How can we ensure we are not "without the law" today? Opening Scripture “To those outside the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) to win those outside the law.” Understanding the Phrase “Without the Law” • Describes anyone living apart from God’s revealed commands • Implies ignorance of, or indifference to, His moral standard • Contrasts with Paul’s stance: flexible in culture, never in morality—always “under the law of Christ” Foundational Truths About God’s Law • God’s Law is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12) • Jesus fulfilled, not abolished, it (Matthew 5:17) • Believers walk in “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2) through the Spirit (Romans 8:4) • Faith upholds the Law, never nullifies it (Romans 3:31) Living Under the Law of Christ Today Summed up in loving God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34) Practical marks • Obedient love (1 John 5:3) • Burden-bearing compassion (Galatians 6:2) • Everyday holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16) Practices That Keep Us from Becoming Lawless Daily Scripture intake • “His delight is in the law of the LORD…” (Psalm 1:2) Spirit-led obedience • “Walk by the Spirit…” (Galatians 5:16) Active fellowship • Spur one another on (Hebrews 10:24-25) • Accountability against sin (Hebrews 3:13) Regular disciplines • Self-examination (2 Colossians 13:5) • Confession and repentance (1 John 1:9) • Lord’s Supper remembrance (1 Colossians 11:26) Intentional obedience to Christ’s commands • Forgive (Ephesians 4:32) • Serve the least (Matthew 25:40) • Speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) Engaging culture without compromise • Adapt methods, never morals—Paul’s model Safeguards Against Modern Lawlessness • Relativism: “Woe to those who call evil good” (Isaiah 5:20) • Antinomianism: Grace never licenses sin (Jude 4; Romans 6:1-2) • Hyper-individualism: We belong to Christ and His body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 12:27) • Digital distraction: “Set no worthless thing before your eyes” (Psalm 101:3) Encouragement for Daily Faithfulness “The righteous standard of the law [is] fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4) Delight in the Word, yield to the Spirit, practice loving obedience—then you can be sure you are not “without the law,” but joyfully living under the gracious rule of Christ. |
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