Tony Evans’ Evang-elastic Gospel
Nov 27th, 2008 by Daniel LaLond
Do you remember the 70’s toy superhero Stretch Armstrong? This toy muscle man was made of rubber and measured in at only about a foot tall. Even so Stretch Armstrong could be stretched and pulled far beyond his intended shape.
Stretching a toy beyond its intended shape is one thing, but doing the same with foundational, biblical doctrines is dangerous. You see, when misinformed Christian teachers stretch the gospel doctrine of grace beyond biblical boundaries the theological Stretch Armstrong of antinomianism raises its misshapen head. Martin Luther originated the term “antinomianism” to describe grace-stretching teaching. In this regard A. W. Tozer wrote:
Antinomianism is the doctrine of grace carried by uncorrected logic to the point of absurdity. It takes the teaching of justification by faith and twists it into deformity (Paths To Power).
Antinomian teachers today grab the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith and yank its unassuming appendages in every direction. They pull, twist and stretch until saved by grace means that obedience and holiness are an optional to final salvation. Its a good idea to obey according to the antinomian apologist, but obedience to Christ is not imperative for the sake of final salvation. Consider the popular Tony Evans on the topic:
“I’m a Christian. I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior and been born again, but I use illegal drugs. I’ve tried to quit many times, but I always fall back into the habit. I guess I’m just a drug addict.” …this person is identifying himself as a drug addict because he’s doing the things addicts do. He has confused his performance with his identity. He has convinced himself, “I do what drug addicts do, so I must be a drug addict.” No, he’s a Christian with a serious drug problem (Free At Last, p. 28).
Simply defined, carnality is a spiritual state in which a born-again Christian knowingly, willingly, intentionally and persistently lives to please and serve self rather than Jesus Christ…First of all, the carnal Christian is a genuine Christian. He has received Christ as Savior, but refuses to submit to Him and serve Him as Lord. Christ is not allowed to occupy the throne of a carnal life. It is possible to be on your way to heaven but be of no earthly good because you compromise your faith (Booklet: The Carnal Christian).
In this way antinomian theologians distort the scriptures and the gospel to fit their stretchy systems. “Once saved, always saved,” they promise. “Carnal? Sexually immoral? Don’t worry,” they quip, “eternal salvation is not at stake.” The popular notion that Christians are accepted in Christ by grace while engaging in disobedience to Christ in spite of grace screams, “Antinomianism!”
From Satan’s promise: “ye shall not surely die” in Genesis chapter 3 to the false prophets who declared “Peace, peace” to sinners in Jeremiah 6:14 - antinomian promises deceived the unrepentant. And from Paul’s warning about using liberty as an “occasion to the flesh” to those who changed “the grace of our God into lasciviousness” in the book of Jude - antinomianism distorted the gospel. And from James’ “faith without works” to the condemned doctrines of the Baalamites and Jezebel in Revelation chapter 2, the scriptures wail like a siren against antinomianism. On the topic John Wesley warned:
By faith we are saved from sin, and made holy. The imagination, that faith supersedes [removes the need for] holiness, is the marrow of Antinomianism. (Wesley Sermon: On The Wedding Garment).
Today’s religious landscape is littered with teachers who are zealous for God, but not according to truth. Preachers cry, “Legalism!” when someone dares agree with the scriptures by insisting, “The one who says, ‘I know him,’ and keeps not his commandments, is a liar” (1 John 2:4). “Living in sin?” they hoot, Don’t fear…salvation is never at stake. This, the learned elite of evangelicalism do to the exposing of their bold, antinomian colors.
