The Balance of Law and Grace—Freedom in Christ
For many believers, the Ten Commandments stand as the pinnacle of godly living—a set of rules to strive toward in order to please God and live a righteous life. This view seems noble, even biblical, but when we dig deeper into Scripture, we find something far more liberating.
The New Covenant doesn’t call us to live by the letter of the law but to walk in the freedom of grace. This isn’t about disregarding the moral truths of the Ten Commandments; rather, it’s about understanding their purpose and finding true righteousness through our union with Christ. Let’s explore how law and grace work together and why living by grace—not striving under the law—is the life God intends for us.
The Law’s Purpose: To Lead Us to Christ
The law, including the Ten Commandments, was given to reveal God’s holiness and our inability to achieve it on our own. Paul explains:
"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20).
The law acts as a mirror, showing us our sin and our desperate need for a Savior. It was never intended to be a means of earning righteousness but to point us to the One who could provide it—Jesus Christ.
Paul writes in Galatians 3:24:
"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
The law had a specific role, but once we come to Christ, its job is done.
Jesus Fulfilled the Law
When Jesus declared, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17), He wasn’t calling us to continue striving under the law. Instead, He was announcing that He had accomplished everything the law required on our behalf.
On the cross, Jesus bore the condemnation of the law so that we could be set free:
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4).
His death and resurrection ushered in a New Covenant, one based not on our ability to keep the law but on His finished work.
Grace: The New Way of Living
Under the New Covenant, we are no longer bound by the law’s demands. Paul explains:
"But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter" (Romans 7:6).
This doesn’t mean we live without moral boundaries; rather, our lives are now governed by the Spirit. The Spirit empowers us to live out the love and righteousness that the law pointed toward but could never produce.
The Danger of Mixing Law and Grace
Many well-meaning believers try to balance grace and law by living under grace for salvation but turning back to the law for sanctification. This hybrid approach undermines the freedom Christ purchased for us and leads to legalism.
Paul strongly warns against this in Galatians 5:1-4:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage... You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
When we try to live by the law, we are essentially saying that Christ’s work on the cross wasn’t enough. But the truth is, His grace is not only sufficient for salvation—it’s sufficient for every aspect of our lives.
What About the Ten Commandments?
The moral truths of the Ten Commandments are not discarded under grace; they are fulfilled in a deeper and more profound way. Jesus summed up the entire law in two commands:
"‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:37-39).
Paul reiterates this in Romans 13:10:
"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
This love is not something we produce by our own effort; it is the fruit of the Spirit working in us (Galatians 5:22-23).
Living by Grace: What It Looks Like
Rest in Christ’s Finished Work
Stop striving to earn God’s favor through your behavior. You are already accepted in Christ (Ephesians 1:6).
Walk in the Spirit
Depend on the Holy Spirit to guide and empower you. He will produce in you the love, joy, and righteousness that please God (Galatians 5:16-25).
Focus on Relationship, Not Rules
The Christian life isn’t about following a checklist but about abiding in Christ (John 15:5). As you draw near to Him, He will transform you from the inside out.
Let Love Lead
Love fulfills the law. When you walk in love—toward God and others—you are living out the moral heart of the Ten Commandments (Romans 13:8-10).
Conclusion: Freedom in Grace
The Ten Commandments serve as a valuable mirror, showing us our need for a Savior. But once we come to Christ, we are no longer bound by the law’s demands. Instead, we are called to live by grace, empowered by the Spirit, and motivated by love.
This is not a call to lawlessness but to freedom—the freedom to live as new creations in Christ, reflecting His life and love to the world.
As Paul writes:
"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
Reflection Question:
Are you living in the freedom of grace, or are you still striving under the law?
Closing Thought:
Christ fulfilled the law so that you could live in the freedom of grace. Trust Him to lead you, empower you, and produce His life in you as you walk by His Spirit.