Objections to Our Freedom from the Law

Occasionally, someone challenges me when I teach that under the New Covenant, Christians are not obligated to keep the 10 Commandments.  I appreciate their honesty and prefer that response, rather than automatically dismissing what Grace Life International and I teach.  It provides an opportunity for dialogue so we can reason together with Scripture.  Here are a few of the challenges I have received and my responses using Scripture.

   1.      Christians need the Law to show us our sins.

   2.      The Law helps Christians sin less.

   3.      The Law can't save us but we need the Law to sanctify us.

We Died to the Law

The moment you die you will no longer have to pay taxes because your death frees you from the tax law.  In the same way, when your old nature died with Christ on the cross, you were freed from the Old Covenant Law so that your new nature could be united to Christ instead.  "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."  Romans 7:4 (NIV)  Having Jesus is so much better than having the Law!

The Law Was a Shadow

When I come home late at night from speaking, sometimes my wife sees my shadow first.  If she gets in the floor to hug my shadow, I'm calling 911!  The shadow tells her I am coming in.  The Law was a shadow according to Hebrews 10:1, telling us that Jesus was coming.  "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming..." (NIV)  Don't hug the shadow.  Hug Jesus!

 The Law Is Not For Righteous People

 The only righteous people in the world are those in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)  As a consequence, we don't need the Law.  "We also know that the law is made not for the righteous..." (1 Timothy 1:9)

 The Law's Purpose

1. To Show Unbelievers their Sins  "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."  (Romans 5:20 NIV)
2. To Prepare Unbelievers for Salvation  "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."(Galatians 3:24-25 NASB)

The Law Cannot Sanctify Us  

To sanctify means to grow spiritually.  For those who say the Law is not needed to justify us but it is needed to sanctify us, meditate on this verse written for believers."For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14  NIV)   To deepen it's meaning, let's read it backwards.  "For sin shall be your master, because you are not under grace but under law".  Spiritual growth is a result of living under grace not law!

The Law Provides No Power to Live a Righteous Life

 Many don't realize Paul was writing about how he came to the end of himself by using the law to try to live a righteous life in Romans 7:15-25.  That is why he said in verse 15, "I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." What we see in our counseling at GLI is that victory over sin for Christians increases dramatically when they live by grace instead of the Law!

Our identity in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit has replaced the Law. (Hebrews 10:16, Romans 7:6) All of the New Covenant in Scripture exhorts us to understand this and to live in a way consistent with it.  This is how we live an "inside out life" by faith, which pleases God.

    

Believe it!  It's the Gospel!

Live Free In Christ,


Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding

How the New Covenant Trumps the Old Covenant

Many years ago, when on the staff of a large church, I was caught off guard one day in the work room by the Church Receptionist.  She quizzed me about my relationship with Ellen Taylor, a well-known girl in the church.  We were secretly dating because I was the Youth Minister. So, we were trying to keep it under wraps.  Though I tried to to play it off, the Receptionist realized something was up because she said, "You talk about her differently than anyone else".

I'm so glad God forgave me for lying that day because though  I denied we were dating, I was caught!  Yet, my entire demeanor changed when I spoke of her.  I just could not hide the love and joy I felt when I talked about Ellen Taylor, compared to other people.  My face lit up every time I spoke about her. 

When you and I talk about Jesus and the New Covenant, people may very well notice that we light up too.  Why? Because through The New Covenant, He transforms us so much more than the Old Covenant every could!  I think you will appreciate more of what I mean as we compare the two. 

    

Old Covenant  (Also referred to as the  Mosaic or Law Covenant)	New Covenant  (Also referred to as the  Grace Covenant)
God related to Israel as their King , Father and Husband  1 Samuel 8:7; Deuteronomy 32:6, Jeremiah 31:31-32 Binding Vows:  God promised that He would do His part as long as Israel did their part. Deuteronomy 28	God relates to you as your King, Father and Husband.  1Timothy 1:17; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 5: 21-22  Binding Vows:  God has promised that He would do His part and your part.  He continues to do your  part as you rely on Jesus to live in and through you. Jeremiah 31:31-34, Galatians 2:20
Responsibilities:  The 10 Commandments were written by God on tablets of stone.  Exodus 22	Responsibilities:  God wrote His law on your heart. This gave you your identity in Christ.  Hebrews 10:16
Blessings:    ...Were given by God based  on one condition - their obedience.  Deuteronomy 28 (1/5 of the chapter is blessings; 4/5 is curses.)   ...God was in the Tabernacle  and later the Temple.  Each Jew  could get close to God only once  a year, Yom Kippur, when he or  she was represented by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies.  Exodus 40:34-35; Leviticus 16 ...God lived near Israel in the  Holy of Holies.  Leviticus 16:2 ...God gave temporary  forgiveness based on their  most recent sacrifice.  Leviticus	Blessings:  ...God blessed you with all your blessings in Christ the moment you believed.  The only condition is faith in Christ.  Ephesians 1:3, 2:7-8  (No curses under The New Covenant!) ...God is in you and you can't get any closer to God than that!  Galatians 2:20 ...God lives very much at home in your spirit, the new Holy of Holies.  1Corinthians 6:17 and 19.  ...God gave you eternal forgiveness for your past, present and future sins, based on Jesus' sacrifice.  Colossians 2:13
The Cutting of the Covenant: The sacrificial system was the continuous  "cutting of the covenant".  It was also a constant reminder of their sins. Hebrews 9:18-20	The Cutting of the Covenant:   This covenant was "cut" by the death of Jesus Christ that you "walked into" with God.  Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 2:20
The Covenant Meal:  The Passover Exodus 12	The Covenant Meal:  The Lord's Supper. (Some know it as Communion or the Eucharist). Matthew 26:27
The Sign of the Covenant:  Circumcision for men only (the ladies said,"Hallelujah") which covered their  entire family. Leviticus 12:2-3	The Sign of the Covenant:  Baptism for each individual including men as well as women.  Acts 10

  

Are you beginning to understand how much better the New Covenant is compared to the Old Covenant?  "Thank you God for Your New Covenant that You have so richly provided for us in Christ!  What good news!"  

"But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises."  Hebrew 6:6 NIV

    

Believe it!  It's the Gospel!

Live free in Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding

Crucified - Dead to Mr. Law

Which of these two different types of marriage would you like to be in?  (Men – imagine you are the bride here.)

Marriage to Mr. Law – Every morning you wake up he says to you, “There are some things you have to do today.  I will follow you around all day to remind you of what you must do.  If you make a mistake, I will point it out to you in detail.  Oh, and by the way, I will not help you in any way.  You are on your own.  And don’t forget, my only reason for being in this marriage is to tell you what to do and to point out when you blow it!”

Marriage to Mr. Grace - Every morning you wake up he says to you, “I love you!  I can’t wait to spend the day together.  Let’s go get some coffee and spend some time talking.”  You share your hearts with each other and you tell him how wonderful he is and he tells you how wonderful you are.  He also says, “There are some things I want you to do today but I don’t want you to feel stressed by them, because I am going to go with you to help you.  Remember, you and I are “one”, so I will do all of these things through you, if you will depend on me.  When you make a mistake, please don’t run and hide from me.  Instead, run to me and tell me what you did. I so want you to share with me!   Be mindful that I completely accept you, even with your mistakes and struggles.  And no matter what, don’t forget I love you!”

For all Christ-followers, aren’t you glad we are in the marriage to Mr. Grace, meaning Jesus!  We died to our marriage to Mr. Law and are now married (united) to Jesus.  Romans 7:4, “So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

Yet many of us live as though we are under the law, i.e. are married to Mr. Law.  Let’s all stop committing spiritual adultery and listen only to Jesus, the lover of our souls!  Marriage to Jesus is so much more enjoyable! 

Live Free In Christ, Mark Maulding, President and Founder www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding  (But please share it with others!)

Grace for the Legalist

    When I was a legalistic Christian, I understood grace to be the power God gave me to obey the 10 Commandments. Rather than grace being relational, it was the power to keep the rules. This stinking thinking meant that the more rules I kept, the more pleasing I would be to God. The more pleasing I was to God, the more I believed He would bless me for my obedient performance.     

  

   I was so much of a legalist, I believed I needed to obey the dietary laws of the Old Testament in order to please God. I recall one time when Ellen and I were first married, we were on vacation at her grandfather's beach house. We went out to eat at the local seafood restaurant only to realize that every item on the menu was forbidden by the Old Testament dietary laws. We left frustrated, angry and hungry!

   When I had a revelation of Christ in me and my identity in Christ according to Galatians 2:20, I experienced incredible healing and freedom. However, I also believed that I now had the power to keep the 10 Commandments and couldn't understand why I kept failing at it. This is the exact same thing  the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 7:14-25. Here he shares his own testimony of his habitual faliure to keep the law in his attempts to stop sinning.

   God continued to reveal more of what the entire Gospel really was and I soon began to see in the Scriptures that Christians have zero obligation to keep the 10 Commandments. Not only can it not save a person, it cannot prevent a Christian from sinning, nor can it help them grow spiritually.

   Romans 7:4 says that when Jesus died on the cross, we were united to Him so that we died to the Law with Him. If you die to something, it means that you no longer have any relationship to it. For example, if I died today, I would no longer be obligated to keep the laws of the United States.

   2 Timothy 1:9 says, "Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person." The only righteous people are those in Christ. That means that the 10 Commandments are not made for us. Instead of the Law, we are now under grace.

   As I understood this, my freedom grew. My intimacy with God grew. My love for people grew. My freedom over sin's power grew. And I even lived a life more pleasing to God than when I had lived under the Law. Grace transformed this legalist into a gracist!

   To all the legalists out there, God's love and grace is what you need and really want deep down. You just may not know it yet. Your Father loves you and His grace has placed Christ in you and you in Christ. Let go of legalism and embrace grace. It may feel strange at first but it's the only way to live a victorious Christian life!

Live Free In Christ, Mark Maulding, President and Founder www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2013 Mark Maulding