Romans 4:15
because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Seems to be a common theme around here, to say we are not under the law but grace. I totally agree with this statement. Fellowship with Christ is not about a checklist of 613 things you must do in order to be saved, it's about faith. That is comforting.
Now ask yourself this question: Does sin still exist?
If you answered yes, you'd be right. We see sin everywhere including in ourselves.
So by logic, if there is sin there is a transgression? If there is a transgression there must be a law of some sort.
There is and it's pretty obvious. It's the Law of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:2) and it only requires two things (Luke 10:27-28):
1. Love the Lord with all your heart, this means that you put God first in your life and not second to yourself. It means trusting and delighting in the truth of God.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
That said, both of these are pretty loaded statements and actually require a lot of attentive efforts on the part of a follower of this doctrine.
My point is this: If you say there is no law, or that you're not under any law, then you are saying we are all sinless, for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Keep in mind that even though we are not under OT Law, there is still two products of the fruit of the Spirit, and that is loving God and loving others. Do this and live.
As before, lay out the framework.
Imagine a tiny village located between two Kingdoms. One a tyranny and the other under a benevolent ruler, where justice mercy and love are practiced. It is asked to pledge loyalty and it choses the good king.
The king requires the village to act loyally, in the interest of the Kingdom.
Will the king forgive disloyal behavior? He will.
Should the village folk forgive those who act disloyalty? They should.
Will the king forgive the unforgiving? He won't. It attacks the very foundation of his Kingdom.
Does the king expect the village to attack the enemy? He doesn't. They aren't equipped.
When Israel asked for the law, they asked for something they weren't equipped to do :
Jeremiah 7
22"For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23"But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.'
What was Israel supposed to do with the law? The law oppressed, it killed. What do oppressed people do? They cry out for help. What did Israel do wrong? They modified the law with their traditions so that it could be followed by men.
Romans 10
3For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
Knowing God's power is living under grace. The small village that knew God would defeat the tyrant lived under grace. They did not have to take on the burden. This is called the sovereign vassal paradigm. Why did Paul use words like faith instead of loyalty? Because in greco-Roman society, the Patron Client paradigm possessed the same characteristics. The Patron was a powerful person who could bestow favors, grace, remove obstacles for the client. The client only had to be loyal, speak well about the right behavior of the Patron, advertise his confidence in the ability of the Patron.
Jews were in this favored position in the Old Covenant.
Gentiles were saved by extended grace, not works, or performance, in the new covenant . They never did anything extraordinary to be included in the community /assembly of God's people. They had nothing to boast about, least of all over the Jews, who were temporarily out of favor (grace!). In fact God could reinstate the natural branches more easily in the future than when He had previously grafted in the wild branches.
Ephesians 23
3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh a and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision (which is done in the body by human hands)12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
See how the right context makes the meaning pop out.
The right meaning of law keeping in the Old Covenant was performing the Torah as a representation of God's righteousness. The law killed those who tried to carry it out.
Since God's righteousness has been manifested in the cross, the law has been fulfilled. Now those who believe can enjoy the results of that fulfillment, the blessing promised to Abraham: the appointment as heirs, partnering God in his continuing work of teaching the Way, through manifesting that Way, pushing back the darkness, through grace.
Are we under any law, as in compulsory requirement? No. We are under grace. IOW, the onus is on God to give his people work that He has prepared, in advance, that we may WALK in them.
Who are God's people? Those who show faith, loyalty.
