Sometimes I get questions in my inbox.
From tonight's email: """What is your take on this "law" question? Are we under law, or a portion of law, or what?"""

Here is how I answered *edited*:

"UNDER law" is an important phrase that carries alot of meaning. Specifically, that the jurisdiction of punishment is applicable to those that are "under law."

The 10 commands are found in Exodus 20 ... written by the finger of God. These laws are that which someone can be under and then again someone can appreciate / obey / want to obey even without being under them. I am not under the Law, for the jurisdiction of punishment does not apply to me.

I won't pretend to speak for anyone else, but I remember an online chat with a couple of people and the topic was obedience. So we were all agreeing that obedience is important and so on ... and I asked this question "AND WHAT if we are NOT obedient? What happens then?"

You can probably see where I was going with this question, can't you? I was seeing if we could make sure at this point that we are not putting ourselves under any law. So, if a reply came as some punishment or disapproval of us would result as an answer to that question, then it would indicate that someone is under law. OR, if there was no consequential punishment for disobedience, then it would indicate that we are not under law. Well, Emily said: "There is no "what if!"" In other words, there is no result / punishment ... for we KNOW that the full punishment for our sins were taken at Calvary ... and we have appropriated this to the utmost by faith and thankfulness.

So, in short we are not under law ... all of us, who have appropriated the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf as the full punishment for all of our sins ... past, present and future.

Those who are under law ... or even under religious obligation / expectation, indicate their faith is incomplete or wavering ... about the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to do this is a great offense to God ... as if to say that what was done when Jesus died was not good enough.

The cure is thankfulness. We do not continually ask for forgiveness, as if we lacked it. Rather we take every opportunity to thank Him for forgiveness. And more so, knowing that He loves us so much, we want to stumble less often and to offer ourselves as living sacrifices ... already forgiven, but reporting to Him with abandonment and love to do as He would ask us, knowing that His commands are not a burden with the divine-enabling (grace) given of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!

Ripening,
Trent

PS. The religious nuts who have perverted the law .. .and sought to put people under the law should not be the only ones talking about the law. In fact, we, who understand its use and practice obedience through grace, should take back ownership of the terms "law" and "obedience" for we are the only ones that understand it and use it correctly. Lets not shrink back from these blessings, just because some jerk used them in a perverted way to make them as burdens and a curse. ... my two cents.