The Constant Church of God presents clear answers to your questions, directly from the Bible!

Theologians, ministers, religious scholars all claim that the Bible says a Christian does not have to keep God’s Ten Commandments because now he is under grace.

They point to Paul’s epistle in Romans chapter 6 and verse 14.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.

There has been a lot of speculation by the highly educated teachers and scholars of traditional Christianity about what this verse is saying.

But we are only interested in what God actually says in His flawless, indisputable word, the Bible.

Not the opinions and interpretations of human beings.

Does the Bible say grace does away with keeping God’s law?

To answer that question, let’s first define what grace is.

In this verse in the book of Romans, Paul is referring to grace as God’s unmerited kindness, mercy or undeserved pardon and forgiveness.

Grace then is a free gift from God!

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace.

Unmerited pardon and forgiveness?

From what?

From sin!

We broke God’s law.

His Ten Commandments!

We sinned.

Paul himself stated that ALL have sinned.

As a result, we are all under the penalty of the law.

DEATH!

In Romans chapter 6 and verse 15, Paul wrote this:

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Paul emphatically says we are not to continue in sin simply because we have been given God’s unmerited, unearned pardon.

We are not given a license to continue in a life of lawlessness and law-breaking because now we are under grace.

Notice what the same apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6 and verse 12.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Lawlessness, breaking God’s law, that life of sin must no longer dominate our lives!

Verse 13.

13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

We have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

He paid the ransom for our lives.

We are no longer on death row.

So now, we yield to God and become LAW-ABIDING people!

No longer doers of evil, but doers of righteousness.

Because our way of life has now changed.

We do good to those who hate us and persecute us.

We don’t fight back.

We return good for evil.

We love our enemies.

And that is a way of life that is contrary to everything, every way, every behavior that this world prescribes.
So now, verse 14 becomes crystal-clear!

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Why does sin no longer dictate, dominate and reign over our lives?

Because now we’re UNDER God’s gift of GRACE!

Under HIS unmerited pardon, kindness and mercy.

Upon sincere and heartfelt repentance, we have been forgiven of our sins.

The death penalty has been removed.

Under the law, then, should be more properly understood as being under the PENALTY of the law!

Because of God’s grace, we are no longer under the death penalty that’s automatically triggered when we break God’s law!

Does this mean that the law of God — His Ten Commandments — is done away?

Does this mean that we are free to live however we please, breaking God’s laws without fear of any penalties or consequences?

Paul’s answer is emphatic, direct and to the point.

GOD FORBID!

What Paul is saying is very different from what supposedly learned people say he meant.

Being under grace does not do away with God’s law.

Just like a criminal who is pardoned and released from prison.

If he commits another crime, he will end up in prison once again.

Just because he’s been pardoned does not mean he has the right to break the law.

And so, the entire chapter — Romans chapter 6 — shows that being under grace does not give us the license to sin by violating God’s commandments.

Rather, obeying, abiding by, walking in God’s ways, keeping God’s commandments is now OUR way of life!

The way of life that leads to eternal life.

This is Ross Abasolo with the Constant Church of God.

Join us again next time to hear more about what the Bible actually says!