One of the recurring debates among believers is whether Christians are obligated to keep the law after they’ve been saved. While it’s universally acknowledged that salvation is a gift of grace received through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or adherence to the law, the question arises: What role, if any, does the law play in the life of a believer after salvation? Even among grace churches, I hear preaching that by being a new creation in Christ Jesus, we are now capable to keep the law, and we should keep it.

In this blog post, we’ll see if that is true.

The Law was not even for you, Gentiles

To understand the role of the law, it’s important to first recognize to whom it was given. The Mosaic Law was specifically given to the Jewish people, not to Gentiles. Romans 2:14 highlights this distinction: “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves.” This verse clarifies that the law was not imposed upon Gentiles; they were never under its jurisdiction. Therefore, for Gentile believers, the law was never theirs to keep in the first place.

So next time your Pastor gives you a hard time to keep the law, just flash your Ancestory.com results and tell them you’ve got international exemption!

Most misunderstand the Law

A key misunderstanding about the law is its purpose. The law was never intended as a means to achieve righteousness. Instead, it was given to reveal sin and the need for a Savior. Paul writes in Galatians 3:24-25, “The law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

So even if it were possible to follow the law perfectly, it would not result in righteousness. Romans 3:20 makes this clear: “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law, we become conscious of our sin.” The law functions as a mirror, showing us our sinful nature and our need for redemption through Christ. It diagnoses the problem but does not provide the cure.

Why was the Law given?

So why was the law given? The law served several specific purposes within God’s plan, all of which were fulfilled in Christ:

• Accountability to God: Romans 3:19-20 explains that the law holds the world accountable to God by highlighting sin, because of which God can say “All have sinned” (Rom 3:23).
• Control of Transgressions: Galatians 3:19 notes that the law was added to control transgressions until the coming of Christ.
• Increasing Awareness of Sin: Romans 5:20 states that the law was introduced so that sin might increase, making humanity more aware of its inability.

These purposes demonstrate that the law was designed to show that they were incapable to saving themselves, so that it would direct people to Christ, who would fulfill its requirements and offer a new way to righteousness, which is His righteousness by faith.

So that means even if you try to keep all the law, it doesn’t maintain or gain any righteousness.

We are NOT under the law

Even if we were a Jew, once we believed, Paul clearly teaches that we are no longer under the law. In Romans 7:4, he writes, “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” This passage emphasizes that believers have died to the law and are now alive in Christ. Their lives are to be guided by the Spirit, not by adherence to the law.

Moreover, Gal 5:18 says that we are “freed from the Law” and in Rom 7:6 it says that “we have been released from the Law”. Finally, in Romans 10:4, it says that Christ is the end of the law. (Read more here).

This makes it loud and clear that if you are in Christ, you are not under the law.

But brother, I want to keep the law

A friend of mine was so particular about keeping the law. He was adamant that now as believers we have to keep the law, and if you do not keep the law, you are done for. He would try his best to keep the law. He would not eat unclean animals, and try to keep the 10 commandments.

But then, I noticed that he would go out on Saturday, would wear multi-fabric clothing, which was confusing, because the law forbids that. I was thinking “Dude, you have already broken the law”. Soon, I figured that what he meant was that he wants to keep the moral law.

Moral law is also Law

Now what is the moral law? The moral law is a theological term which the Theologians came up with. They divided the law into two, which is the moral law and ceremonial laws. The ceremonial laws is all about the sacrifices, rituals, festivals, which people had to do keep in the old covenant. The moral law, on the other hand is basically the behavioural part, attitude part, which is the 10 commandments, well minus the Sabbath commandment. So 9 commandments.

So the people, like my friend, who proudly say, that we have to still keep the law, are really referring to keeping these 9 commandments or the moral law. They say that you have to keep these still or else..

But hold on, we have a problem here. Firstly, the Bible never divides it into moral and ceremonial, but rather it says Law. You cannot keep 9 laws and ignore the remaining 604. James 2:10 warns, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” The law is an all-or-nothing proposition. If you attempt to follow it, you must do so perfectly. Failure to keep any part of it results in guilt. This is why relying on the law for righteousness is not only impossible but also places one under the curse mentioned in Galatians 3:10.

Plus, when Paul said that we are not under the law, he included even the moral law. For instance, when he spoke of the law in Rom 7:7-12, he was referring to the “You shall not covet” commandment, which is one of the 9, which is a moral law. Referring to this law, Paul says –

Romans 7:7-9: What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;

So Paul is referring to the moral law, against covetousness as part of the Law, and he is clearly saying that “apart from the Law sin is dead”.

So when you are saying you still want to keep the law, you are playing with fire, because in 2 Corinthians 3:7-10, Paul contrasts the “ministry of death,” which is the law, with the “ministry of the Spirit.” The law, while glorious in its revelation of God’s standards, ultimately brings death because it condemns those who cannot keep it perfectly. In contrast, the ministry of the Spirit, given through Christ, brings life and surpasses the glory of the law. The law shows us our sin, but the Spirit empowers us to live in righteousness.

What does it mean to say that we are not under the law?

Often after arguing against the law, people think that I am advocating for living in sin. As a matter of fact, I am not.

Am I saying to go on and sin? No. We need to live holy, and to live holy, grace is the only answer. We should allow Christ to express from within into all our actions and activities. Because, having been crucified with Christ (Rom 6) and being dead to sin, it is difficult for us to sin, and easier for us to express Christ.

You may say it is impossible, but this is the gospel. There are many areas where unknowingly you do the same. A few years ago, in India, a law was passed that adultery is not a crime anymore. Let’s say as soon as the law was repealed, and I would start getting jittery and anxious, and I am worried that this is a license given by the government for me to commit adultery, what does that say about my marriage? What does that say about the real state of affairs between me and my wife, if that law was the one that stopped me from committing adultery. It is a sorry state. The truth is that, I don’t take it as a license because I dont want to commit adultery, and that is not who I am, and I love my wife. This is exactly what God did. He extended grace for us so that we should live wholeheartedly for him, though the law is not applicable for us.

Some people may still say that it is better to have a mix of law and grace so that people won’t go wayward. I beg to differ because if Christ said that the answer to our sin is grace, who am I to create a new version? Think about the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus offered grace, and then told her to sin no more. He let her go. But what if she was caught in adultery again the next day. They would have pointed fingers at him. But this is what grace does, it frees people of sin.

Churches who preach the most performance based, law based, rule keeping-Christianity often have the most rudest, and vile attitude believers. They are the ones that fall into the most scandals and immorality, because the law which they are upholding so dearly is doing what it does, it increases sin (Rom 5:20).

Conclusion: Living in the Freedom of Grace

In conclusion, while the law played a crucial role in God’s plan, it is not the path to righteousness for believers in Christ. Salvation is by faith alone, and once saved, believers are called to live by the Spirit, not by the law. Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 5:1 sums it up well: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Dear brothers and sisters, embrace the freedom you have in Christ. Live not under the burden of the law but in the glorious liberty of His grace, allowing His Spirit to guide you in all righteousness.