
of their own works of legal obedience. Legalism is as damning to the souls of
men as Hinduism, Mormonism, and atheism! We are not saved by our obedience to
the law of God (Rom.
ANTINOMIANISM - Antinomianism is that
doctrine that says, "Since we are saved by grace it does not matter how we
live. We have no law by which to regulate and govern our lives. Character and
conduct are of no importance to the believer." Antinomianism means
"lawlessness," or "against the law." I realize that it is
impossible to preach salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ
alone without being denounced by legalists as an antinomian. The Pharisees
accused our Lord of being an antinomian, and the Judaizers accused Paul of
being and antinomian; but anyone who really is an antinomian is as lost and
ignorant of God as the freewiller and the legalist (Tit. 1:16).
Don Fortner