If you ask me, "Who is more religious ? The legalistic or the lawless ?" I would say, Of course, the legalistic. Why? The legalistic are normally religious people who believe and follow many laws, rules, and regulations based on the belief of their own value system or religion. But the lawless has no religion, no god, and, hence, no law.
If you ask me, "Between the legalistic and the radical, who is more religious?" I would say, The radicals ! I would say that the radicals are more legalistic than the legalistic. Why? It's because they tend to follow the ideology of someone who is radical more radically than those who follow the laws or their religions. Instead of following a God who gives them the laws, they follow a man who gives them the law which they regard as their 'God's laws'. Hence, I would think that the religiousism of the legalistic can never surpass the radical beliefs of the radicals.
That's why if you ask me, "Who are more religious? Those who preach the laws or those who preach radical grace?" I would not hesitate to say, The radical grace people ! They may argue vehemently that they believe in freedom from all the laws, freedom from any do's and don'ts, and freedom from any God's commandments. But their minds are totally obsessed to follow the 'law' of their own radical grace preacher or their religious 'star' who demand that they must keep their minds free from any law from God -
Hence, this by itself is a more restrictive law than the law of God when we have to think of their law or freedom based on their justification, judgement, or argument in the way they look at 'grace' or 'unmerited favor', instead of based on God's words and commandments.
The Bible's argument for the doctrine and the law of God
- Rom 6:12-23 KJV Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (19) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (20) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. (22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I have highlighted the Bible verses above with two colours to show why there are two different laws:-
- one is the law of sin or the old law which restricts us under sin to do unrighteousness - we would yield our members servants to uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity (v19)
- the other is the law of God or the law of righteousness which restricts us under righteousness to do righteousness - we would yield our member servants to righteousness unto holiness (v19)
Yes, of course, we are under grace. But if we are under grace to do righteousness, don't you think that it is still the law of God or the doctrine of God for us if we must still obey from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to us (v17) ? Under grace, Paul said, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness (v19) -
Hence, this by itself is a law of God when we would think of God's words and instructions based on Paul's doctrine, judgement, or argument in the way he preached grace in Roman 6, instead of based on the lawless grace preachers.
It means we are under grace to do God's laws
Of course, we can say that we are no more under the old law, but under grace, to do God's will and God's commandments. Hence, Paul would still do and teach God's commandments, including the Ten Commandments and the commandments of the Lord:
- Eph 6:1-3 KJV Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
- Rom 13:6-14 KJV For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. (7) Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (8) Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (9) For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (10) Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (11) And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (13) Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. (14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
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