Have We Been Set Free From the Law?

To those who say we have been set free from the law, I ask, "At what time were you in bondage to it?"

What have you actually been in bondage to? I would suggest that you were in bondage to sin. And I would suggest that this is exactly what the Bible tells us. We are delivered from the bondage to the law of sin and death and are set free to live for righteousness by the blood of Christ.

Many will point to Paul's writings in the 'New' testament to argue that we are free from the law. But did Paul actually tell us we are set free from the obligation to obey God's Law? And what did the other New Testament writers have to say about God's laws?

There is a misconception that Paul taught against obedience to God’s commandments. However, if he was really a follower of Jesus, he would have walked in obedience to God, as Jesus taught.

Paul himself said, “I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” Acts 24:14-16

He stated that he had “Done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.” Acts 25:8 Therefore, he could not have forsaken obedience to the law.

We see in Acts, that even then there was confusion about Paul telling people not to obey God’s commands: “Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. (Acts 20-25)

People then go on to assume that Paul was telling the Gentiles that they did not need to obey God’s commands, however, in the next verses, it states that the Gentiles are being given some commands to obey: “As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” (v. 25) Why do we assume that these are the only commands they are given to obey? Is it okay for them to steal, commit adultery and murder? No! Of course not! He states, in Romans 15:18 “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done.” This is evidence that he taught the Gentiles to obey God's commands.

The Gentiles did not know God’s laws. They were involved in pagan worship. They needed to be taught to obey God’s commands, which Paul states he did.

Peter stated about Paul’s writings: “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” 2 Peter 3:16b,17

There was clearly a concern that people would misinterpret Paul’s letters, thinking he was suggesting they did not have to obey God’s commands; that they could be lawless. Peter clarifies this. No, Paul is not suggesting this at all. His letters are hard to understand. If we assume that Paul is speaking against obedience to God’s commandments, we are in error.

This is confirmed in Romans 7, where Paul states, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good (v. 12), “the law is spiritual” (v. 14), “in my inner being I delight in God’s law” (v. 22) “I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law” (v. 25)

Paul declares, “…It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Romans 2:13)

Hear this well: Paul says those who obey the law will be declared righteous! Do not suppose that this means we establish our own righteousness through obedience to the law. We cannot obey the law as God requires without believing in Jesus, and being born again, having his Holy Spirit enabling us to obey.

Romans 8:7 “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”

Is your mind governed by the flesh? Such a mind will not submit to God's law according to Paul.

In Romans 8:4, Paul states, “So now we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us.” (Living Bible)

This echoes Deuteronomy 30:11, when God tells Israel after giving them His commandments, “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”

I am really concerned about the current teaching within many churches that the law is “too hard” for us to follow. God did not find fault with the law! He created the law. The fault was with us and our sinful nature! Therefore, he made a way for us to obey, by sending Jesus, to deal with our sinful nature. It is our sinful nature that has been put to death. We then, are empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey God’s laws as Romans 8:4 states.

In arguing that our salvation is by faith, Paul states: “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” Romans 3:31

In Romans 13:8 Paul says, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Why would he care about fulfilling the law if the law had been crucified on the cross and abolished?

“I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law,” says Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:12. I repeat: Paul says he is NOT free from God’s law.

And in 1 Corinthians 7:19, he concludes that, “Keeping God’s commands is what counts.”

In 1 Timothy 1:8, Paul writes, “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.” What does he mean by properly? We need to look at the purpose of the law.

We don’t use the law to earn our salvation or establish our own righteousness.

• The law shows us what sin is.

• The law leads us to Christ because we see that we have broken the law and need a Saviour.

• The law shows us what God’s ways are so that we will be blessed and lead lives that are pleasing to the Lord.

It is very clear from all Paul has said that abolishing the law is not what Jesus did. He clearly believes in, obeys, and upholds the law.

Titus 2:14 states that Jesus, “Gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”(Berean Study Bible)

1 John 3:4 states that “Sin is the transgression of the law.” In other words, breaking God’s commands is sin!

Romans 3:20 states that “Through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The law makes us aware of what sin is.

What about the rest of the New Testament? Are we instructed to obey God’s commandments?

1 John 2:3-6

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 1 John 3:21-24

1 John 5:2-4

This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.

This verse states that if we love God, we will obey His commands. If we obey His commands, we will love God and love the children of God.

James states: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)

In James 2:8,9, it says, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”

This makes no sense if the law has been abolished. Why care about being lawbreakers if the law is done away with? The law has not been done away with, but is summed up with, ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’ The law shows us how to love our neighbour according to God’s standards.

Again, James reiterates this when he says: “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11)

James appear to be concerned about people keeping the law. Why be concerned about judging the law if has been abolished? Here he states that God is the Lawgiver! The Law is from Him and therefore James upholds the Law.

In 2 John, John states, “I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (v.5b, 6)

Love for God and others is to walk in obedience to God’s commands!

Hebrews 10:16 states:

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”

This is the new covenant, promised in Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 31:33

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The new covenant involves us having God’s law in our minds and on our hearts! Are you in the new covenant? It involves more than just believing! As we have just established, those who love God, love his children. How do we know we love God and His children? By obeying His commands.

The book of Revelation has some startling verses about who the saints are.

"Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus."(12:17)

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. (14:12) Do you see the connection? The people of God keep his commands and are faithful to Jesus!

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (22:14 KJV) Note: many contest this translation. Many other translations say “Wash their robes,” instead of “Do His commandments.”

The Amplified Bible renders it this way, “Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those who wash their robes [in the blood of Christ by believing and trusting in Him—the righteous who do His commandments], so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.”

The clear message is:

The saints, the people of God, not only hold to the testimony of Jesus, but also obey God's commandments. Not one or the other. Both!

Jesus, Paul and other New Testament writers all attest to it: Obedience to God's commandments goes hand in hand with our faith in Jesus.

Yes, we were in bondage to the law, but not the Law of God. We were in bondage to the "law of sin and death." We are no longer under that Law. We are now under the "Law of the Spirit," (Romans 8:2), so that now, "we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us.” ( Romans 8:4 Living Bible)

May our Heavenly Father give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts that are quick to obey.

Heavenly Father, for your name's sake and your glory and honor, help us to be obedient to you!