🕊️ Understanding the Law, Sin, Grace & the Gospel — A Biblical Perspective
In today’s world, many believers find themselves confused when trying to reconcile God’s Law with the grace we’ve received through Jesus Christ...
Some ask: If sin is breaking the law, and we’re no longer under the law, then what is sin?
Why do we still need grace?
These are important questions—and God’s Word has clear, loving answers.
This post is written to help us better understand the beautiful connection between the law, sin, grace, and the good news of the gospel—with Christ at the center.
⸻ 📖 What Is Sin?
Let’s begin with what Scripture says:
1 John 3:4 (NIV) – “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”
The Bible defines sin as lawlessness. But this raises the question—which law are we talking about?
The Old Testament includes:
• Moral law – God’s unchanging standard of right and wrong (e.g., the Ten Commandments)
• Ceremonial law – Laws about sacrifices, rituals, and temple worship
• Civil law – Legal guidelines for Israel as a theocratic nation The law served to expose sin and point us to our need for a Savior.
⸻ ✝️ Jesus Fulfilled the Law
Matthew 5:17 (NIV) – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Jesus didn’t come to throw out the law. He came to fulfill it perfectly. The sacrificial system and ceremonial practices all pointed forward to Him. Now that He has come, believers are no longer under the old covenant but under a NEW and better one through His blood.
Romans 10:4 (NIV) – “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
This doesn’t mean the moral character of God changed...far from it. It means that righteousness is no longer attained by keeping the law, but by trusting in Christ.
⸻ 🕯️ Why This Matters
When we misunderstand the role of the law today, we may fall into two traps:
• Thinking we are still bound by the entire Mosaic Law, including ceremonial and civil commands
• Or, mistakenly thinking that grace gives us a license to sin
Both are distortions of the gospel.
⸻ 🕊️ We Are Saved by Grace, Not Law
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Romans 6:14 (NIV) – “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” The law shows us our need for a Savior—it cannot save us. Salvation is a gift, not a reward for rule-keeping.
⸻ 💡 Does This Mean the Law Is Useless? Not at all.
The law is still holy and good. It reveals the righteousness of God and our need for Him. But our relationship to the law has changed.
Galatians 3:24–25 (NIV) – “So 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.”
⸻ ❤️✝️ Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law Jesus summed up the law in two commands:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.”
– Matthew 22:37-40
Romans 13:10 (NIV) – “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
We don’t keep God’s commands to earn salvation—WE WALK IN LOVE because we’ve been SAVED BY GRACE.
His Spirit empowers us to live holy, set-apart lives—not through striving, but through surrender.
⸻ 📣 A Word of Encouragement
The gospel is not about trying harder, but trusting deeper. Jesus fulfilled the law, bore our sin, gave us grace, and sent His Spirit to dwell in us. Now, we live not under a burden of rules, but in the freedom of Christ...with hearts transformed by His love.
Galatians 5:1 (NIV) – “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.”
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