3. Luther, in ibid.
Jesus Explains His Gospel
some were beginning to corrupt the doctrine he had rediscovered, claiming that justification by faith rendered unnecessary the preaching of the law, obedience to the law, or sanctification as evidence of justification. Luther said of them: "But our antinomian friends wish in their folly to flatter secure men and to make them good by reminding them of [imputed] righ teous ness, though such an age as ours is incapable of being terrified by the lightning of the law. On account of the great sense of [false] security it's necessary to thunder and lightning with the law."3
Luther's remedy for antinomianism was preaching the law of God, because he rightly understood that those who comfort themselves with the promise of justification while living in wanton unrigh teous ness are thereby shown that theirs is a false security.
Does justification by faith make way for licentious living? Not if the doctrine is properly understood. Paul anticipated the antinomian argument: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?" (Rom. 6:1). "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be" (v. 15). Romans 6 is Paul's rebuttal to antinomianism. He argues that our union with Christ guarantees we shall no longer be slaves of sin: "Our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin" (vv. 6 – 7).
Those who argue against lordship salvation often base their theology on the faulty assumption that the work of God in salvation stops with justification. The rest, many believe, is purely the believer's own effort. Sanctification, obedience, surrender, and all aspects of discipleship are left up to believers to do or not do as they choose. Thus, while touting salvation by grace apart from works, they have actually established a system that is almost wholly dependent on human works for any measure of practical righ teous ness.
Thankfully, the gospel according to Jesus does not abandon believers to their own energies. The glorious justification our Lord spoke of is only the beginning of the abundant life He promised (cf. John 10:10). "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water' " (John 7:38). The salvation He promised brings not only justification, but also sanctification, union with Him, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and an eternity of blessing. It is not merely a one-time legal transaction.
But a one-time legal transaction — justification — is the turning point. It is what moves us into a new relationship with God so that we can walk in the
3. Luther, in ibid.
The Promise of Justification
light as He is in the light (cf. 1 John 1:7). It is what brings peace with God in place of enmity (Rom. 5:1). It is what makes us heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7). It is the heart of all God's work on our behalf, beginning with His foreknowledge before the foundation of the world and carrying on to our final glorification with Him (Rom. 8:29 – 30). And thus it is the very heart of the gospel according to Jesus.