“Free From The Law, O Happy Condition!”

Romans 6:14

No one understands or enjoys “the glorious liberty of the sons of God” who does not realize that our great Liberator, the Lord Jesus Christ has made his people free from the law. This is not, in the least measure, a debatable issue. The language of Holy Scripture is unmistakably clear. Error here is inexcusable. This is what God the Holy Spirit says about this issue. “Ye are not under the law, but under grace…We are not under the law, but under grace…Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God…The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth…But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Rom.6:14,15;7:4; 8:2; 10:4; Gal. 3:23-25).

All who are born of God, all who are in Christ are totally free from the law. We are free from all the types and shadows of the ceremonial law. We are free from all the rigors of Old Testament dietary laws. We are free from statutes and curses of the law. We are free in Christ from the bondage, terror, and rule of the law as a way of life. Believers have no covenant with the law, no curse from the law, no condemnation by the law, and absolutely no obligation to the law. Christ has satisfied all the law for us and we fulfil all the law only by faith in him (Rom. 3:31; 8:3-4). The lives of God’s people in this world are not ruled, governed, and motivated by rules and regulations, but by gratitude, love, and faith for the glory of God (1 John 3:23; 2 Cor. 5:14).

To teach believers to live by the ten commandments as a rule of life is a direct violation of the Word of God (Col. 2:16-17). Such legalism promotes pride and self-righteousness. It always produces severity, judgmentalism, and a condemning spirit. Legalism denies the finished work of Christ and causes men to look not to him alone for everything, but to him and to themselves. Legalists would have us look to our imaginary obedience to the ten commandments for our assurance. The Word of God teaches us to look to Christ alone for assurance. Legalists tell us that our sanctification is to be measured and determined by the degree to which we obey the ten commandments. Whereas the Word of God tells us that Christ is our sanctification. Legalists teach us that our worthiness before the Lord is partially in Christ and partially based upon our works. The Book of God declares that our worthiness before God is Christ alone. Legalists tell us that peace is to be found in personal works of obedience, godliness, and holiness. (No wonder they have no peace!) The Word of God tells us that Christ is our peace. We have peace with God, the peace of God, and peace from God only by faith in our all glorious Christ. There can be absolutely no mixture of law and grace. We must never wear a garment of linen and wool before God, or plow with the ox of grace and the ass of our own works in the same yoke!

Don Fortner