Misunderstood- Under Law vs. Under Grace

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
(Galatians 4:4-5)

04 / 11 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

There was a reason why I picked the above passage to open with for this week’s “misunderstood passage”. Mary was born under the Law. Is that bad? Of course not. To be considered “under the Law” at this time in Scriptures simply meant that they were children of God waiting for the Messiah to come. Let me ask you, did God send His Son to redeem everyone, regardless of if they ever accepted Him? Of course not (Do not misunderstand this … This gift is available for all men, but ONLY His true children will be redeemed). God sent His Son, born of a woman (of Israel) to redeem those who will turn to Him (Israel) that we might receive the full rights of sons, having been redeemed by grace through faith. It was a good thing at this time to be called “under the Law”. Let us examine this week’s passage with eyes and ears that are ready to learn more of what pleases God:.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Notice that this verse does NOT say that the LAW will not be your master, but sin (sin is determined by the Law – “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)). The simple question posed by this passage is, “Who are you under?” Recall my opening thought that BELIEVING ISRAELITES (whether a Jew or a Gentile) were known as “Those under the Law”. This is NOT a negative designation as many see it today. Instead, this usage of the word “under” means as a tutor. The Law being spoken of in this tense is “on stone”. It was their tutor, or counselor, until the LIVING Tutor, Yeshua (Jesus) came with His Counselor (the Spirit). The way the term “under the Law” is used here is to identify those who were saved by faith because He gave His law to His children who were saved by faith by putting the blood on their doorposts so that the “death angel” would “Pass over” them.

Still need more proof? Examine Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:20, when he was explaining that he will be all things to all people. Here, he mentions THREE groups of people: The unsaved Jews, the saved Jews (of which He is one), and Gentiles: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” I know, I know. If you are checking out your Bibles, most have Paul claiming that “though I myself am not under the law”. This simply did not make sense, though, because Paul follows this up with “though I am not free from God’s law”. If we think about it, Paul should have said he was part of the first group … since he was a Jew. BUT, he “became like a Jew” and then follows up after those “under the Law” as saying: “This is my group, since I still have to tell them about the Messiah has come.” When this did not make sense, I decided to dig for truth and found that the word “NOT” ISN’T IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT! It was actually added by the translator who, of course, had his or her own doctrines and beliefs. Now that we know this, we see clearly that Paul is identifying himself with THIS group … those living by faith and obeying the Law out of that faith.

Being “under the Law” simply means that they were given the Law on stone to obey. The Law on stone was their tutor, or supervisor. They were commanded to put this Law in their hearts, themselves. They did not have the Spirit to do this since the Spirit had not yet been given: “… Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Yeshua (Jesus) had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:39) But now that the Spirit has come and through FAITH dwells within us, He (the Spirit) is writing the SAME laws on our hearts, so we are no longer “under” the Law (written on stone): “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the Law.” (Galatians 3:25) This does NOT mean that the Spirit was not at work in the lives of believers before this time. It was just in a different capacity. This understanding is further explained in 2 Corinthians 3:3: “… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” The SAME Law is being spoken of, but with different applications. The Law of God as given through Moses and the Prophets was perfect and just. As I stated previous, that is why Paul concludes when speaking about being like a Gentile to win them over in 1 Corinthians 9:21: “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” I believe that Christ’s Law is that the Jews and Gentiles are ONE in Him (the members of Israel) and that we are to love each other (a Jew is to love the Gentile believer, and vice-versa). Many do not realize that THIS was one of the reasons He came.

1) “He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Yeshua (Jesus) would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together AND MAKE THEM ONE.” (John 11:51-52)
2) “HIS PURPOSE was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:15-16) The Jews (with all their laws and regulations that they added over time) were hostile to the Gentiles who desired to know the true God. God’s Laws were NEVER hostile to the believing alien that sojourned with them. On the contrary, the Laws of Moses were compassionate to those who were not physical descendants of Jacob, yet lived by faith. As we see, Yeshua’s purpose was to create in Himself, ONE new man out of the two.
3) This is why, when a believing Jew carries the burden of a believing Gentile (or vice-versa), they have fulfilled the Law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

The Law of Moses is eternal (“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” – Psalm 119:160) and one of the problems has always been man’s disobedience to it. (“the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” – Romans 8:7) That is what sin is: living without the Law: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” – 1 John 3:4. Therefore, God is going to help us. He, through the blood of His Son, is going to send the Spirit. The job of the Spirit? To write the Laws on our hearts and minds (“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares YHVH. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” – Hebrews 8:10) so that we understand and obey. THAT is sanctification and how He takes the sins away. Are you willing to let Him do His job? If not, you are not part of the “under Grace” crowd but still part of the those “not having the Law” group.

Study on- Under Law vs. Under Grace

We no longer have to obey God’s Laws because we are no longer
“… under law, but under grace.”
(Romans 6:14)

01 / 06 / 07
(NIV used)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

Every week, it seems, (by the prompting of His Spirit only), God allows me to cross paths with another child of God who is questioning the teachings of man. They desire the truth and know there is something missing in the “religion” of today … but they just don’t know what. I lovingly explain what is being found about how to express our love for God.

We are going to address one of the more difficult verses in Scripture. Remember, obedience is our way of displaying our faith in love; obedience is a way of showing we submit our lives to a Holy God. Let me state that these are simply my studies and I do not claim to have a corner on the truth. Warning: What I and so many others are finding often contradicts the teachings that many of us have been taught in our churches. I also realize that these devotions are NOT for everyone.

Okay … time to put on your mining gear and start digging! There’s a single piece of gold down there. Hang on … make sure your safety harnesses are on!

“We are not under the Law, but under Grace”

First … whenever we read Scriptures …. We must realize who was being addressed by the writer (For example: Romans, 1 Corinthians and Galatians were written to Gentiles who were coming to know the God of Israel and were confused by what some of the Jews were telling them.)

Second … we must understand the historical context. We must realize the animosity that existed between the Jews and the Gentiles. Many Jews, even those saved by faith in the Messiah, were demanding that the Gentiles had to obey God’s Laws in order to be part of Israel. The fact is … Salvation (being justified before God) was, is, and always will be ONLY by faith, and these faithful ones comprise Israel. Sanctification, though, (AFTER being justified by faith) is how we grow more in the likeness of our Savior.

- (If alive before the Messiah died, rose, and sent His Spirit) Sanctification was accomplished through the sacrificial system and the Laws given through Moses. If you sinned, you made a sacrifice. Enough times … well … maybe you would get it.
- (If alive after the death and resurrection of the Messiah, and the giving of His Spirit) Sanctification was / is accomplished through the Spirit. He is writing the same Laws on our hearts so that we can understand the truth and obey them.

Those who mentored and wrote to the Gentiles at this time (The Messiah being on earth) and soon after, always had a delicate situation. They knew that salvation was through faith, yet IF saved, obedience was the natural response and proof. What to do, what to do? They had a problem. We must understand a term that believers were called BEFORE the Son of God walked the earth. Listen carefully … Since the Law was given to Israel only and not to the entire world … they were called “those under the Law”. The rest of the world was not given the Law (It, like salvation, was always available to them, though.). But once an outsider joined themselves with Israel, they too, were given the gift of the Law … “You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am YHVH your God.” (Leviticus 24:22). These people were saved by faith, but were “under the Law” to sanctify them. In order to understand many Scriptures, we must understand that there are many types of Laws. Below is just a quick list of some of them:

- There are the Laws of Sacrifice. These Laws, like all the others, are for sanctification, NOT justification.
- There are the Laws for temple worshipping (clean and unclean, purity laws, etc…). These laws, such as touching a woman during her monthly period, had application only in regards to temple worship.
- There are the Laws of morality (Such as a son not being intimate with his mother, etc…)
- There are the Laws of how to live as a community (or as a nation of Israel).
- There are the Laws of how to live as an individual (How to love God and how to love your neighbor).
- There are also the “dogma” laws. These laws were the man-made laws, or added laws, that made God’s Laws difficult to see and obey. These were NOT given by God (These were the Laws that our Savior “nailed to the cross” and that were hostile to those desiring to come near to God.)

So let us not throw ALL the Laws into one big boiling pot. Instead, in order to be the children of God that He intended us to be, let us search: What law is being talked about?

MISUNDERSTOOD VERSES ABOUT “UNDER” (Okay, no pun intended) :

Now that we understand that a child of God was often referred to as being “under the law” and sacrificial system for his sanctification, Galatians 4:4 makes sense, since we also know that the Messiah HAD to come through the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is why it is written … “but when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law (He was born an Israelite … “Under the supervision of the Law”), to redeem those under law (He is redeeming His family!! Israel … believers living by faith in Him. He was NOT redeeming them from those “harsh laws of His Father”, as many believe. He was redeeming, or had come to pay the bride-price for His bride … us!), that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

Once we know which law is being spoken of, a new-found understanding follows. Most times, if not all, when “under the law” is used, it is speaking of Israel’s system of sanctification through the Law (written on stone tablets and, therefore, outside the heart) and the sacrifices. Isn’t the New Covenant (found in Hebrews 8:8-10 and prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-33) speaking about the Spirit of God living within the child of God? Isn’t the Spirit supposed to sanctify us now? Isn’t that what faith brings … faith being Christ? If the Spirit is writing the Laws on our heart … there is no more need for the laws of the sacrificial system of sanctification. That being true, Galatians 3:25 makes sense … “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Laws written on stone tablets)

The following is an often misunderstood verse. Paul is being the light of the Savior to three kinds of people. For example, I am different when I am with someone who is searching for the face of God than with someone who is walking in the ways of the Master. (I will even call the Savior ‘Jesus; when with the first group and Yeshua, when with the second group). Okay, back to Paul being everything to everybody … in 1 Corinthians 9:20 … “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not (The word “NOT” isn’t in the original text, but was added by the translator. This will be important later. Paul is clarifying that this is HIS group.) under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am NOT free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.”) Wow … a lot to look at. First, we must take note of what Paul said at the end of the verse. He made it clear that HE is NOT free from God’s Laws … but is now “under Christ’s law” (Christ’s Law is that the Jews and Gentiles are ONE and equal within Israel. They are brothers … that is why when a Jew carries a Gentile’s burden (or vice-versa) he has fulfilled the “Law of Christ” – Galatians 6:2) Interesting, eh? Okay … who are the three groups of people being spoken of in 1 Corinthians 9:20:

1.) Jews who were not living by faith, but obeying in hopes of their justification. (For instance, IF they wore a Kippah (the cap we see Jews wearing today), Paul would probably have worn one when around them. For it is NOT a sin to do so. But Paul became like them to win them to the truth.)
2.) Jews (or even the Gentiles) who were living by faith and were under the Laws and sacrificial system for their sanctification (of which Paul said that HE WAS, but now is revealing their new way of sanctification … the Law and Christ’s Sprit within them. He is simply revealing the Messiah to those who were waiting for Him.)
3.) Gentiles who were never given the laws and, therefore, did not know them. Paul then stated that, like the Master, he spent time with them, yet did NOT disobey God’s Laws (For neither he nor the Master were free from there Father’s Laws … and neither are we).

Okay … your turn … just to see if you understand (This is how we learn: a sort of “hands on” approach):

- “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For 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 2:12) Well? What did you find? Can you “reason” this one out, now that you know what “under” means? There are two people being spoken of … those outside of the family (perishing and were never given the Laws) … and those inside the family who were under the supervision of the law (they will be judged by their obedience … NOT for salvation, but placement within the gates of heaven. Another study, okay). Children of God are saved by faith, judged by our actions. What about the last part of the verse? It speaks directly to those who say we simply have to know the law now that the Spirit of God wrote it on our hearts. Does obeying God’s Law save us, then? NOT AT ALL! It, according to the verse, proves that we are saved and are “under (the supervision of) grace” – the Spirit.)

How did you do? Let’s try it again … isn’t this fun? If those under the law (before Christ) were children of God, then they were the light to the world, as we are the light to the world now. With that knowledge, let us try it again. Read Romans 3:19-20 and break it down. Why? Because you care to know God more! “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” Are you part of those being silenced … or are you on the other side? This verse is the proof that the Law is for the children of God only. By our obedience to it, the world will realize the truth at His coming and be held accountable before God. They will realize their sin through the Law that we, His children, are obeying. Are we saved by it? Not at all!! But it defines what sin is!

Again, to verify if the Spirit is doing the sanctifying work and that we are no longer under the supervision of the law: “But if you are lead by the spirit, you are not under law. (Galatians 5:18)

Now that we walked through these exercises … let us go back to the headline verse and see what is actually being talked about!! “For SIN shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!!” (Romans 6:14-15) It is their SIN. The question is “WHY” are you still involved in the detestable practices of your past life? He is exhorting the Gentiles! There is NO excuse for such behavior because you are now “under the supervision of the Spirit of the living God! You no longer have to depend upon your efforts, but God’s Spirit”! The Law is no longer on stone tablets that are outside of your heart, but they are INSIDE now, through the work of the Spirit.

LAST THOUGHTS:

So … sin is still sin … as defined by God’s Laws. We are now able to shed our sins with His Spirit … for it is His Spirit who is sanctifying us and whose supervision we are “under”. Because of this … “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? NOT AT ALL! Rather, we UPHOLD the law.” (ROMANS 3:31)

Just something to think about … as we are told to conform to HIS image (not vice-versa).