Law and Grace. This cannot be sum up in Romans 6 alone. We need to look at the scripture verses in context and what chapters are before and after.
We also need to refer to other books in the bible to establish the difference between grace and law. Like what my pastor always says "Christ is in the old concealed and Christ is in the new revealed."
Romans 6:15 "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"
Law and grace cannot co-exist as seen in Romans 4:14-16. "For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect because the law brings about wrath for where there is no law there is no transgression. THEREFORE, it is of faith that it might be ACCORDING to GRACE ..."
Stepping back to Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law NO FLESH will be JUSTIFIED in His sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Drop down to Romans 3:23-24 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified FREELY by His GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Clearly, law and grace cannot co-exist. Believers who are trying to balance law and grace in their lives are in dangerous waters.
Looking at Romans 7:4 "Therefore my brethren you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another-to Him who was raised from the dead that we should bear fruit to God.
This is clearly revealed in the story of Ruth and Boaz in the book of Ruth 4. In vs.2, Boaz took 10 men of the elders of the city to ask them if they will redeem the land, redeem Ruth and marry her.
These 10 men represents the Ten Commandments. Boaz represents Jesus. Boaz is more than willing to redeem Ruth and take her as his wife. This beautiful story shows that the law cannot redeem us only Christ can.
We can further read this in Romans 7:1-6. Continuing onto Romans 8:2-3 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
For WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh." The Word of Christ states very clearly that the law can never redeem us from sin.
Let's look at Colossians 2:13-14 "....He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
What is the handwriting of requirements? This handwriting of requirements actually refers to the Ten Commandments written on Mount Sinai by the fingers of God.
This is stated in Exodus 34:1 "And the LORD said to Moses,"Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke."
The LORD himself has taken the law out of the way and nailed it to the cross of Calvary. God Himself found fault with the old covenant which is the law. Instead the LORD Himself will write the laws on our hearts. This can be read in Hebrews 8:7-13.
The law since the time it's been given out at Mount Sinai demands yearly sacrificial offerings. This is in Hebrews 10:1 "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of the things, can NEVER with these same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year make those who approach perfect."
Dropping down to Hebrews 10:12 " But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God." Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice. Because His sacrifice is perfect, that is why He sat down. In the Old Testament, the Levitical priests can never sit down. They need to stand in the Tabernacle as they minster before the LORD day and night.
The whole chapter of Hebrews 10 also points out that we cannot come to God by the law. The ONLY way to approach the throne of God is by the blood of Jesus. There is just no other way.
What the law cannot do, Grace has done it all. Grace is not a doctrine. Grace is a person and that Person is Christ Jesus.
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