"Free From The Law - O Happy
Condition!"
Romans 8:2
In Christ every believer is totally free
from the law. "We are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom.
"CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH" (
"YE ARE BECOME DEAD TO THE LAW BY THE
BODY OF CHRIST" (
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE AGAINST THE
LAW.God forbid! We are not antinomians.We delight in
the law of God (Rom.7:22). The real antinomian is the legalist who pretends to
keep the law. He lowers the standard of the law to the measure of his own
obedience. Otherwise he could find no comfort in his obedience. So the legalist
turns the law of God into lasciviousness.That is a complimentary word for his
pretended obedience to the law!
WHY ARE WE SO DOGMATIC IN DECLARING THE
BELIEVER'S FREEDOM FROM THE LAW, AS IT IS SET FORTH IN THE SCRIPTURES? Let me
give you three reasons for our dogmatism: First, the legalist would rob Christ
of the glory of his grace, making some part of salvation dependent upon the
works of the law. Second, the legalist would rob the believer of the joy of
faith, the joy of assurance, and the joy of service to Christ, making assurance
to be based upon obedience and service to Christ mercenary acts. Third, the
legalist would rob the world of the hope of salvation, for if salvation
requires any good work from sinners then there is no hope.
Don Fortner