What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1-2 (NASB)
Lawlessness is the opposite side of the coin from legalism. Legalism and lawlessness are both forms of rebellion against God. Lawlessness rejects God’s standard of righteous living altogether. It fully embraces sin and gives free rein to the sin nature. Legalism, as we have seen, embraces God’s standard of righteousness but rejects God’s way of attaining it through faith in Christ.
When we first hear about how Jesus set us free from the power of condemnation, the carnal mind is tempted to draw the conclusion that we are now free to be lawless, or, as Paul put it in the verse above, “to continue in sin that grace may increase.” A person who thinks this way has not yet experienced the transformation of the mind through the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. The regenerated person receives a new heart that desires to serve God and be pleasing to him. The old nature inherited from Adam will always desire to sin; therefore, we should not be surprised when these sorts of thoughts occur to us. However, we must resist these temptations to believe a lie.
Spiritual maturity is the condition of thinking and living in harmony with God’s Spirit and Word.
God has not abandoned his desire for his people to live according to his ways. The only thing that has changed in the New Covenant is how we get there. The new way of the Spirit produces in us the obedience and purity of heart that the Law could not. All the Law can do it expose how far short we fall.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (NLT)
A distinguishing characteristic of those who serve God and those who refuse God is the fear of the Lord.
Part of the fear of the Lord is a regard for the consequences of our actions. Those who fear God fear his judgments against sin.
God’s born-again children should properly fear the Lord. We know that God loves us, and we love him back, but we still stand in awe of him and the discipline he may bring should we defy him.
A person who flaunts his or her sin is either not regenerated or still is yielding actively to the sin nature for some reason. Regardless of the reason, a lawless person embraces that which nailed Jesus to the cross. Such a person may be ignorant of the truth, or may be bitter or offended with God in some way, using that as an excuse for sin, or may be trying to cover up his or her pain by “self-medicating”. The answer for the unregenerate person is to put his or her faith in Christ and surrender to his lordship. This article is aimed at the born-again believer who still is living a lawless life.
“Walking in the Spirit” is a phrase Paul uses that describes the condition of allowing the Holy Spirit to live His life through us in such a way that makes us obedient and pleasing to God.
The gospel not only provides forgiveness: it also provides the power to live a new kind of life.
The best defense many times is a strong offense. If we actively seek after God by doing the things that promote deepening our relationship with him (worship, prayer, meditation on God’s Word, etc.), we are less likely to give ourselves over to sin.
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 (NLT) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 (NASB)
Walking in the Spirit produces an obedience that legalism cannot because it begins from a position of resting in our having already obtained God’s favor and blessing through Christ, instead of working to gain that favor through our performance.
If what we are doing is producing in us the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, etc.., we can be sure it because we are resting in God’s grace. Legalism, in contrast, is an attempt to gain God’s favor and blessing through our own performance, proving, so to speak, that we deserve it. Legalism cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. Usually it results in frustration, discouragement, pride, impatience, and judging others.
Walking in the Spirit makes us aware of God’s graciousness toward us and encourages us to show appreciation and love to the One Who has done so much for us.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:2-4 (NASB)
The only way obeying God is not a heavy burden is when our love and appreciation for him is coupled with his grace toward us through faith.
When Jesus lives through us, we can serve God willingly.
I believe our Lord described what this is like better than anyone else.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Refusing to let the Holy Spirit have His way in our lives is the fundamental sin of self-directed living.
When the Holy Spirit directs us, He also gives us the power to perform what He shows us to do; whereas, the Law leaves us to our own devices.
Jesus described our predicament under legalism as follows, speaking of the Pharisees who represented legalistic self-righteousness:
They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden. Matthew 23:4 (NLT)
Grace is God’s power via the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life.
The Christian’s highest calling in life is to bring glory and honor to God. Anything that dishonors God can never be a product of grace or true righteousness. Grace was never meant to be an excuse for sin or permission to sin. Quite the opposite, it is the reason we do not have to sin any more after being born again. Through our identification with Christ in His death, the sin nature lost its power to dominate or rule us.
Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace. Romans 6:14 (NLT)
The lawless Christian is deliberately yielding once again to the domination of sin, which is a contradiction of the efficacy of the cross. Such a person’s life is actively testifying to all who know him or her that the cross of Christ is powerless to deliver someone from sin.
What do you think God should do about that? The lawless Christian should be in fear and trembling, wondering what God may do to preserve the testimony of Christ.
How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:29-31 (NASB)
Since Christ took our punishment for sin on the cross, he is not required to punish us as our sin deserves any longer. (Psalm 103:10)
When God disciplines a lawless son or daughter, it is the stern love of a Father who wants the best for his child.
God will chasten or discipline a rebellious person with three ends in mind: (1) to draw us to himself in love, (2) to make our lives match the truth that the gospel sets people free, and (3) to transform us into Christ’s image and likeness. Everything God does is motivated by his love for us and will work for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)
God knows when to be gentle with us and when to be stern. (Romans 11:22)
Even though God’s mercy is great, sin is no light thing, and it is very unwise to put God in a position where He may need to do something drastic to preserve the integrity of his name and the gospel.
Living by grace requires that we walk in the tension created between knowing that God does not demand perfection from us in keeping “the rules,” but He does expect us to surrender our lives to him and make a sincere effort to walk in cooperation with and obedience to his Spirit.
Jesus has set us free from legalism and lawlessness so that we can bring glory to the Father through heartfelt obedience.
Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:5 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.
Questions for Further Study and Discussion
- Do you think that most believers are surprised when they discover that the “flesh” can never be rehabilitated?
- Can you describe how legalism and lawlessness are both examples of rebellion against God?
- How would you explain to someone that lawlessness in a Christian is a contradiction of the effectiveness of the cross of Christ and the truth of the gospel?
- Can you give an example of how an unbeliever might use the contradictory lifestyle of a lawless Christian as an excuse to reject the gospel?
- Does it make sense to you why God disciplines his children who are lawless?
