Christians have been liberated from every hindrance of salvation through the gospel. We have been wholly delivered from sin (Rom. 6), and we are washed, regenerated, new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Scripture also says plainly in multiple books that we have been delivered from the law of God. It says that we are no longer under the covenant of law-keeping but under the covenant of grace (Rom 6:14, Gal. 5:18, Ga. 3:25, Rom. 6:15, Heb. 8:13, etc.). Some believers are concerned with the result of doing away with the law entirely and fear that grace alone might lead to licentiousness: [lacking legal or moral restraints, disregard for strict rules of correctness]. Is it better that Christians live under law and grace? The answer to this question will shape how you view the rest of the gospel.
To see complete definitions of Law and Grace visit my other posts: The Grace of God Part I , The Law of God (and our deliverance from it)
Defining Law and Grace
Grace has many synonym phrases that describe what it is: Christ working in us. When we received the Spirit of Christ, we received all the power, authority, and victory that Christ redeemed for us. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection are equally essential for our total and complete salvation. Everything Christ accomplished was for our benefit, including his fulfillment of the law (Matt. 5:17). The Law is the Old Covenant the children of Israel had with God, “Do this and live” (Lev. 18:5). However, Paul tells us that the law could not give life because no person could uphold it perfectly. The law commands righteousness but provides no power for fallen humanity to fulfill. Therefore, all who are under the law remain condemned.
James 2:10 ESV
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Law and Justification
The law of God was a covenant without mercy and pardon for sins. Sins were not forgiven under the Old Covenant, only pushed forward another year by sacrifices. We know that sin is the transgression of the law or disobeying the written code (of ethics) 1 John 3:4 KJV. In Romans 3:19, Paul states that everyone is under the law and the whole world is guilty before God. No one can speak up and declare to be righteous under the law. The Israelites had the law for 400+ years, and still, no one was righteous by way of the law. Paul said, “So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead” (Romans 7:10 NLT). The Lord is a wise, all-knowing God, so it stands to reason that there must be a different purpose for bringing the law.
The Purpose of the Law
Romans 3:20 ESV
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
The purpose of the law was to show people what sin is. Scripture says, “Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break” (Rom. 5:13 NLT). We were all still counted as sinners because of our representative, Adam (Rom. 5:14). He disobeyed the law and was condemned, and we were condemned in him. Representation, or federal headship, is a vital aspect of salvation. If we were not identified with the first Adam, we could not be partakers of the Last Adam, Christ (1 Cor. 15:45). God knew of Adam’s failure and He understood the law would not justify a person. But this second covenant is far greater and more glorious than the first: God fulfilling within us everything He requires of us.
Read more about Federal Headship here: Federal Headship: from Adam to Christ
2 Corinthians 3:7a,9 NLT
The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory … If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
The Law is Not the Issue
It is essential to underline that the law was not thrown away in the New Covenant. The law is still holy, just, good, and spiritual (Rom. 7:12,14). It stands in place for anyone who desires to work for their righteousness instead of receiving Christ’s by faith. The problem has never been the holy law of God; it lies in the sin nature that dwells in us (Rom. 7:17). Sin works through the flesh:
- Our members have a law of sin (Rom. 7:23).
- Our hearts are desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9, Matt. 15:19).
- All the works of the flesh produce sin (Gal. 5:19-21).
The Bible is clear when it says nothing good comes from us (Rom. 7:18); even the “good” we can perform is tainted and unacceptable to God.
Luke 6:43 NLT
“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
Sin and the Law
A ruling principle operates whenever you and I try to do good from our flesh. The law is not sinful (Rom. 7:7), but we are full of sin. God does not remove our old nature once we are born again; it remains intact. If we attempt to perform a good work in our flesh, sin is present because sin dwells in the flesh. Any move we take in our flesh, sin will always be present (Rom. 7:21). If you place the duty of the law on yourself to carry out, sin will be present. Here’s what happens:
Romans 7:8,10-11,13-14 ESV
But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it [the law] killed me. Did [the law] bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good [the law], in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
The reason behind this principle is evident in verse 14: the law is spiritual. Our flesh has not been modified or improved in any way. It remains full of sin and unable to carry out a spiritual duty.
Does Grace Lead to Lawlessness?
We come to our original question, if we live under grace alone, are we in danger of liberalism? Some fear that grace may lead to worldliness, licentiousness, and lawlessness. Only the covenant of grace offers mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:16-17). The Bible says the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12). Paul says “Stand firm in the liberty of Christ and do not use it for an opportunity to the flesh” (Gal. 5:1, 13). Jude speaks about ungodly people who turn the pure grace of God into licentiousness (Jude 1:4). The apostles addressed this concern yet preached that we are under pure grace. In return, the Apostle Paul asked this critical question: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” (Romans 6:15 KJV).
Galatians 3:19 NLT
Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised…
Law leads to Lawlessness
The Bible says, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4). If you are living by faith and led by the Spirit of God, is Christ the minister of sin? (Gal. 2:17). We see that trying to keep the law leads to lawlessness (sin), as shown in Paul’s example in Romans 7 above. Galatians 5:18 says that if we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law. Would the Spirit of God break His own law? Never. To say that we need the law is to say that Christ is not enough. Jesus was a perfect man without sin; He fulfilled the law for our sake. We can add nothing to our salvation; we can only believe in Him who has fulfilled everything.
1 Timothy 1:9a KJV
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners,…
Sin is Lawlessness
The law is made for the lawless or those who sin under the law. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). We have established that no person can remain under the law and not sin, so the law leads to lawlessness. Only those delivered from the law have any hope of bringing glory to God. Paul corrected the Galatian church because they had been deceived, believing that after receiving the Holy Ghost by faith, now they would be made righteous by works. The just lives by faith (Rom 1:17), and the law is not of faith (Gal. 3:12).
Galatians 3:25 NLT
And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
The Law: Ministry of Condemnation
The law has a function, a ministry of condemnation (2 Cor. 3:9), which pushes us to Christ. After Paul struggles to keep the law in Romans 7, he realizes it’s Jesus who will deliver him from condemnation under the law. The first verse of Romans 8 begins, “There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” The righteousness of the law is upheld in us as we abide in Christ. “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do…” (Romans 8:3). Any failure in our spiritual lives is a sign of confidence in our flesh (Phil. 3:3) and a lack of faith.
Romans 3:31 ESV
Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Conclusion
The Apostle Paul preached the gospel of grace in every epistle. As you can see, I’ve used verses across the New Testament. He did not preach a doctrine beyond the gospel of God; everything he wrote was in line with the pure gospel. Paul spoke about the revelation of grace the Lord had given him, and he perished for it. The Israelites did not want to release the law (though it only condemned them) and fought against any who tried to remove the veil from their eyes. But, just as when we received the Holy Ghost, we are saved by grace alone, through what we believe in Christ alone (through faith alone). Our final word in every act of faith is “I thank God through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 7:25).
2 Corinthians 3:6 NLT
He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
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