I need to address this because many Christians are confused, or unclear by what the New Testament means when it says we are not under the law.
The first thing we need to understand is that no verse is of its own interpretation. You have to align what is said in one place with what is said elsewhere.
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
So then Jesus word here must align with what Paul says in Romans
6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
And what Paul also said in Romans
3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
And this also
7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
That is right, we are not under the law anymore if we have died with Christ and it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me. If that is not true, then sorry, even Paul admits the law has dominion over you. If on the other hand it is true then your life will establish the law because Jesus Christ, the incarnated word of God, lives within you.
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
So go back and look at what this poster said, "the law does not apply as Jesus died for us and those who have accepted Him are not under law".
This is close to the truth. Jesus' death does cleanse us from all sins, it does allow us to be forgiven, and to stand on Jesus Christ as our righteousness. If it were not for that we would still be held in bondage by sin, but Jesus' redemption has paid the full price for us so we can be free. However, Paul doesn't say that is the reason the law does not apply to us, the reason is because we have died with Christ. We have died to the world, to sin, to our flesh, to our ego. If that is not true, if your old man is still in charge, then you have no basis to say that the law does not apply to you. Second, people assume that since we are not under law that the law has disappeared or passed away. That is completely not true, like Jesus said not one jot or tittle will pass away until all has been fulfilled.
Now what has been abolished is this
Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Ordinances are not a reference to the ten commandments. All the ordinances involved in making food kosher, those are ordinances. All the ordinances in how to celebrate the Jewish Passover, those are ordinances. All the ordinances about keeping the sabbath day rest, those are ordinances. Yes, to keep the Sabbath day holy is one of the ten commandments. But we have changed the calendar, so the day you think is the "sabbath" is not the sabbath according to the Bible. Also there are many ordinances about what constitutes work and what doesn't. All these ordinances would have made it impossible to preach the gospel in heathen and pagan countries. Therefore according to the New Testament covenant we are not required to keep them. They are still part of the word of God, still good for instruction, but they have been abolished as requirements for the New Testament church.
James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
We are going to be judged by the law of liberty, that is what the New Testament tells us and what Jesus told us because James reference to "the law of liberty" which he also calls the "royal law" is what Jesus referred to as "the golden rule". James explains, if you judge others with mercy, then when you are judged you will be judged with mercy. This is what Jesus said, with what measure you measure it will be measured to you.
Jesus told a story in Matthew 18 of a man that was forgiven by the Lord, that means he was saved, redeemed by the blood, all his debts were paid. According to many that means he was no longer under the law. However, even though he was forgiven he refused to forgive someone who had sinned against him. The Lord doesn't deny that the person sinned against him, but He said that since he had been shown mercy and forgiven he should have done the same to the person who sinned against him. He didn't and so he was thrown in prison until he could pay the very last farthing of what he owed. This is what it means to be under the royal law, this is what it means to be under the law of liberty, this is what it means to be under grace.
