"Free From The Law - O Happy Condition!"

Romans 8:2

In Christ every believer is totally free from the law. "We are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:15). We are not justified (Rom. 3:19-24), sanctified (Gal.3:1-3), motivated (II Cor.5:14), ruled (Tit.2:1112),or glorified (Jude 24-25) by the law, but by grace.

"CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH" (Rom. 10:4). Do you ask what that means? It means that Christ is the fulfilment of the law, the satisfaction of the law, and the termination of the law to all who believe on him unto life everlasting. It means that there is no righteousness to be had, of any kind, to any degree, by our own works of obedience to the law. The only way anyone can have righteousness before God is by faith in Christ. He is "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jer.23:6). And we are the righteousness of God in him (Jer. 33:16; II Cor. 5:21).

"YE ARE BECOME DEAD TO THE LAW BY THE BODY OF CHRIST" (Rom. 7:4). Do you ask what that means? It means that if you are a believer, if Christ died for you, insofar as the law of God is concerned you are dead. It can make no demands upon you. It can require nothing from you. It can do nothing to you. If you and I are in Christ by faith, we have no covenant with the law,no curse from the law,and no commitment to the law.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE AGAINST THE LAW.God forbid! We are not antinomians.We delight in the law of God (Rom.7:22). The real antinomian is the legalist who pretends to keep the law. He lowers the standard of the law to the measure of his own obedience. Otherwise he could find no comfort in his obedience. So the legalist turns the law of God into lasciviousness.That is a complimentary word for his pretended obedience to the law!

WHY ARE WE SO DOGMATIC IN DECLARING THE BELIEVER'S FREEDOM FROM THE LAW, AS IT IS SET FORTH IN THE SCRIPTURES? Let me give you three reasons for our dogmatism: First, the legalist would rob Christ of the glory of his grace, making some part of salvation dependent upon the works of the law. Second, the legalist would rob the believer of the joy of faith, the joy of assurance, and the joy of service to Christ, making assurance to be based upon obedience and service to Christ mercenary acts. Third, the legalist would rob the world of the hope of salvation, for if salvation requires any good work from sinners then there is no hope.

Don Fortner