Does Romans 6:14 imply Christians are free from obeying the law? Text and Immediate Context Romans 6:14 : “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” The verse sits within Paul’s larger argument (Romans 6:1-23) that union with Christ’s death and resurrection breaks sin’s dominion. Paul is not shifting topics from sanctification to civic obedience; he is explaining the mechanism by which the believer now lives a holy life. Terminology: “Under Law” vs. “Under Grace” “Under law” (hypo nomon) in Pauline usage denotes life inside the Mosaic covenant with its system of commandments, blessings, and curses (cf. Galatians 4:4-5). It emphasizes obligation without the regenerating power of the Spirit. “Under grace” (hypo charin) describes the new-covenant sphere in which forgiveness, indwelling Spirit, and Christ’s righteousness replace condemnation (Romans 8:1-4). Purpose of the Mosaic Law 1. Reveal God’s holy character (Leviticus 19:2). 2. Expose sin (Romans 3:20). 3. Guard Israel until the Messiah (Galatians 3:19, 24). Its sacrificial and ceremonial aspects functioned as “a shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1). Deliverance from the Law’s Condemnation, Not from Moral Obligation Romans 8:3-4 explains Paul’s intent: “what the law was powerless to do…God did by sending His own Son…so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us.” The believer is freed from the law as a covenant of condemnation but enabled to meet its moral intent through the Spirit. Grace as Empowerment for Holiness Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God has appeared…training us to renounce ungodliness.” Grace is not permissiveness; it is divine power that produces obedience (Philippians 2:13). Paul immediately answers the antinomian inference: “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15). Continuity and Discontinuity: Moral, Ceremonial, Civil Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial and civil dimensions (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 8-10). Moral precepts predate Sinai (Genesis 18:19) and continue post-Calvary (Romans 13:8-10). The Decalogue is repeated in the New Testament, with the Sabbath principle reframed around Christ’s rest (Colossians 2:16-17). The Law of Christ and the New Covenant Believers are “not without the law of God but under the law of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:21). This law is summarized as loving God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) and expounded through apostolic instruction (Galatians 6:2; James 2:8-12; 1 John 5:3). Apostolic Practice and Teaching Acts 15 shows the Jerusalem Council releasing Gentiles from Mosaic ritual while affirming core moral expectations (vv. 19-20, 28-29). Paul instructs converts to uphold honesty, sexual purity, and respect for authorities (Ephesians 4-6; Romans 13), demonstrating that grace motivates ethical living. Harmony with Other Scriptures • Romans 3:31: “Do we, then, nullify the law by faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.” • 1 John 3:4-6: Sin is lawlessness; abiding in Christ precludes habitual violation. • Hebrews 10:16 cites Jeremiah 31:33: God writes His laws on believers’ hearts—an internalization, not abolition. Common Misinterpretations Refuted 1. Antinomianism: claims moral commands are obsolete; contradicted by Romans 6:15-23. 2. Legalism: attempts salvation by law-keeping; refuted by Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16. 3. Selective literalism: discards moral law with ceremonial; ignores Jesus’ ethical teaching (Mark 7:20-23). Historical and Theological Witness Early church fathers (e.g., Augustine, “On the Spirit and the Letter”) upheld moral law’s validity in Christ. The Reformers distinguished between law’s uses—pedagogical, civil, and normative for believers. Contemporary scholarship confirms the coherence of Paul’s thought (e.g., the New Perspective clarifies covenantal context without denying moral continuity). Philosophical and Scientific Corroboration of Moral Law The universality of objective moral values mirrored in diverse cultures (Romans 2:14-15) points to a transcendent Moral Lawgiver. Behavioral science demonstrates human flourishing aligns with biblical ethics on marriage, honesty, and community—empirical support for God-designed morality. Practical Implications for Christian Ethics Believers obey not to earn salvation but because they possess it (Ephesians 2:8-10). The Spirit empowers new desires; Scripture supplies objective standards; the community provides accountability. Christian freedom is freedom to serve (Galatians 5:13) and to reflect God’s holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). Summary Romans 6:14 teaches emancipation from the Mosaic covenant’s condemning power, accomplished by union with the crucified and risen Christ. It does not declare believers lawless; rather, it relocates them under grace, where the Spirit enables joyful obedience to God’s moral will—now inscribed on redeemed hearts and embodied in the law of Christ. |
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