You may have heard that as Christians, we are no longer under the law. But what does this actually mean? You're going to get a different answer, depending on which Christian you ask this question from. And they might as well all refer to certain passages in the Bible to support their answer. But who's right in the midst of all of this confusion? Surely, we should be able to highlight certain facts revealed in the scriptures that none of the false views would be able to make sense of? I agree and that's exactly why I'm writing this post - I'm going to highlight these facts and if you can find someone who disagrees with my view, yet can make sense of these facts revealed to us in the scriptures, do let me know!
First, I want to examine what the scriptures mean by "being under." The mainstream understanding of this phrase is seeking justification before God. Some argue that while we're not under the law, meaning while we're not seeking justification before God by obeying the law, we're still obligated to keep the law. In Galatians 5:3, it is written that some gentile believers are about to get circumcised after coming to Christ. Paul writes to them that if they allow themselves to be circumcised, they will be obligated to keep the whole law, and that they have been alienated from Christ. Of course, it's noteworthy to mention that Paul is not saying that those who are circumcised, as in mostly the Jews, are obligated to keep the whole law and can't come to Christ. In Galatians 5:6, he says that in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value! His audience in Galatians 5:3 are those who are still seeking justification before God, by keeping the law, even after coming to Christ.
Therefore, being under the law is generally understood as seeking justification before God, by keeping the law. Almost all Christians, even Catholics agree that justification before God by keeping the law alone is impossible, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—Romans 3:23. The disagreements however come from what the law is, and how much of it applies to Christians, and how much disobedience is allowed under the new covenant, before one can "lose" their salvation in Christ. Some argue that the law refers to the whole law of Moses depicted in Leviticus and Deuteronomy including the moral laws. Others argue that the law only refers to the dietary and ceremonial laws in the Tanakh, and not the moral laws; so the moral laws according to this view are still bounding.
But what does the scripture says? While there is evidence in the New Testament, that almost all dietary and ceremonial laws in the Old Testament were simply shadows that were pointing to Christ, I argue that what the scripture means by the law, is indeed the whole law including the moral laws. This is evidenced in Romans 7 where Paul talks about the law of coveting, which is a moral law and part of the ten commandments. In Romans 7:8, he says that sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. So it doesn't matter what thousands of theologians might say, what Paul means by the law, is indeed the whole law including the moral laws, even the ones in the ten commandments.
This is further evidenced in the scriptures such as in 1 Corinthians 6:12 which says, "“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything." or Galatians 5:13 which says, "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." So it really doesn't matter what different theologians might say. The truth is that the freedom we have in Christ, is real. Does this mean that we as Christians who truly believe in this freedom, are lawless and promote sin or wish to sin even more so that grace may increase? By no means! I'm addressing this strawman the same way Paul addresses it in Romans 6:1-2. Paul says we are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Does this mean that as Christians, we're perfect and no longer sin? Not really.
As Christians, we are a new Creation and have a new identity, if indeed the Spirit of Christ lives in us. Romans 8:9 says that we are not in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in us. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. Galatians 3:29 says that if we are in Christ, then we are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. This is while Galatians 3:16 says that Abraham's seed is only one person who is Christ! So, our new identity is in Christ and when God looks at us, He sees Christ, if indeed we belong to Christ. This however, does not mean that we're perfect and no longer sin. We still have the same flesh that we used to have, before coming to Christ. Galatians 5:17 says, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
So we still have the flesh and we can and may still sin, but our sin does not define or change our new identity which is in Christ. We also have the Spirit of God in us and as Romans 7:14-25 says, sin grieves us because our inner being agrees with the law of God, but we find another law at work in our flesh. In Romans 7:20 Paul says, "If I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." In other words, when I sin in my flesh, it does not define or change my new identity which is in Christ. In Romans 7:24-25 he says, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Notice that our body or flesh is indeed subject to death because of sin.
Now the laws of God in the Old Testament can indeed be broken down into different categories such as the dietary laws, the ceremonial laws, the sacrificial laws, and the moral laws. In the New Testament, we read that only the moral laws are universal and a matter of conscience, whereas the other laws were simply shadows pointing to the Cross. Having said that however, with regards to certain dietary laws, we also read in Romans 14:23 that everything that does not come from faith is sin! And Christians in general are advised to avoid food sacrificed to idols—Acts 15:29. But we also read in 1 Corinthians 8 that there is nothing inherently sinful in even food sacrificed to idols, because we know that there is only One God and we can even eat such food! But in 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 we read that if an unbeliever wants to make it a matter of conscience, then we ought not to eat the food, lest they get the wrong message. But as Paul says we do this for the sake of the unbeliever's conscience, and not ours!
What is the importance of the law then? Romans 3:19 says, "We know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God." Furthermore, Romans 7:9-13 says, "Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognised as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful." So we can conclude from these passages that the law is holy, good and righteous. Its purpose is to show us our faults, but while it shows us our faults, it also causes us to sin even more. This happens because the law stirs up our curiosity and causes us to break the commandments. But now that sin is recognised, we're able to believe in Christ and be set free, not only from the condemnation that comes from breaking the commandments, but also from the bondage of law that stirs up our curiosity and causes us to break the commandments. If we belong to Christ, the Spirit of Christ lives in us and we are no longer under the law, but under Christ's law. Or as Paul puts it in Romans 3:27, the new law requires faith and not works.
What about our works? Do our works count for anything at all? Of course they do! While under Christ's law, salvation or eternal life is by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from works, as we read in scriptures such as Romans 3:28, Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Galatians 2:16, that does not mean that works are totally irrelevant. The first relevance of our works is perhaps a worldly thing but it's really a divine setup, that even atheists understand. Take Romans 13:4 for example, "For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." Now this of course is not always 100% accurate as with corrupt and evil governments or authorities, sometimes the righteous are persecuted and punished, but generally speaking, crimes such as theft, murder, rape, etc are punishable throughout the world. And if something like adultery or prostitution for example is not punished in a society like our modern Western societies, there is still social and personal consequences for them. Not only that, true happiness is only found if we live a decent life in peace and respect our fellow brothers and sisters in Adam.
Having said that, many of the passages in the Bible that warn believers of judgement are mainly talking about judgement in this world and not in the afterlife. There are certain passages that do talk about the judgement of even believers in the afterlife, but this judgement is merely for rewarding the faithful servants of Christ. As 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 puts it, those whose works are burned up in the fire, will still be saved, even though only as one escaping through the flames! To recap, salvation or eternal life is by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from works; while inheriting the Kingdom of God, or reigning with Christ in the age to come is based on good works, built on the only foundation, which is Jesus Christ. This understanding of the scriptures, not only makes perfect sense of salvation by grace alone through faith alone apart from works, but also makes perfect sense of the importance of our works and perseverance as well as the passages that talk about the judgement of believers.
As 2 Timothy 11-13 puts it, "If we died with him, we will also live with him." This refers to believing in Jesus for eternal life which is symbolically celebrated through immersive baptism. "If we endure, we will also reign with him." This refers to the importance of works, and perseverance and how enduring is required to reign with him. "If we disown him, he will also disown us." This refers to rejecting the Gospel, which leads to the second death. "If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself." This is once saved, always saved; after we put 100% of our faith in Jesus and receive the sealing of the Holy Spirit and become God's possession, even if we are faithless or in other words, disobedient, he remains faithful because he cannot disown himself!
