But isn't a Christian who has faith and is living under grace freed from keeping the law?

Question

A governor's pardon forgives a prisoner, but does not give him freedom to break one single law.
"For sin [breaking God's law--1 John 3:4] shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin [break the law], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Romans 6:14, 15. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31.

According to the bible No! The Scriptures teach the very opposite. Grace is like the governor's pardon to a prisoner. It forgives him, but it does not give him freedom to break one single law on the statute books. The forgiven person, living under grace, is under double obligation to keep the law. A person who refuses to keep God's law, saying that he is living under grace, is mistaken. He is living under disgrace.

What do you think? Give good detail answer.

Answer 1

yep. Now onward christian soldier!

Answer 2

Very good, well positioned question.

It does bring up allot of problems though. If Christians are still under the Law and required to follow it, then they cannot eat pork or shellfish. They cannot touch menstruating women, they can't prepare food on Saturday, they must go through a ritual cleansing ceremony every month and celebrate passover. There are other passages that list the punishment for breaking the law. For instance should Christians take unruly teenagers out of town and stone them? Should women who commit adultery be murdered?

If you still live under the Law, then you have to follow the entire thing. Usually Christians who mention that they are still under the law, are speaking about only a portion of the Law, like Saturday vs Sunday, or celebrating holidays etc. The truth is Christians CANNOT follow the OT laws because it would amount to murder and they would end up in Jail.

Grace is a convenient way to disregard all the horrendous things written in the OT. Paul understood this, and tried to theologically turn the law around, because they were in the same predicament with the Romans. If the Jews followed the Laws as written, the Roman Laws would have been broken. In the end the Romans realized that the Jewish religion was just to troublesome and erased Jerusalem from the map.

Answer 3

Breaking a law on purpose is diff then breaking the law unknowingly

Forgiveness unto repentance for the puposefull.
Forgiveness by grace for the other.

A pardon can set the person free if the governor gives it. Sometimes it is a jubilee and the captives are free.
Some times the person is seen as reformed and set free.

Do we use grace to be a lawbreker without accountability. No.



the laws are still on the books or accountable if the person does not accept the judges conviction.


Sometimes like barabbas a lawbreaker is set free at the will of the people.

Answer 4

I believe Christians should follow the law as a whole.

Many already follow parts of it. They follow the Ten Commandments, they find the verses in the Law that pertain to certain things - like Wtiches or Homosexuals. But a good portion of the law is ignored or seen as obeslete and not needed.

No where did Jesus ever say to stop following the Law. This should be the most important thing - regardless of what Paul says. Jesus himself kept the law. We see him talking to the Pharisees and challanging some of their ideas about the law - but this was also commonplace during that time. The Pharisees where teachers - most had another job that paid for their expenses and food. They were not paid to teach. They challenged each other about their understanding of the Law often. This was a respecet practice - and it help improve their own understanding.

Jesus did this often. But never did he say - you are no longer bound by the Law.

Answer 5

Eric, we may be living under grace, but this is not license to sin. But, true faith in Christ is evidenced by good works.
James 2: 14- 26. It does not profit a man to say he has faith if he has no good works. Faith without works is a dead faith. It has no value. True faith requires repentance- the turning away from sin and leads to the same. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation but the sorrow of the world works death ( That would lead to depression). Saving faith without a commitment to godliness is impossible.
Therefore we are not free from the law

Answer 6

God's Law is the measuring rod by which we are to live our lives. While it's true that we are living under Grace, that doesn't mean that we can sin whenever we want and then just run and confess that sin only to do it again and again.
We must remember that while forgiveness is there for the asking there comes a point in time when GOD will give you over to your reprobate mind.

Answer 7

The Law in the "Old Testament" was a guideline for the people then. Because they were doing everything under the sun. But now that we're in the "New Testament under grace thru Jesus Christ we are not under the "Law". Christ said in Matthew 5:17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. He came to give a clear understanding about the law. Example: A husband would divorce his wife for every little thing and get a new one - when Christ said in the New Testament you can divorce him/her on the grounds of adultery.

Answer 8

Truly under grace, free from the law. Under grace, one serves God with the conscience. He clears his conscience by having his sins washed away, and living a sinless life (yea most people dont believe you can do it,but you can.)
Under the law, they could not stop sinning (kinda like now), because they did not believe (they entered not in because of unbelief). Conscience not clear. Always put in remembrance of sin evertime they had to take a sacafice to the priest to make an atonment for their sin. Jesus Christ offered him self once, to take away all sins of those that believe in him and upon his name. If you sin now, the bible says that you are a child of the devil! Grace means that you are not under the law.

Answer 9

You are very right, you see God gave us a perfect law to live by. We of course keep turning from God, always thinking we can do better. God foretold this, and sent his son our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered, severely, died and was resurrected to take on our sins. Jesus again speaks of past profits,and explains Gods Laws will work giving perfect freedom, justice, equality for all. God had warned no man was to add value or take away from his laws, as the rich will add Statures with more money to flow to them from the poorer among them. God's way is fair with wise honest rulers, demanding all get fairly paid. God has demanded that we learn his "NEW SONG" and teach it to all our children and their children song is referring to :Know off By HEART. This is VERY important as even the Holy Koran instructs it's faithful to go to the "Holy Bible" to find the "The new Song" and the Song of the Lamb"(Jesus) but just as our clergy etc. have deceived us the Oman's etc. have done the same and lied to the Muslims.
Of course we have broken with God again,as foretold, thus this being the last of man law kingdoms retribution is at hand in the near future. It is not going to be pretty a powerful Nation as none ever seen before will rise and have stupid leaders, throwing fire etc. Know any stupid leaders we are following?.

Answer 10

Hi,
The point you make is totally correct! Jesus said " I have come NOT to change the Laws or the Prophets" , so you have studied well, and make a solid Christian point that it is good to be free from the law by not sinning. If a person doesn't sin then the law has no hold on them.

Answer 11

No. You are right in that, "the forgiven person, living under grace, is under double obligation to keep the law." People who submit to God's divine sovereignty should want to do what is right.