Does The Believer's Total Freedom From The Law Of God Promote Licentiousness?

Romans 3:8

Legalists in all ages attempt to cast a slur upon the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ, and upon those who preach it, by putting words into our mouths. Their slanderous charge is virtually the same in every age: "You say, `Let us sin that grace may abound'." Because they cannot refute our doctrine upon biblical grounds, they falsely accuse us of teaching obnoxious things which no devil out of hell ever imagined,except a deluded, self-righteous religionists.

Let us face the charge squarely. Does the believer's total freedom from the law of God promote licentiousness? I think not. History, experience, and the Word of God tell us otherwise. The fact is, the meanest, most vicious, most abominably wicked people in the world are self-righteous religionists. Who crucified our Lord? Religious legalists! Who persecuted, imprisoned, tormented, and burned the martyrs? Self-righteous, religious legalists! Who are the religious leaders of our day, whose scandalous behavior has been the constant theme for ridicule in the worldwide press? Religious legalists! Throughout history, in every country where Romanism (the religion of laws and works) has gained supremacy, the effect has always been, and still is, moral decadence. Legalists must be controlled by law, by the fear of punishment and the promise of reward, because they are lawless rebels, antinomians, at heart. Imagine what they would do if the law did not restrain them!

The Word of God constantly uses the assurance of the free, full, irrevocable pardon of sin through the blood of Christ as the basis and motive of love to Christ, holiness of life, and consecration to God (Luke 7:47; John 8:11; Rom. 12:1-2; I John 2:1-2; I Cor. 6:20). Law has absolutely no power over the believer. We are free from the law. God's elect are motivated by gratitude, constrained by love, moved by faith, and ruled by their heart's desire to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. More than anything else, our freedom from the law and assurance of immutable grace causes us to consecrate our lives to Christ.

Don Fortner