Romans 6:14, “…for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Grace is defined as “unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sactification.” Grace is God giving us mercy when we don’t deserve it, so that we can be forgiven.
Years ago, before Jesus came to die for our sins, the Israelites were commanded to keep the Judicial Law. These were commandments for all of the people of Israel. In the law it told which types of animals that they could or could not eat. They were allowed to eat animals that had a split hoof, and chewed the cud (such as goats), but they could not eat hares (rabbits). They could eat anything in the waters that had scales or fins, but those creatures that didn’t were forbidden to eat. If you look in Leviticus 11, there are many more animals that were either allowed or forbidden to be eaten.
There were commandments concerning sacrifices. Certain animals had to be offered for certain sins. On the sabbath day, you were forbidden walking more than a certain distance. On the sabbath, no work was supposed to happen. There were certain things you needed to do to your pots and silverware to cleanse them. You were not supposed to wear clothes that contained different materials used to make them.
There are so many laws and rules in the Old Testament. There were so many laws and things to follow, that no one on earth was able to keep them all. Except one. Jesus. When He came to the earth, He was the first and only one to keep every law. But why would God create so many laws if only Jesus was the only one who would be able to keep them?
The Old Testament laws were created to show us that we are not perfect, that we are all sinners. The laws were created to show us that we cannot get to heaven on our own. They were made to show us that we need a Savior.
Once you broke a law, you needed to offer a sacrifice. But they were only a covering for a time. Animal sacrifices only covered your sin, not take them away. Jesus came and gave Himself for the world to be our sacrifice, so that all we need to do is come to Him to be forgiven. He took away all the Judaic laws, and made it simpler. Instead of all those many, many commandments and laws, He makes it far simpler. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34
Romans 7 is filled with verses about how we are free from the Old Testament laws. I’m only going to write down a few of them here, but you can read them for yourself.
Romans 7:6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Romans 7:14-17, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not: but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
The law was there to show us our sins. Romans 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.” Now we are under the law of grace, the New Testament.
It’s in the New Testament that Jesus teaches us the easier way. Jesus wants to make it easier for us. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29.)
So instead of pages upon pages of reading all of the laws, it is all concised down to one verse. “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Galatians 5:14.
Thank you, Jesus, for giving us grace and making it easier for us.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 