Part One.

For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid! – Romans 6:14,15.

Here Paul told Christ believers in Rome 2(two) very important facts for Christian’s living;
1. Since they are no longer under the law, sin has no more power over them.
1. That they are no longer under the law but under grace.

We know from the Scripture that one of the many definitions of sin is; that sin is a transgression to the law (1 John 3:4). Now, the above teaching of Paul will say that those who are under the law, they that were under dominion of sin, which means they were law transgressor since their deeds were not “fruits of the Spirit” but “deeds of the flesh” that is against the law of God and it’s principle of love that seeks no self.

This is true because Paul have said the same in Romans 4:15 – “Because the law worketh wrath; for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

The law works out our desire that is full of love for self, which is our nature, to keep and obey it, but the obedience that comes “from self” is just the “deeds of the flesh”, and thus transgress the law because the law is spiritual (Romans 7:14). On the contrary, if there is no law there is no transgression.

Then he continue it in Romans 7:5 – “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”

Again Paul clarify that the desire to keep the law is the desire of the flesh, aroused by the obligation to keep and obey the law, just works out fruit unto death since the deeds of the law are just deeds of the flesh.

Paul concluded then; ”The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law” – 1 Corinthians 15:56.

The law empowers sin to dominate law keepers through obedience and the sin in us (Romans 7:17,20) that was strengthened by the desire to obey the law will then result in deeds of the law that are only “deeds of the flesh”, which transgressed the law principle of “love that seeks no self in it” since the sin in us that motivated our obedience is the love for self.

Paul gives another statement that uphold this idea; “For without the law, sin was dead” – Romans 7:8.

If the law empowers sin to dominate law keepers through their obedience, then when there is no law, sin died; because the motivation of “self” to live righteously as according to the law is gone.

In His love

James S

[ November 13, 2002, 06:45 AM: Message edited by: James Saptenno ]

Part Two.

Then, the second fact that Paul declared is that a believer is no longer under the law because he is under grace.

Under the law means a person is under the law jurisdiction to keep and obey the law perfectly because the law will judge him according to his deeds and when he is found perfect he will be rewarded with eternal life Romans 3:19; 2:12,13; Ecclesiastes 12:13,14; Leviticus 18:4,5), but if not he will be under the law condemnation (Galatians 3:10), and for his sins in breaking the law (1 John 3:4) he will get the wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23).

Under grace means a believer is not under the law that requires his perfect obedience in return for life, but he is under God’s grace that justifies him freely through Christ redemption and the gift of righteousness without the law that comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (Romans 3:21-24).

Thus, a person who is under the law he stands far apart and opposite with those believers who were under grace. His keeping of the law shows his lack of faith (because the law is not of faith – Galatians 3:12), his law keeping made him come under dominion of sin and be slave of sin, at the end his law keeping made him come under the curse of the law with death as it wages.

That is the reason Paul called the law that was engraved on stone tablets or the Ten Commandment, the law that revealed our sins; is a law that locks up its laws keepers in prison of sin (Galatians 3:22,23); a law that kills (Romans 7:9-11); a law that leads to condemnation and death; observing the law is observing the ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:6-9).

Therefore, it is the main subject in Pauline epistle that the law and it observation ended in Christ (Romans 10:4), was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14), abolished in his flesh (Ephesians 2:15) and no longer served as a way that leads to Christ (Galatians 3:24,25), in order Christ believers might be released from the obligation to keep the law that only empowers sin in them and made them slaves of sin, and to give them the righteousness of God without the law as a solution for their failure to obtain righteousness by the law, which could be received through faith in him.

This is to made men might live by faith and walk after the Spirit, otherwise they will only cling to the obligation and desire to live righteously according to the requirements of the law and the fear for sinning as the law is their standard of judgment.

Another beautiful statement to backs up this idea; “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” – Romans 7:6 – Because the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life – 2 Corinthians 3:6.

In His love

James S

[ November 13, 2002, 06:56 AM: Message edited by: James Saptenno ]

Part Three.

Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid! – Romans 6:15.

Again Paul had made a clear distinction between the letter of the law and its principle. First he said that Christ believers were not under the law, which means not under the law jurisdiction and when there is no law there is no transgressions.

But then he said; shall we sin because we are not under the law?

What do we learn from this?

That there is a sin, which is not a transgression of the law as according to 1 John 3:4.

This gives a proof that even without a law, a man might still commit a sin and that sin is in the world even before the law was in effect at Sinai, but these sins are not taken into account when there is no law (Romans 5:13).

What kind of sin we may do without being under any law’s jurisdiction?

1. Sin of unbelief – Romans 14:23.
2. Sin of unrighteousness – 1 John 5:17
3. Sin of ignorance to do what is good - James 4:17.

Can you see the distinction between sin as a transgression of the law and those kinds of sins above? Those sins mentioned above don’t break any law, but it does break something or against something that makes it called sin. What does it break or against with or opposed to, if it doesn’t break the law? These sins break the principle of heaven, love that seeks no self, which is God’s nature.

The only “sin” that is against or opposed God’s nature of “love that seeks no self” is our “sinful nature”, which is our self-loving character, a love that fall short of God’s agape love or his glory (Romans 3:23). This “sin” is in us (Romans 7:17,20) that dominate us and made us can not do anything good even we would, because what is “good” before God is deeds of love to our fellow man that is impossible for a self loving man to perform.

Unbelief will bear fruits, which are deeds of the flesh because a man will hold on to the voice of his heart that is of course full with love for self.
Unrighteousness acts are in it self-deeds of the flesh that came from a selfish heart.
Ignoring to do what is good shows the love for self, which is against the love of God.

All sins that breaks the law of the Ten Commandment were included in the above.
All these sins came from “self” based on the love for self, which is our nature, the sin in us that dominate us.

In His love

James S

Part Four.

So, what did Paul suggest when he said; “Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?”

He suggested that Christ believers, although they are not under any law and when there is no law there is no transgression and sin is not taken into account (Romans 4:15; 5:13), which is the liberty Christ has given us (Galatians 5:1), are not supposed to sin deliberately, are not supposed to live in sin, which mean to live for self or for the flesh.

But didn’t we just read above that our nature make us can not do anything good, so how could Paul suggest that we should not sin while we have a sinful nature that fall short of the glory of God? There is a “sin” in us that dominate us; the sin of self-love that bears fruits, which called the deeds of the flesh. How could we stop sinning and when?

In Romans 6:1-6 we read that a man who was baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death, we were buried with him through baptism into death and raised again to a new life, which were free from sin because “our old self”, which is the sin in us, were crucified with him and done away with, so that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because any one who has died has been freed from sin.

And the key point to this freedom, is; For sin shall not be your master, because YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, but under grace! – Romans 6:14.

Christ has released us from the jurisdiction of his Torah that includes the law written on stone tablets that came to an end in him and at the cross. We are no longer under the law jurisdiction, we have no obligation whatsoever to the law since it has finished and lost its function in Christ. Why did Christ ends his law that is good, holy and just and released us from its jurisdiction? BECAUSE THE LAW INCREASES SIN (Romans 5:20), it was not added to lessen sin or to make it stop, BUT IT WAS ADDED SO THAT TRESPASSES MIGHT INCREASE! It was added so that sin might be strengthened (1 Corinthians 15:56) and dominate us. Thus, in order for sin should no longer dominate us, we must be released from being under the law, we must be released from the obligation to keep and obey the law that was written on stone tablets, a law that kills, a law that brings condemnation and death, the ministry that brought death (Romans 7:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6-9). And Christ did it by ending the law in him; “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe” – Romans 10:4. Without ending it, righteousness will not be for them that has faith in him, because they will be still under dominion of sin.

Luke has said: The law was until John (Luke 16:16) and Paul said; The law was introduced and came in effect 430 years later since God made his covenant with Abraham, and remain in effect TILL the Seed to whom the promise referred had come (Galatians 3:17,19).

All this came true in Christ death on the cross 2000 years ago. All those who were under the law (Israel) and were held prisoner by the law, locked up in a prison of sin, slaves to sin, were released from the law and their slavery because of faith to him that died to redeem them in order they all might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:23-25).

In His love

James S.

Part Five.

Did Paul say that we can not sin or that we should not sin in our new life that is not under the law? He said that we should not sin, which means we still might sin even in our new nature that has been freed from sin.

Christ has released us from the dominion of sin by abolishing the law in him, a law that increases our transgressions. The functions of the law that only strengthen our love for self when we were under the obligation to obey the law was then ended in him at the cross, in order for us that have crucified our old nature through baptism, might live a new life free from sin and from the source that empowers sin, which is the law.

Without the law, a Christian has the freedom from sin and it condemnation “death as the wages of sin.” Christ has redeemed us from sin and released us from the death that came along with sin (Romans 5:12-21). “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men” – Romans 5:18.
“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” – 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.

Men are no longer supposed to die, Christ has delivered us from the death by dying for us so that we may have our life back. Therefore, there must be no longer one single law that stands over men that has the legal right to judge and condemn men with death, not even the Sabbath law, otherwise Christ died in vain!

This is the freedom Christ has given mankind with his works of redemption, freedom from sin, freedom from death and freedom from the law that increases sin and condemned us with death. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” – Galatians 5:1.

It is very clear presented in this topic, that the yoke of slavery is the law that made it law-keepers slaves of sin.

But this freedom is not an advantage to commit a sin deliberately, it is not a license to live in sin. On the contrary, if we really want to live with God eternally, “we should no longer live for ourselves but for him who died for us and was raised again” – 2 Corinthians 5:15.

“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it” (Romans 8:12); “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love” – Galatians 5:13.

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! – Romans 6:1,2.
Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! – Romans 6:15.

In His love

James S.

[ November 24, 2002, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: James Saptenno ]

Part Six.

So, how do we live then, when everything is permissible, when there is no law, when sin is not taken into account and when death lost its power?

As a free will being we have two choices to live and only one of them that leads to heaven! The choices are between to live for self or to live for God,

To live for self is to live for the flesh, satisfying the desires of the flesh, but those who live for the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21) because there is no place in heaven for self-loving people. They will surely die (Romans 8:12) because of their unbelief (John 3:36), because of their choice in choosing the broad way and the wide gate that leads to destruction (hell) – Matthew 7:13, because their rejection to the truth and the life that is in Christ (1 John 5:11). Those who is not in him has no life (1 John 5:12).

To live for God we need faith and through faith we remain “in Christ”, this makes us remain alive meanwhile his Spirit that was given to us will remain in us “to shed abroad the love of God” (Romans 5:5). We then will have “his love” that enables us to love our fellowman. We no longer live for self because “the love for self” was gone and replaced with the new character, which is “the love of God that seeks no self.” This “love” is the fruit of the Spirit in a believer’s life who lives by faith and walks after the Spirit (John 15:1-5; Galatians 5:22,23).

Now we may say; “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” – Galatians 2:20.
Christ had ever said; “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” – John 14:6.

And that is the truth! Only by remaining in him through faith we remain alive and he remains in us through his Spirit that enabling us to have a change of heart, from a self-loving man to a man that loves his fellow man. We then have the same character with the character of heavenly beings and God accepts us to live with him in heaven.

There is no other way to come to the Father if not through Christ and there is no other means to have a change of character if not by the Spirit, what is needed from us is just our faith.

For this reason Christ must put away the law, circumcision, Sabbath law and whatever rules, laws, regulations that might stands in the way for men to depend fully on him through faith. Not a single law might stand that requires men’s obedience and that has the right to judge them and put them under condemnation with death for their failures in keeping it perfectly (1 John 3:4; Romans 6:23). Christ had saved men once and for all and nothing might condemn his believers with death because of their inability to live perfectly as according to the law. Those who died again are not because of their transgressions to any law but because of their unbelief and rejection of the truth and the life that is in Christ.

If the law still stands and binds Christ believers, it will only reduce men dependence on him and takes away their attention from him. Instead to depend fully on him that saved us through faith, men have an obligation to obey the law their best they can do otherwise they will be find guilty and are not fit for heaven.

There is something now that might makes you lost your eternal life in spite the fact that Christ had saved you, it is because you did not keep the law. So the law came to a level of importance that compete with Christ. Christ saves men, but the law condemns with death penalty those who break the law. So, Christ salvation will just work and is effective when a person keeps the law and has no effect when a person did not keep the law. Christ then is no longer ‘the only way to come to the Father” because the law stands parallel and become a stumble stone for those who want come to the Father through faith in Christ. The law becomes Christ co partner in saving men, but also his enemy since those who break the law will loose his salvation in spite Christ had saved them.

This might not happen; life or death must depend on nothing except a choice in regards of the fact that Christ had saved all men and gives their life back. If we choose to live eternally with God in heaven and the New World, we must have faith in Christ and live by the Spirit. If we choose to satisfy our flesh desires, we will end in hell. The choice is ours, to be in heaven or to be in hell. In hell means death eternal because those who were burned to nothing left are just mere mortal men, resurrected from the death but cuts off from the Source of Life.

Therefore the law was designated for a short period only, since Sinai till the cross of Christ. It was only given to increases sin and put men under condemnation so that their dependence might be only on Christ that saved them through his work of redemption. The law was a means to lead Israel who has the law and was under the law, to Christ, so that they might be justified by faith in spite their failures in keeping and obeying the law.

The way of the law was far behind; being under the law was a long time ago over and ended in Christ. We are no longer under the law but under grace, we are no longer slaves of sin but slaves of righteousness, we are no longer prisoners of sin but prisoners of Christ.

There is no other way to go to heaven except Christ; to remain in him is all what we need, to live for God is all what we must choose and to live by faith is all what we must do. Only then we will have the righteousness of God that is without the law, a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21,22). A righteousness, which is “the love of God that was shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit” for those who live by faith and walks after the Spirit.

This is the way of life for Christ believers that were no longer under the law jurisdiction, that have the liberty to do anything without transgressing any law since there is no law and thus, no condemnation. But this freedom is not an advantage to sin deliberately, to live in sin, to live for self, to live for the flesh, otherwise we are not FIT for heaven where our life was hidden in Christ that sits on the right hand of the Father. And those who were cut off from Christ, the Source of Life, will die again in spite they have their eternal life in Christ. They died not because of their sins in breaking a law and death as it wages since there is no law and there is no transgression and sins is not taken into account, but they died because their life is no longer sustained by the Source of Life since they have cut them self off from him. Their sins of unrighteousness, their sins of unbelief and their sins of ignorance has separated them from Christ. They could not identify themselves with him through faith, and thus he didn’t know them and could not accept them to live with him in heaven for eternity. They are all just “like a branch that is thrown away and withers, such branches are picked up. Thrown into the fire and burned” – John 15:5,6. Hell is the place for such people prepared by God from the beginning of time, and in hell all will be burned to nothing left.

In His love

James S

Two things you said:

quote:

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Men are no longer supposed to die, Christ has delivered us from the death by dying for us so that we may have our life back. Therefore, there must be no longer one single law that stands over men that has the legal right to judge and condemn men with death, not even the Sabbath law, otherwise Christ died in vain!

Therefore the law was designated for a short period only, since Sinai till the cross of Christ.

---

I will respond to these later.

[ November 28, 2002, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]

James,

Are you truly not aware that the 4th Commandment Law existed prior to it being written on one of the teo tablets of stone by the finger of God at Mount Sinai?

Daryl.

Did not the Scripture tell you that there is NO LAW before Sinai??

Maybe you should check your bible to see is Sabbath observation before Sinai a law or not.

In His love

James S.

No, the Scriptures did NOT tell me that there wasn't any law prior to Sinai. What Bible are you reading from?

And there was a commandment referring to Sabbath keeping prior to Sinai as clearly shown in the gathering of the manna experience. Check your Bible out on that one before telling me that the Bible said that there wasn't any Sabbath keeping or observation prior to the 10 Commandments being given at Sinai. Don't you know that the 10 Commandments are simply a summary of all the laws that have been in existence long before Sinai?

[ November 29, 2002, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]