Who were the first Law-breakers? Part I

Johann Agricola, Martin Luther’s recording secretary and collaborator, coined a new theological term in 1539 – ANTINOMIAN. As a combination of two Greek words: anti- against and nomos- law, it means ‘against law’.

However, antinomianism as a concept of life-philosophy, though not so defined at the time, started 4500 years earlier in the pristinely beautiful “Garden of Eden”, when Adam and Eve decided that obedience to law -- any law, moral, religious, spiritual, social, civil, or even dietary -- is not required for their wellbeing, happiness, or even eternal life!

The Eternal gave Adam and Eve a specific command – a LAW – which if obeyed, would ensure a right and enduring relationship with Him, their Creator. Perpetual obedience to His Law would have brought perpetual health, happiness and eternal life; perpetual disobedience would bring sickness, misery and, eventually, eternal death.

Gen 2:16 “And the LORD [Yehovah] God [Elohim] commanded [charged] the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat [including the tree of eternal life!]: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.'” [Author's emphases throughout.]

The Eternal set a law in motion by issuing a command to Adam. All laws established by the Eternal are dynamic in nature. That means they have “life” -- force, or power -- inherent in them. It may not be perceived at all times until it is triggered by some event or intervention.

Consider a growing fruit tree. Being alive it has a living force or power operating within it. Though this force cannot be seen the effects are seen: green leaves, blossoms, and fruit. These all demonstrate inherent power, force, and life, as part of the laws of growth that the Creator set in motion in nature.

All the Eternal’s laws are like that, they have built-in forces, or powers, even though not necessarily seen, or known.

What did we know about the force and power – the life-dynamic – of DNA before March 7, 1953? This unseen life-force which the Creator placed within all living cells, unknown until modern times, functioned effectively within all life structures since creation -- though unknown to man until recent years. And, when we damage [break] the DNA structure we damage [break] the effective functioning of our bodies—and we become diseased, weak, sickly, and die.

God’s laws – natural and spiritual – are similar. They posses dynamic life-force which functions effectively and efficiently within themselves, whether we know about it, or see it, or not. It supports the maxim: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." Laws will break you if you break them!

Within every one of God’s laws exists a permanently fixed power that operates automatically – either for good if we obey them and for bad if we break them; for blessing or cursing. This inherent dynamic force is an intrinsic quality fixed in every divine law. If we break the law, even in ignorance, the law will break us, even if not immediately.

Take our fruit tree analogy. Break it – saw through the trunk, or poison its root system – and the fruit and leaves will still be seen for a short period afterwards. The ultimate effect of the breaking or poisoning -- i.e., slow decay and eventual death -- is not noticeable, immediately. [Of course, it depends on the nature of the “breaking”. A ravaging fire will kill the tree and its fruits in a short period, and will be noticed, immediately.]

Take another, more obvious, law -- the law of gravity. If you should jump off a building, fifty storeys high, the dynamics, the force, intrinsic to the natural law of gravity, will break you, immediately. Even though the gravity cannot be seen it is eventually felt, and the effects are seen. Unlike the unseen life-force of the poisoned tree being eviscerated and slowly bringing on death, the effect of an irrational leap from on high can be seen and experienced, immediately.

Irrespective of the circumstances or the elements involved, the unseen dynamic – the invisible life-force being functionally part of every natural and spiritual law of God – will always produce negative, destructive consequences, when broken.

For that reason the Eternal warned Adam – “in the day” you eat of the forbidden tree you “will surely die”. This consequence was like the tree being poisoned. Adam did not die in that very 24-hour period. The consequences of his breaking this commanded law of God poisoned his spiritual roots and was only fully experienced 930 years later.

In terms of the typological principle that one day equals a thousand years [2 Peter 3:8] he did “surely die” within “that day”. But, Adam and Eve died spiritually from the moment they broke God's command. Their spiritual dying by the poison [sins] in their spirit [their roots] brought on an immediate negative interpersonal behavior pattern between them. Adam blamed Eve as the guilty party. And, of course, she became resentful towards her God-given husband. But, unable to logically blame Adam for her impetuous action, she blamed the third party who came between her, her husband, and her Creator. [We'll forget about the third party for now. But such door-to-door salesmen always find easy prey "and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts" (2 Tim 3:6).]

Adam and Eve lost their naked innocence and The Eternal had to slaughter a lamb for a sin offering and for their clothing; serving as both their high priest and tailor. Their interpersonal and God-relationships were marred and it affected their children to the point where their firstborn turned out to be a murderer!

All God’s laws are alive, dynamic, potently operative in all its applicable dimensions. They have built-in absolute forces effectually operating in either seen or unseen ways. Break a dietary law and your health will suffer. Break a sexual law and your intimate relations will suffer -- apart from the disease component associated therewith. Break the law of breathing fresh air and your lungs become diseased. For example, emphysema imperceptibly sets in from, inter alia, cigarette smoke; or phthisis from silicone dust generated in a mine stope. Similarly silently, slowly, surreptitiously the destructive forces of sinning against the good and perfect laws of God [Romans 7:12; 12:2] will destroy you.

In Acts 7:38 Stephen describes the laws Yehovah gave Israel as the “lively oracles” [“living words” or, in Afrikaans: “lewende woorde”], which, if broken, will break the breakers! And, if kept, will keep the keepers!

It is critically important to understand that from the very beginning, mankind adopted antinomianism as a way of life -- a life-style, a religion, a philosophy. Lawlessness became so rampant that the Eternal had to destroy mankind, save eight, only 726 years after Adam’s death.

We must concede by what we observe among and around ourselves, that, as a species, we hate law – specifically the law of God! By nature we are all antinomianists.

Rom 8:6 “For to be carnally [fleshly, physically, naturally] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind [the normal human mind in its natural, un-regenerated state] is enmity [hostile, hateful towards] God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Antinomianism therefore operates from within the fleshly driven, sensually activated and wantonly motivated mind of man, which religiously and philosophically translates into belief-systems and behavior patterns accommodating the physical senses and base urges. That is, man rationalizes and justifies his inordinate desires, vulgar fleshly lusts, and wicked wayward wishes; that is, if there be no spiritual impartation from God.

And, let us not forget the revelation of James, half-brother of Christ, about human nature. He stated categorically that the actions of the natural man is “devilish”, or, closer to the Greek, “demonic” [James 3:15].

This insight adds a powerful new dimension to the understanding of the antinomian passions within man. Apart from his own natural rebelliousness there exists an external force encouraging man to assert his own corrupt nature upon the affairs of life – in regard both to God and his fellowman.

Today in 2020, 11 years short of its 2 000 year-long existence, true Christianity [the authentic, spiritually uncontaminated teachings of Christ and his original Apostles] has been under attack by belligerent Roman and Reformed antinomian theologians; that is, those theologians(*) who, in misguided ignorance or self-exalted willfulness, insist that the New Covenant “does away with” the law of God. [(*) This is a two millennia-long misnomer since they essentially do not “study God” but rather study each other’s opinions about God!]

What is this “Law of God” against which antinomian Churchian theologians remonstrate so vehemently? Is there any merit in their remonstrative conduct and passionate polemic? When did this Law come into effect? And, is it binding upon all mankind, today? We will leave the answers to these questions for future Blogs on "The Law."

Until then, let’s keep our eyes fixed on the great goal God has for us, that is, to mature spiritually in and through Christ, Redeemer and Savior . In the meantime why not read Titus 2:13, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Peter 3:12 and Jude 1:21? These issues we will feature in future Blogs.

[Reviewed 22/06/19]