Church of God, New World Ministries

Difficult Scriptures

Romans 6:14 - Does this say we don't have to obey the law because we are under grace, not under the law?
 
  1. This scripture does not say we don’t have to obey the law. It does say we are not under the law, but under grace. The term “under the law” does not refer to being under the jurisdiction of the law. It means being under the penalty of the law. This penalty is death (Rom. 6:23).

  2. When we sin – break God’s law (I John 3:4) – the law has a claim over our lives (Rom. 6:23). We are then under the law – under its penalty. It is the sinner who is under the law. On the other hand, when we repent and receive God’s grace made possible through the sacrifice of Christ, we are pardoned and the penalty of death is taken away. Then we are no longer under the law – under the penalty of death for having broken the law.

  3. Does this give us free license to sin (break the law) because we are under grace and not under the law? Paul asks this very same question in verse 15 and answers it saying, “God forbid.” Verse 1 states that we should not sin just so that grace might abound.

It is like a condemned murderer on death row waiting for execution. At the last minute the governor grants him a pardon. He is now a free man. But that does not mean he is at liberty to murder again. That would be absurd. His pardon covers only the past offense – not future crimes

  1. If grace did away with the law, there would be no sin because where there is no law, there is no sin (Rom. 4:15). This is obviously true because sin is the transgressing of the law (I John 3:4).
 
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