So many Christian brethren are confused about whether we are under the law or not. The BIBLE is very clear about the answer. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Rom 6:14 Immediately many readers will recognise that I used the words of Paul the Apostle. Amazingly, some will be saying , “Oh, those are Paul’s words but Jesus said….”
There is a battle, always has been a battle over this issue of Law vs Grace for the one who believes in Jesus. Many are saying that Paul with his teachings on grace is not in agreement with Jesus. They claim Paul is a false apostle who is inserting his own version of the Gospel. They say that Jesus’ teachings do not agree with Paul. They claim that Jesus taught that we are still obligated to keep the Law. Hence many are very confused with this issue. This confusion points to the enemy of course. Satan cannot allow anyone who believes in Jesus to understand grace and what has happened to us at the cross.
The clear statement of Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Even though the BIBLE declares that the Christian is NOT UNDER LAW many teach that we are. Does not being under Law mean we can sin without any consequences? Not at all. Though we are not under Moses Law anymore because we through the Law died to it, We are under law towards Christ.
1Co 9:19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
1Co 9:20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
1Co 9:21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
1Co 9:22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Wee see that Paul says he is free from all men. Yes that is the liberty that the Cross has purchased for us. God sets us free from all, including the Law. But we are not free as if we are not subject to anyone.
Before we came to Christ we were prisoners of sin and did the desire of the flesh by nature. We were one person with the spirit of the power of the air. But when we came to Jesus our spirit was born again. That means our spirit was cleansed of its union/attachment to the unclean spirit that afflicts all mankind since Adam’s choice. In being regenerated in Christ, our spirit man was joined as ONE with the HOLY SPIRIT or with Christ Jesus Himself.
Now we are children of God. Now we are at our very core Christ Jesus in our form.
Before, we were children of wrath and were subject to God’s Law. The Law demanded our death for we were sinners by nature. Thus at the Cross Jesus took you and me upon Himself and we died with Him and we were buried with Him. This death effectively ENDED our relationship with the Law. The Old Man died…the Flesh WAS crucified with Christ.
In being raised up in Jesus by His faith inside us, we are now new creatures in Christ. We live by His life, not by trying to obey or not disobey Laws. Our old master was Satan who operated through our flesh nature. But in dying at the Cross we have been redeemed by Jesus’s blood and now are owned by God. God is now our master, not Satan and not the Law.
So we were never free to do whatever we wanted. We always did according to our inner nature. It was according to the evil one…..now it is according to Jesus Christ.
To say that a Christian is under the Law and must keep the Law is to say that he is still that Old Man of sin which must be kept in line.
A Christian is a new creation. Christ Jesus HIMSELF is his inner life and spirit.
Christ Himself said He did nothing and could do nothing of Himself. He lived because the Father lived in Him. This is now how we live too. We do not live as if we are separated from God and have to try to emulate Jesus by our own efforts. We do not imagine that we have some sort of ability to be like Jesus. The truth is, we ARE AS HE IS IN THIS WORLD.
1Jn 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
We were under Law because we were one with the Devil.
We died in Christ at the Cross thereby ending our enslavement to the Devil.
Not only were we set free from slavery to the Devil through that very real DEATH of Christ…but we were set free from the Law being over us as our Master as well.
Paul said he was free from all men, but that he made himself the servant of all in order to win them.
to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
Paul is clearly acknowledging that he himself was freer and not under the Law anymore but in order to win the Jews he made himself as under…in other words not really under, but as under….in order to appear to be under the Law in order to not offend the Jews he was trying to preach to. It seems a bit two faced and deceptive of Paul, but this is what he did.
Then on the other hand
to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
Paul in dealing with the Gentiles lived among them as one who was without law. He is telling us that he was free from all men and in that freedom he could live as if he was under Law…or live as if he was without law. Then in brackets he makes plain what is his true condition.
(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ)
Paul tells us that he definitely is under law towards Christ in all that he is and does. But this is NOT MOSES LAW that Paul is speaking of but the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of sin and death is Moses Law which he also calls the ministry of condemnation in 2Cor 3. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus is this reality of being born again/regenerated into a NEW MAN in Christ Jesus. This death that we died in Jesus on the cross was and is real and actual. We died to the law of Moses.
But in dying to Moses we came alive to God. Now we are in union with Jesus in our very core. That union is held together if you will, by the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. That law of Life is what and WHO we are. That Law of Life is Jesus in the Father and the Father in Jesus–both together now in us.
We always do what our Father wants us to do. How can it be any other way. We are not our own but belong to Him. We are His flesh and bones. We are clean before Him. We are children of God and heirs according to promise. We are free from the old slave master and subject to Righteousness so that all we do and say is IN CHRIST now. Therefore there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.
You are in Christ if Christ is in you…simple!
You are not in the flesh but in the spirit. Rom 8:9
If you and I do not believe what Paul tells us….but instead think that we are separated from God and God wants us to try our best to be like Christ through some form of being obedient to His commands….then we set aside this freedom we have and place ourselves back under the Law and hence receive CONDEMNATION all the time.
That describes most Christians!
The rest comes when we cease trying to be like Christ and believe instead that we are like Christ. We are one spirit…not two…him and me. No. We are ONE spirit. There is nothing to prove. We are I AM. Not because of anything we have done but because this is God’s will and purpose. God does not want us to be thinking we are supposed to try to be like Jesus. God put Jesus in us as us, to be us….and because Jesus is enough we are enough.
Without this truth we are simply building our house upon sand.
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