Free from law

Free from law

According to Romans we are not bound by the law but by grace. But obviously we still have to follow certain laws (such as the ten commandments, no homosexuality, etc), but how do we differintiate what laws to follow and what laws not to? Obviously many of the laws were specific to the Jews and not intended for the gentiles. There are laws to govern how to cut your beard, law that says not to eat meat sacrificed to idols (though later Paul says this is ok though if it causes a weaker brother to stumble then we shouldn't do it), and not to lie. Any thoughts?
 
Goldenroad - Jesus didn't abolish the law He fulfilled it and when you and I walk with Him He leads us in all truth- as a new creation we do by nature what is written in the law- we are not bound by rules and regulations but in truth the Spirit of God now leads us and He won't cause us to contradict His Word. We are a natural fulfillment of the law (when viewed from God's perspective ) as Ezekial's prophecy states :

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Christ living in us and expressing His life thru us will quite naturally fulfill all God's commandments so quit worrying about specifics and keep your eyes on Him !
 
IMO, Paul was not talking about freedom from rules, but knowing that just following the law will not lead to salvation. Prior to his encounter, he fervently followed the law. It was his job to enforce it, and he thought he was doing right, and was justified. But he was bound by a set of rules. Rules that often defined actions, attire, and other ornate methods to come to salvation. But he was bound by those rules.

I like to compare it to the concept of holiness. Simply put, it's very, very hard to follow rules that do not allow you to do things that you desperately want to. If you can follow them, then you are a prisoner to them and will be miserable. But, it is possible to not WANT to disobey. Then, you are simply serving God, not disobeying or even caring about rules exactly. It's easy for me to avoid drugs, because I have no desire for them, and never have. But much harder for someone who has strayed down that path already. But, such a person can also become so cold towards drugs, that they would rather die than fall into it again.
 
Just to expand a bit on Boanerges reference, the text can be found in Matthew 5:17-18 (KJV), " 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 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.


ALL of the old law, EXCEPT the blood sacrifice laws (which were nailed to the cross with Christ) are still in effect. This may surprise some new Christians, but the words of Christ are quite clear.
 
Goldenroad the important thing to remember is YOU CAN"T KEEP THE LAW- you will never live up to God's holy standard in your own strength, that is why we have righteousness imputed to us and in God's eyes "we are the righteousnes of God in Christ" - when we "walk in the Spirit we will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh" - we take each step trusting Him- as new creations we don't want to kill, steal, covet etc. but do not try to live by regulations but live your life by abiding in the vine- this is were all life and goodness flows from-
Romans chapter 7 declares
Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Rom 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Rom 7:7 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.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 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.

as we die to our old life and become renewed in our minds we are sanctified and walk His truth- but righteousness is imputed.
 
Just to expand a bit on Boanerges reference, the text can be found in Matthew 5:17-18 (KJV), " 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 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.


ALL of the old law, EXCEPT the blood sacrifice laws (which were nailed to the cross with Christ) are still in effect. This may surprise some new Christians, but the words of Christ are quite clear.

Gosh! In that case my dad sins all the time when he doesn't cut his beard correctly.

Consider the instance where the church was struggling with whether or not it was okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Paul responded that it is not wrong to eat this meat but it is wrong if it causes a weaker brother to stumble. (my point is that this law is not still in effect and doesn't have anything to do with blood sacrifices).
 
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 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:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 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.
This kind of says it all.
 
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