What is Paul saying to us here?
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14, KJV)
To understand this verse, we must take it in the context that it was written in, using the principles of Bible study given in Isaiah 28:10-13, keeping … precept upon precept, … line upon line, … here a little, and there a little … See this post on that study. Also, we need to remember that God did not give His Commandments that were written in stone, only to have them done away with when Jesus died for our sins.
When we read the Book of Romans, we soon learn that it is teaching us about a life lived free from sin.
Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20, KJV).
Jesus did not come to destroy the law of God, but to fulfil. Jesus came to give us life. The Commandments, when kept by faith, connect us to the life given to us through Christ Jesus. When we sin, sin has a punishment of death. Which the Lamb of God came to set us free from. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2, KJV).
Therefore, this verse, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14, KJV), is teaching us that we are, those that keep the law of God, by faith, are no longer under the law of sin and death, but are now under grace that sets us free from the law of sin and death.
Paul started chapter 6 of Romans, by saying “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2, KJV). Chapter 6 is a continuation of chapter 5. Which in part reads,
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12, KJV).
“(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13, KJV).
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20-21, KJV).
When we continue to read the Chapters of the Book of Romans, we come to these verses in chapter 7 which reads, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24-25, KJV).
It also says that “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” (Romans 7:12, KJV) … “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:” (Romans 7:22, KJV).
In the Book of Romans, it talks about two laws. The law of God, which is holy, just, and good, and the law of sin and death. It is the law of sin and death, that Christ come to vindicate us from. Christ died and rose again, setting us free from the law of sin and death. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2, KJV). Yet this is not at the destruction of God’s Commandment laws. For they are holy, just, and good. Also, it is something we must choose for ourselves. It is a gift, yet we must freely take hold of that gift by faith and walk in that newness of life. See Romans 6:4, 23. Ephesians 2:8.
Romans teaches us about the struggles against sin, yet it also teaches us of deliverance from the law of sin and death. It also teaches that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.
God’s law, which is holy, just, and good, helps us to see the need of the Gift through Christ Jesus, which sets us free from the laws of sin and death. Yet Satan wants people to believe that the commandments of God, which is holy, just, and good, was done away with, so they are never freed from the law of sin and death. Which I may add, was the choice Satan made for himself. Therefore, in his hate towards Christ Jesus, Satan is working hard to bind as many as he can to the law of sin and death, which Jesus came to set us free from. We must not fall into the traps of the enemy, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7, KJV). Remembering, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12, KJV).
Through Christ Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit, which is a seal to the promise of life, life eternal. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2, KJV) … “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11, KJV). Also read Ephesians 4:30.
The law of God cannot safe us, the law of God is there to help us to see our need of a Saviour. It is like looking in a mirror, we see we have a hole in our tooth when looking into the mirror, yet the mirror cannot fix the hole in our tooth for us, it must be fix by the one who is able to fix the hole for us. It is the same with the law of God. The law also teaches us to love God and love our fellow man. We can only do this in a Spirit filled life through Christ Jesus. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:3-6, KJV).
The Book of Galatians teaches the same precepts as the book of Romans. The law cannot save us, yet through Christ Jesus we live in the Spirit and when we live in the Spirit we walk in the Spirit. The Spirit of God, only works in God’s will. Note Romans 8:27, and what the Spirit of God said by Zechariah in 2 Chronicles 24:20, which has always been from the beginning of sin, when we transgress the commandments of God. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4. Therefore, when we keep God’s law, the Ten Commandments, we walk in the Spirit of God and not in the flesh. When we walk in the flesh, we break the Commandment laws of God. Read Galatians 5:16-26. When we keep the law of God, by faith, through Christ Jesus, we walk in the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit which has no law against it, is in us. God’s Law has the fruit of the Spirit when kept, for the law is love, when kept from the heart by faith, it gives us joy and peace. We learn by the law in the Spirit to be longsuffering, having gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
The law helps us to see, the works of the flesh. Without the law we cannot know what sin is. Remember that when there is no law, sin is not imputed. See (Romans 5:13, KJV). The best way to explain imputed, is that it has no account to, or charge. Example, if there was no law regarding speeding while driving, how can we be charged for speeding in our vehicle in a 60-zone? In fact, if no speeding laws are in place, we can never be accountable for speeding, and the 60-zone speed limit has no meaning, and we have no knowledge of its meaning, nor could a 60 zone speed limit exist. Because there is no speeding law, in this example, how can there be an existing speeding limit. The reality is there are speed limit laws, therefore we are accountable to those laws when we break them. Therefore, because we have the law of God from His Word, we know there is law against killing, we are accountable if we kill someone. If we don’t keep the seventh day Sabbath Holy, we are accountable for it. If we have other gods in our life, we are accountable for breaking the law that says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3. Romans 7:7 also explains it the same way, “What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Note that Romans 3:20, says, “… for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The book of James teaches us that we are not to be hearers only, but doers of the perfect law of liberty. Please read James chapter 1 and 2. James chapter 2 is very clear, verse 17 says, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” And verse 20 of chapter 2 of James says, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” and verse 26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. The law of God still stands, for the law of liberty is holy, Just, and good. Do not fight against God’s law, walk in them, it is God’s law.
Because we walk in the law of God, filled with the Spirit of God, which is given through Christ Jesus, sin shall not have dominion over us: for we are not under the law, meaning law of sin and death, but under grace that sets us free from the law of sin and death. Note Romans 6:14. The only law we are not under is the law of sin and death, that is when we walk in the law of God, law of liberty, law of the Spirit, which is the same law, we are free from the law of sin and death. Yet if we choose not to give our hearts fully to God, and walk not in His law, we sadly walk in the law of sin and death.
My request is that we prayerfully read the book of Romans, with the understanding that God’s law is holy, just, and good, which sets us at liberty. When reading Romans, remember these verses in Revelation, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12, KJV) … “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.” (Revelation 22:14, KJV).
God be with you all.
Open The Light Studies 