Topical Bible: The Law of God: Saints: Freed from the Bondage of

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The concept of the Law of God is central to the biblical narrative, serving as a divine standard of righteousness and a guide for holy living. However, the New Testament reveals a transformative shift in the relationship between the Law and the saints, those who are set apart by faith in Jesus Christ. This entry explores the liberation of believers from the bondage of the Law, as articulated in the Scriptures.

The Nature of the Law

The Law, given through Moses, is a comprehensive set of commandments and ordinances that governed the moral, ceremonial, and civil life of Israel. It is described as holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). The Law reveals the character of God and His expectations for His people, serving as a tutor to lead them to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

The Bondage of the Law

Despite its divine origin, the Law also highlights human sinfulness and the inability to achieve righteousness through human effort. The Apostle Paul writes, "For all who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10), emphasizing that the Law cannot justify or save. Instead, it brings awareness of sin and condemnation (Romans 3:20).

Freedom through Christ

The New Testament proclaims that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, believers are freed from the bondage of the Law. Paul declares, "For Christ is the end of the Law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4). This freedom is not a license to sin but a call to live by the Spirit, fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law through faith and love (Romans 8:4).

The Role of Grace

Grace, a central theme in the New Testament, underscores the believer's liberation from the Law's demands. "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under Law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). This grace empowers the saints to live in obedience to God, not out of obligation, but out of gratitude and love.

The New Covenant

The liberation from the Law is further explained through the New Covenant, prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews 8:10 states, "This is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts." This internalization of God's Law signifies a transformation that enables believers to live in true freedom.

The Spirit's Role

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the believer's freedom from the Law. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). The Spirit guides, convicts, and empowers the saints to live in accordance with God's will, producing the fruit of righteousness apart from the Law's constraints.

Conclusion

The liberation of the saints from the bondage of the Law is a profound aspect of the Christian faith, emphasizing the sufficiency of Christ's atoning work and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. This freedom calls believers to a life of holiness, not through adherence to the Law, but through a relationship with God marked by grace, faith, and love.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 7:4,6
Why, my brothers, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 3:13
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Fourth Calumny, --That the Saints of the Old Testament are ...
... "They say," says he, "that the saints in the ... grace of a sure dispensation; nor by
that law itself, holy ... Redeemer Himself, who is the one Mediator of God and man ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 12 the fourth calumnythat the.htm

"For as Many as are Led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of ...
... THEIR FREEDOM FROM DEATH, CONDEMNATION, AND THE LAW, IN FORTY ... to this liberty, to
be made a son of God. ... that whereabout the song of angels and saints will be. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxxvii for as many.htm

God's Banished Ones
... such a demonstration of the fixedness of the divine law as in ... strangers and foreigners,
but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God.'. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/gods banished ones.htm

On the End of the World.
... by the institutions of the true and everlasting law, that they ... For we ought to know
what God is, and what the ... the Son has been promised to the saints; for as ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen de principiis/chapter vi on the end of.htm

Later English Reformers.
... many who desire a revival of the work of God, and his "Saints' Everlasting Rest ... his
work of seeking to break down the righteous restraints of the law of God. ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /14 later english reformers.htm

Later English Reformers
... many who desire a revival of the work of God, and his Saints' Everlasting Rest ... his
work of seeking to break down the righteous restraints of the law of God. ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 14 later english reformers.htm

The Negative Side
... not that they pressed the Ten Commandments upon the saints as a ... Galatians were going
over to the ground of law for acceptance with God is evident ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the law and the saint/the negative side.htm

The Law Given, not to Retain a People for Itself, but to Keep ...
... In this way must the saints press onward, since, however ... same effect, our Saviour
declares, that "the law and the ... since that time the kingdom of God is preached ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 7 the law given.htm

Concerning Perfection.
... 4.Pastors, teachers, and scriptures are given for perfecting of the saints. ... [519]
The difference of the law and gospel. ... Enoch walked with God, and was perfect. ...
/.../proposition viii concerning perfection.htm

The Preface to the Commandments
... into the glorious liberty of the children of God.' Romans 8 ... law of love now rules,
not the law of sin. ... The saints are made spiritual kings, to rule and conquer ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/1 3 the preface to the.htm