Hollow religion says a written code of commandments is needed in order to reduce sin and increase morality. There is just one problem with this approach … it’s the precise opposite of what Scripture reveals to us.
The law came for a purpose - to increase the trespass … not to reduce it. It’s only by grace and the gift of righteousness found in Jesus Christ that will allow for us to reign in life.
Legalists who believe God’s grace needs to be balanced with a law of works will instinctively jump to the misguided conclusion that we grace renegades are encouraging people to break commandments from the Old Covenant and that sinning doesn’t matter. They are stuck in a religious trap which assumes law decreases sin and that grace inspires people to sin. It’s the precise opposite of what Scripture has revealed through the gospel. There is a reason why sin has no dominion over us in Christ, and the law has nothing to do with it.
“For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions” (1 Timothy 1:6-7).
If you’ve ever attended church for any length of time, it’s likely you’ve been taught to buy into a belief system that has blended law and grace together. Your mindset has been trained to filter the Bible through this perspective.
This approach to the gospel is an insult to the blood of Jesus and the finished work of the cross. It sprouts self-righteousness and does not lead to a greater knowledge of the truth.
The majority of Sunday sermons have established a mindset within believers that the gospel is based upon old covenant law being merged together with new covenant grace. Some things are not compatible and just don’t mix well together. The wrong combination of various liquids will either resist each other and refuse to blend or could even create toxicity. Law and grace are not compatible with each other and were never meant to be commingled.
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
Frequently we’ll find church doctrines and teachings encouraging believers to cling to a law of works, found within the commandments of the Old Covenant. The problem with this? New Covenant writings reveal why the law was given to Israel (and not to us who are Gentiles). Those commands within the law caused sin to increase (not decrease). It was a ministry that killed and condemned. The law demanded perfection but was powerless to provide the ability to attain it. It once had glory, but came to an end, where the glory faded, and now has no glory at all. Why? Because of the surpassing glory ministry of the Spirit of God, which replaced the requirements written on ink and on stone. We are now in the life of Christ, we’re empowered by the Spirit of Grace where new life flows and the fruit of the Spirit is produced, apart from the works of the law.
In reference to the New Covenant, you may have been told that God would put his law, commandments and statutes in our minds and write them on our hearts. However, in the same passage, God declared the New Covenant would not be like the one made with Israel when they were delivered out of Egypt. Since the old law brought death, condemnation and increased sin, why would God choose to write it on our hearts, since it could not provide life or righteousness to us? There was a change of law with the new priesthood of Jesus Christ, and it brought a new heart to us with a new ministry that would far surpass the old way.
In reference to the New Covenant, you may have been told that God would put his law, commandments and statutes in our minds and write them on our hearts. However, in the same passage, God declared the New Covenant would not be like the one made with Israel when they were delivered out of Egypt. Since the old law brought death, condemnation and increased sin, why would God choose to write it on our hearts, since it could not provide life or righteousness to us? There was a change of law with the new priesthood of Jesus Christ, and it brought a new heart to us with a new ministry that would far surpass the old way.