Law and Grace: Romans 6:14

LAW AND GRACE

Romans 6:14

Romans 6:14 KJV  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What does Paul mean by “sin shall not have dominion over you” and “you are not under the law, but under grace?

Can one justify their sin by saying, “We are no longer under the law, but under grace”?

Does this mean to continue our favorite sins because we are saved by grace, are under grace, and do not abide by the law because it no longer has dominion over us?  To understand the definitions of law and grace, one must understand the legal Biblical meanings of the terms.

Within the laws given to the Hebrews (Israelites) through Moses were laws pertaining to certain criminal activity.  As an example, if a man stole a sheep from another man he was brought before the court and placed under the law to reimburse the stolen sheep with two sheep of the same quality.  If the thief was unable to reimburse the victim then he was sold as a slave until the debt with a value of two sheep had been paid. When the debt had been satisfactorily settled then the thief was free to go about his usual business and was not under parole.

The thievery of the thief put him under the legal aspects of the law i.e. he was “under the law” and his crime demanded a payment be made to the victim.  When his debt had been paid by his own slave labor then he was “under grace” or free from the legal aspects of the thievery law.  If he then decided to steal another sheep, he was no longer under grace but again, under the law and must repay his debt for a second time.

There was another legal aspect called the “near kinsman” corollary (my word, not one from the Bible).  A person of near kin, not a stranger, could pay the debt for the thief to liberate him from the slavery debt of becoming the property of someone not of his family.  However the thief was still required to pay the debt to the near kinsman – no debt could go unpaid.  All individuals, from the beginning of the world, have a sin debt to God which no one is capable of repaying.  To the unsaved, you would now be a slave to the “god of this world” and the slavery never stops.  The Israelites were instructed by Moses to kill an animal, notably a sheep, and pour its blood under the altar onto the ground as a temporary payment for a sin against God.  Regardless of the feelings of the modern day Jews this system of temporary debt payment no longer works as an  interim solution after the death and resurrection of the Messiah.

The world was in need of a near kinsman to pay our sin debt balance that is owed to God due to our sin.  Jesus, the ultimate Lamb of God, poured out His blood onto the ground to pay the sin debt of every person, both past, present, and future, and gave atonement to those willing to acknowledge Him as the King of the Kingdom and the King of their lives.  The blood of the Lamb atones for our sin by grace so that it will not have dominion over us.  The Kingdom subjects are now servants of God, rather than the “god of this world”, and do His bidding (voluntarily with contentment and pleasure) until the end of all ages.  As a servant of God we are now under grace in that our past sins will not require payment.  A true servant of God does not desire to incur a future debt of sin, because that is not the will of the King.  Future sins may require stripes (a maximum of 40) which is symbolic of trials and tribulations in this life or discipline (although some would probably benefit from a beating). 

Hebrews 12:6 NET  "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts."

Therefore, does grace equal “not obeying the law” or compensate for law breaking?  No.  A person under the law is always convicted by the law.  Although not convicted by the law but obeying the law leads to a more productive and comfortable lifestyle, because not following the law will lead to serious issues at some point – either in this life or in the second resurrection (which will be discussed in a later post).  Grace is not being under the judgment or dominion of old sins.  New sins most likely will occur and they will require repentance to relinquish as grace.

Dominion     Concerning the word “dominion”. 

Word Study Dictionary:  Dominion:  urieúō;, lord, master. To have or exercise rule or authority over, lord over.  Spoken of things as exercising mastery over us

A person attempting to keep the law has to be constantly concerned regarding their actions if they break the law (which they will quickly do).  The law has to become a constant issue and it will have dominion over them.  To a righteous person the law is written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit and that person will be aware if a proposed or past action is not pleasing to God.  The law, therefore, does not have dominion over them because it is a part of their daily living under the guide of the Holy Spirit.  Being under the grace of salvation means we are the servants or slaves of God – God desires that we not break the law and that must be our primary and most important goal.  Salvation of grace also means the “god of this world” will no longer have dominion over you due to a balance sheet of sin debt (or breaking the law).

Psalms 19:13 NET  Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins; do not allow such sins to control me. Then I will be blameless, and innocent of blatant rebellion.

Chuck Smith Commentary Quote:  Every man is ruled. No man is supreme; no man is master of his fate or captain of his soul. We are all governed by an outside power. We are governed either by the power of God or by the power of Satan, and it is your choice. You can choose to be governed by God, or you can choose to live after Satan's authority (as a debt slave). You can choose to live like the devil, or you can choose to live like God. But whoever you yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants you become.

Warren Wiersbe Commentary Quote:  It is because of God’s grace that we yield ourselves to Him. Paul has proved that we are not saved by the Law and that we do not live under the Law. The fact that we are saved by grace does not give us an excuse to sin; but it does give us a reason to obey. Sin and Law go together. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law” (1Co_15:56). Since we are not under Law, but under grace, sin is robbed of its strength.

Believer’s Bible Commentary Quote:  Those who are afraid of grace insist that it gives license for sinning. Paul meets this error head-on by asking the question, then flatly denying it. We are free from the law but not lawless. Grace means freedom to serve the Lord, not to sin against Him.

In 6:1 the question was, “Shall we continue in sin?” Here the question is, “Shall we sin just a little?” The answer in both cases is a horrified “Certainly not!” God cannot condone any sin at all.

Some things have changed from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant but only in appearance and type.  There is now a blood sacrifice, but only one, through Jesus the true Lamb of God. There is now a New Testament temple – every believer is the temple of God. We continue to have a priesthood – Jesus is our High Priest before God.  Believers are also priests because we can freely come before God to plead our case and repent for forgiveness.  The judgments of the law are corrective and remedial. They are designed to bring about true forgiveness, not a perpetual state of unforgiveness.

The Redeemed Debt Note

THE REDEEMED DEBT NOTE

When a person steals, his crime, according to scripture is considered a debt to be paid to the victim and this payment is called restitution.  If it is a crime that cannot be repaid such as murder or rape the instigator is put to death.  If the criminal guilty of theft, is unable to pay then someone may pay for them by redeeming their debt note.  When a human sins he owes a debt to God, but of course that human is unable to pay.  To be forgiven of sins of which they are unable to pay, they must be redeemed by someone capable of paying the debt note.  The debt note redeemer for sin must be without sin and thus not in debt themselves.  The person who paid the debt note for all people by His death is Jesus Christ.

In Leviticus 25:47-53 it is stated that a person who has sold himself as a servant or slave to another due to his poverty (or other reasons) can have his debt note redeemed by a kinsman – not by a stranger but only by someone of his kinship or linage.  Jesus fulfilled this legal aspect which is explained in Hebrews 2:14-16, by coming as a flesh and blood person as all others have come after Adam and Eve.

Hebrews 2:14-16 KJV  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;  (15)  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.  (16)  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Leviticus 25:53 continues to say the redeemed is to serve or reconstitute his redemption as a hired servant.

Leviticus 25:53 NET  He must be with the one who bought him like a yearly hired worker. The one who bought him must not rule over him harshly in your sight.

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, we have been redeemed from the life of sin and death and are now a servant of our Redeemer, which is Jesus Christ.  We are no longer a servant of the “god of this world” but are now a servant of the God of Heaven and according to Romans 6:18 we are a “slave to righteousness”.

Romans 6:16-18 NET  Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness?  (17)  But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to,  (18)  and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

No person can sin so greatly and so often that their debt becomes unpayable.  In the Old Testament a person could lose their land, their family could be enslaved as payment of debt, and the actual person could also be enslaved for his many debts.  However, God enacted a divine redemption of almost unparalleled grace known as the Jubilee year which would release all servants and slaves including land back to the original owner.  However, this was actually never practiced by the twelve tribes of Israel throughout their time span until deported and slaughtered by first the Assyrians against northern Israel and next by Babylon against southern Judah.

All debt notes have a time period to be rectified before the debt note is finally due and foreclosure begins.  Judah’s idolatry in addition to a refusal to honor God and His laws including the Jubilee year had finally run in time limit and foreclosure was imminent.  God sent the Babylonian military as an act of foreclosure on Judah’s debt note.

King Zedekiah and the people of Judah prayed to God asking for mercy from the impending invasion of the Babylonian military.  The prophet, Jeremiah, related to Zedekiah concerning the impending doom and destruction.  He said that God would retract and rescind the invasion is the people of Judah would agree to honor the Jubilee and comply with its legal provisions.  The people originally approved to honor the Jubilee and released all servants and slaves.

Jeremiah 34:7-10 NET  He did this while the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the cities of Lachish and Azekah. He was attacking these cities because they were the only fortified cities of Judah which were still holding out.  (8)  The LORD spoke to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to grant their slaves their freedom.  (9)  Everyone was supposed to free their male and female Hebrew slaves. No one was supposed to keep a fellow Judean enslaved.  (10)  All the people and their leaders had agreed to this. They had agreed to free their male and female slaves and not keep them enslaved any longer. They originally complied with the covenant and freed them.

However, when the Babylonian army withdrew their invasion, the Judeans changed their mind and took back their servants and slaves.  God also rescinded His actions and allowed the Babylonian military to continue as before.

Jeremiah 34:11 NET  But later they had changed their minds. They had taken back their male and female slaves that they had freed and forced them to be slaves again.

Seventy times seven is 490 years.  This is the length of time Judah did not honor a Sabbath year or a Jubilee.  The Judean survivors of the Babylonian assault were taken captive for 70 years before allowance was made to return and rebuild.

Matthew 18:21-22 NET  Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?"  (22)  Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!

After telling Peter to forgive seventy times seven rather than merely seven, Jesus then tells a parable concerning the Kingdom of Heaven (or God) and the principle concerning forgiveness.

The Kingdom of Heaven has a king which is God who decides it is time to settle accounts with his slaves (subjects of citizens of the kingdom).  The first subject to settle owed 10,000 talents which is a huge sum during the 1^st century.  Some exegetes consider this debtor to be the nation of Judah specifically the capital city Jerusalem.  Unable to pay, the debtor, his family, his land, and all his possessions are to be sold for payment.  The debtor pleads for mercy (repents) and is released, along with his family, and forgiven of his debt.

Matthew 18:23-35 NET  "For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.  (24)  As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him.  (25)  Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made.  (26)  Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.'  (27)  The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.  (28)  After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe me!'  (29)  Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you.'  (30)  But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt.  (31)  When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place.  (32)  Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, 'Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!  (33)  Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?'  (34)  And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed.  (35)  So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart."

The forgiven slave then accosts a personal debtor and has him placed in prison.  When this incident was told to the king, he negated the forgiven debt and demanded it be paid in full.  The lack of Sabbath year and Jubilee observance by the Judeans which provided rest and forgiveness to servants, slaves, animals, and land owners which also led to their deportation for 70 years may be the main topic of the parable.

This parable is viewed by some as a loss of salvation if all is not forgiven.  This would mean that salvation is impossible because a completely clean slate of forgiveness is also impossible.  Since this answer contradicts the gospel message, there must be another logical solution.  There may be a possible answer by Dr. Stephen Jones, which I will submit although I am not presently certain of its validity, which will require further research.

There are two resurrections mentioned in scripture (although some say there are three).  The first is the harpazo (rapture [Latin], the gathering of the elect [Matt. 24:31], caught up together [1Thes. 4:31]) and the second resurrection is at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20: 5 and 12-13).

Dr. Jones has a name for each resurrection:  the first is called the Jubilee or Tabernacles resurrection; and the second is named the Passover resurrection and salvation.

They can lose part in the first resurrection, but they will not lose their justification, or their Passover-level salvation.  Dr. Stephen E. Jones, Creation's Jubilee, God's Kingdom Ministries

It has been my thinking that the first resurrection or rapture at the second coming of Jesus would be the righteous dead and righteous living and that the second resurrection would be the unrighteous dead.  Dr. Jones basically agrees but adds a caveat – the second resurrection would include the common Christian who did not live the life of an overcomer or true subject of the Kingdom of God.  This is not doctrine – just something to consider.

The Birthright - Part 8: Jeremiah's Final Mission

THE BIRTHRIGHT – PART 8

JEREMIAH’S FINAL MISSION

Jeremiah’s Mission

Jeremiah was anointed as a prophet and was given a mission by and from God before he was born.  It is said that only three individuals were anointed before birth:  Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 1:5 KJV  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

He was not only an ordained prophet but was assigned as a prophet to nations.  Jeremiah was born in Judah and warned the Judeans concerning the approaching invasion of Babylon, but he was also to be a prophet to other nations, including more than merely Judah but also including the nation of Israel as will be shown later.  He was also given a special mission to accomplish by God.

Jeremiah 1:10 KJV  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Jeremiah 1:10 NET  Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted."

Not only did Jeremiah warn the nation of Judah of their impending destruction and captivity but also of the soon coming pulling down and throwing down of the throne of David and the kingship and kingdom of Judah.  As reported in the Covenant of David article, The Birthright- Part 7 the kingship and throne of David were promised by God to endure forever.  During Babylon’s initial assault, the reigning king, Jeconiah, was taken to prison in Babylon and Zedekiah was placed on the throne.  However during Babylonia’s second assault, the current king of Judah, Zedekiah, would die in a Babylonian prison and his heir sons would be killed.  Jeconiah was then released from prison and sent to Judah as a vassal king although he was viewed as the authentic king by the people of Judah.

None of Jeconiah’s sons ever reigned as king of Judah because God would not allow it.  The throne of Judah through his son Pharez was ending but would be continued through his twin brother Zarah, according to some sources.  Pharez and Zarah were twin sons of Judah and Tamar.  It appears in Jeremiah 22:30, the kingship of the Zarah line was coming to an end and the sons of Jeconiah were to never be allowed to rein in Judah, although the geneology of Jeconiah is included in the linage listed in Matthew and Luke concerning the mother and associate father of Jesus.

Jeremiah 22:30 KJV  Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Jeremiah was released from the Jerusalem court prison and was allowed to do as he pleased while under the protection of the captain of the Babylonian guard.

Jeremiah 39:11-12 KJV  Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,  (12)  Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

When Jeremiah was released, he traveled to Mizpah with some other survivors and came in contact with the King’s daughters (Zedekiah).  To make a long story short, a fellow named Ishmael killed the majority of the group but took Jeremiah, a few others, and the King’s daughters captive.  Ishmael’s authority was replaced and his successor, due to fear of Babylon, allowed Jeremiah and the girls to leave.  Against the advice of God, a person named Johanan took this group to Egypt.

Jeremiah 43:5-7 KJV  But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;  (6)  Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.  (7)  So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

Isaiah appears to present a prophecy concerning Jeremiah, Barach, and the King’s daughters, and others say it is definitely a prophecy concerning these people.  The two verses do not seem to contribute to any of the context verses, but rather an additional thought added to the chapter.  The reader can be the judge of the context.

Isaiah 37:31-32 KJV  And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:  (32)  For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

This prophecy (and most of the Isaiah 37 chapter) is repeated verbatim in 2 Kings 19:30-31.

2 Kings 19:30-31 KJV  And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.  (31)  For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

By ship, Jeremiah supposedly took the King’s daughters, around Gibraltar, to some point up north to Ireland, according to some undocumented sources.  After going to Egypt, the Jeremiah story cannot be found in the Bible and outside sources are not factually reliable and do not always agree.

Pharez and Zarah

The story of Judah and Tamar is quite interesting but this section will only deal with the twin sons born to Tamar with Judah as the father.  As Tamar was in the process of delivery, one of the twins stuck out his arm and the midwife tied a red cord around his wrist, indicating the firstborn.  This red corded twin drew his arm back inside and the other twin was actually born first rather than the one with a red cord.  The first born was named Pharez.  His name is related to the Hebrew word for “breach” according to Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew dictionary. 

Genesis 38:29 KJV  And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

Genesis 38:29 LITV-TSP  And it happened as he withdrew his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, How have you broken a break for yourself? And one called his name Pharez.

The oldest son is supposed to inherit the throne succession, which is not always the case, but in this particular one Pharez inherited the scepter promise of kingship and his linage continues through to the last king.

The following quote is from HW Armstrong and its authenticity and reliability is unknown with no supplied historical references.  However, I did find a website supposedly giving accurate information on the adventures of the Zarah family and the red-hand symbol of Ireland:  http://www.hope-of-israel.org/zara.htm  It must be noted, the “hope of Israel” version has the Zarahites going to Spain and then Ireland rather than through the Scythian nations.

  

History shows the descendants of Zarah became wanderers, journeying to the north within the confines of the Scythian nations, their descendants later migrating to Ireland in the days of King David.

Loose Ends and Conclusion

There is much more to this story, however it now actually becomes a story because there is no valid proof or historical references to prove any of the remainder.  I have already depicted some unprovable material but I will now call a halt to this series concerning the birthright.  Below is a basic summary of the remainder of the tale without any fine points, details, or scripture for those who haven’t actually figured the ending out yet.

Zarah, with the red cord, never had a family member on the throne of Judah.  The story of Pharez, Zarah, and the “scarlet thread” is in the Bible for a reason, but with no additional material.  According to some sources, Zarah was supposed to inherit the scepter promise but was denied.  When God ended the throne linage in Judah, it is thought or assumed the linage was transferred from the Pharez linage to the Zarah linage. 

The historical story of Judah, Tamar, Pharez and Zarah took place prior to the Egyptian slavery.  There is another story, with little or no verification, the disinherited Zarah line left Egypt (escaped) during the plagues and traveled to Spain and then Ireland where they remained even during the migration of the ten tribes (or some of them) to northwestern Europe.

Jeremiah supposedly took the King’s daughters, or at least one of them, to Ireland with the purpose of marrying a Zarah prince and establishing the scepter promise with the Zarah line of Judah among the deported Israelites.  The throne was moved from Ireland to Scotland and then to England where it is now.  The Stone of Scone which is considered to be Jacob’s pillow stone is also called the coronation stone and was supposedly taken by Jeremiah to Ireland.  This stone is currently underneath the coronation throne.

An Additional Note:  I recently read on Veteran’s Today Network that the Palestinians are the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh according to the opinion of Katherine Frisk.  Everyone has an opinion but no one has evidential documentation.