What Does Romans 6:14 Mean?
Rom 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
First, it does not mean:
1) You are not under law to Christ (1 Cor.9:
2) You have no commandments to keep (1 John 2:3)
3) You are not obligated to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. You are. Rom.8:1-3
What it means is:
1) Sin can have no dominion (condemning control and rule) over you (Christians) because:
a. You are not under mere law or a system where law has the only voice or say about your condition.
b. You have been pardoned by the blood of Christ offered for you by the grace of God and you entered into this grace through faith in Jesus, being baptized into His death (Rom.6:4).
c. You are under this system of grace and you left the former system where law had the only legal say about your standing before Holy justice.
d. You entered the system of grace where a legal substitute has bought your pardon.
2) Righteousness has dominion now because:
a. You have become a willing servant of righteousness( Rom.6:6ff), and
b. You have an advocate with the Father when you need further pardon at any time.
Under grace we have all the tools we need to overcome the Accuser(Rev.12:10f). Before our conversion to Jesus we were separated from God and condemned under law. Law was all we had and law does not pardon or have the power to pardon. Sin and condemnation have the upper hand, the dominion. After our conversion to Jesus Christ, we have the means of pardon and the provisions of power to deal effectively with sin and have the rule and dominion over it.
Grace provides wonderful things, but it does not allow us to continue in sin (Rom.6:1f). It frees us FROM sin, but not TO sin. Without Christ a Jew is under law. Law is all he has and mere law has no power to pardon. It only testifies against the Jew as a sinner. Sin has dominion because all the Jew has is law that does not justify but condemns. There is a way for him to leave the situation of being under law and condemnation, and come under grace. But, that is through faith in Jesus. If he does not take the way offered in Christ, he remains under law and condemnation. Without Christ a Gentile is under law. His internal law is all he has, and mere law has no power to pardon. It only testifies against him as a sinner. Sin has dominion just as with the Jew. The source and nature of law may be different in his case, but since it is all he has, it still condemns him. The only way out for him is the same as with the Jews, through faith in Jesus Christ. When one becomes a Christian, they are out from under a law-only situation. They are out from under law that points out sin and leaves us dominated with guilt and condemnation. They have entered grace that provides pardon and leaves them dominated with freedom from guilt and condemnation. They willingly become slaves of righteousness and do not desire to continue in sin. They are under grace that teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts (Tit.2:12f). Grace provides a different kind of law, a law of liberty and pardon while calling for righteous standards of behavior.
What does Galatians 3:21 mean?
Gal 3:21- Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Law cannot give life. Law can only point out sin. Righteousness or right relation to God comes through the provisions promised in Jesus. Adam Clarke observes:
If any law or rule of life could have been found out that would have given life-saved sinners from death, and made them truly happy, then righteousness-justification, should have been by that law.
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary)
But, that is not what law does. Regarding the Greek text the UBS Handbook Series comments of this verse:
Already he has said that the Law functions as showing what wrongdoing is (verse 19), and later he takes up other functions of the Law: as teacher (verses 23-25) and as guardian (Gal 4:1 ff.). But the function of the Law is not the same as the function of the promise. The function of the promise is to bring life. If the Law could do that, then it would be competing with the promise. But the Law cannot bring life, because it was not given for such a purpose.
And also:
What Paul is saying, then, is: If there is a law that could put men right with God, then eternal life could be achieved through law. In this sense one may often translate as "could cause men really to live," or "could cause men to share the life that comes from God" (as a reference to "spiritual life").
(from the UBS Handbook Series. Copyright © 1961-1997, by United Bible Societies.)
Law does not serve that purpose and does not have that capability. Therefore, we need more than what mere law, any mere law, can provide. That is why the promise was needed. It pointed to something (someone) Who could provide what mere law could not. Jesus provides what mere law never could. Does this mean that we are without any law now? No! But, under Christ we do not have mere law. We have the provisions of pardon, forgiveness of sins, based upon the blood of Jesus Christ. Are we under law to Christ? Absolutely! Are we under mere law? Absolutely not! Are we free to sin? Absolutely not!
Terry W. Benton
