Chapter 38

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The antinomian attempts to live without law and the legalist without life. Neither understand the teaching of the Bible.

Governance

For benefit of His created beings, both angelic and human, God established two fundamental types of law. According to the Apostle Paul, they are the “law of God” and the “law of sin.” (Romans 7:23, 25, 8:2; 7)

The “law of God” is referent to the rule of divine life (zoe). The “law of sin” is the rule of divine law.

Angelic and human beings are governed either by life (zoe) or law. Holy angelic and human beings are obligated to God by the “law of God,” the rule of divine life (zoe). The unholy are subject to God by the “law of sin,” the rule of divine law.

  Angelic Beings

The original earth existed in the kingdom of God. Its inhabitants, holy angels, were governed by the “law of God,” the rule of divine life (zoe). After the rebellion, the original earth was destroyed, and its angelic inhabitants became unholy. Consequently, they were banished from the kingdom into “outer darkness.”

Outside of the kingdom, the unholy angels were governed by the rule of law. It provided necessary limitations for fallen conduct and, in so doing, unveiled the righteousness of God.

Human Beings

Like the original earth, the renovated earth was created to exist within the kingdom of God. Its inhabitants, holy human beings, were governed by the rule of divine life (zoe).

The rebellious fall of humanity, however, caused the banishment of the earth to a degenerated, darkened existence outside of the kingdom of God. However, it remained capable of accommodating the unholy, fallen human race.

Like the unholy angels existing outside of the kingdom, the fallen human race and its habitat, the degenerated earth, were also subject to the rule of divine law. It not only dictated the parameters for their fallen life outside of the kingdom but served to unveil the righteousness of God. As a result, unholy created beings recognize they “fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Law of Sin

The rule of law originated from God. The Epistle of James clarifies, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy.” (James 4:12)

Relative to its origination from God, the “law of sin” is, “… holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12) Consequently, it is suitable to accomplish the purpose for which God created it.

God established the "law of sin" on earth for benefit of the fallen. The Apostle Paul explained, “But we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” (1 Timothy 1:8-11) The fallen need order because they are “lawless and rebellious.” As a result, they habitually live in a manner that is “contrary to sound teaching.”

For the fallen, the "law of sin" reveals the guilt, condemnation, and debt associated with its transgression of law (sin). Paul clarified, “… through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20; 4:15; 7:7)

The Apostle Paul referred to the "law of sin" as the “law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:7, 9) He was emphasizing the sinner exists apart from God in the realm of death. Therefore, the "law of sin" was not designed for benefit of the righteous who are alive to God but the unrighteous who are dead to God.

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  Accountability

The “law of sin” has a strict requirement. The unrighteous are accountable to God for its fulfillment. “Now we know that whatever the law [of sin] says, it speaks to those who are under the law [of sin], so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God.” (Romans 3:19)

Nevertheless, the unrighteous do not have the capacity to fulfill the requirement of the “law of sin.” The indwelling principle of sin or “sin in the flesh” renders them incapable of satisfying it. (Romans 8:3) Consequently, the unrighteous exist in a natural state of guilt, condemnation, and fear.

According to the Apostle Paul the unrighteous have legitimate reason to fear. God has documented all their transgression of the "law of sin." The documentation provides an undeniable record that serves to condemn. It is referred to by the Apostle Paul as a “certificate of debt.” (Colossians 2:14) Presenting an indisputable record of the unbeliever’s fallen status and a lifetime of corresponding fallen practice, the “certificate of debt” consists of “decrees against” the condemned. It is “hostile” to the fallen dead because it establishes an indefensible, legal basis for judgment and condemnation.

Requirement

The requirement of the "law of sin" is inflexible. It demands righteousness. (James 2:10; cf. Galatians 5:3; Deuteronomy 27:26) Therefore, the "law of sin" requires perfect obedience to its every command, regulation, and ordinance.

Anything less than perfect obedience to the "law of sin" is the equivalent of unrighteousness. Thus, one act of transgression is comparable to disobeying the entire body of law. It alone makes the transgressor worthy of condemnation.

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Motive

Given its strict requirement of righteousness, the divine “law of sin” has a specific motive for obedience. The motive for human obedience to the “law of sin” is fear, more specifically, the fear of condemnation.

Yet the Bible explains, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18) Producing fear of condemnation, the "law of sin" is contrary to “perfect love.”

Expressed through the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect love of God casts out the fear of condemnation. Paul revealed, “… there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) By the perfect love of God, the redeemed are released from the jurisdiction of the "law of sin" and consequently, freed from the fear of punishment and condemnation. (Romans 6:1-14; 7:1-6; 8:1-17)

Law of God

The need for humanity is not to fulfill the righteous requirement of the "law of sin," the “law of sin and of death.” It is not possible. The fallen nature or “sin in the flesh” prohibits it. (Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:21)

Rather than attempting to satisfy the impossible requirement the "law of sin," the need for humanity is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and the One who fulfilled the requirement of the "law of sin." By revealing the hopelessness of sin, the "law of sin" was designed to act as a “tutor” or “schoolmaster” to lead the transgressor to the giver of life (zoe), the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Galatians 3:23-25)

The purpose of the tutorship of the "law of sin" is confirmed when the unrighteous arrive at the point of redeeming faith. The Apostle Paul said, “Do we then nullify the law [of sin] through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish (histemi - his'-tay-mee) the [purpose of the] law [of sin].”1 (Romans 3:31; 10:4) Rather than nullifying the "law of sin," arriving at faith in Christ serves to “establish,” “uphold,” or “confirm” the purpose of the rule of law (see NRSV; Goodspeed Bible; Amplified; Et al.).

By faith in Jesus Christ, the redeemed become beneficiaries of the gracious Eternal Covenant. Concordant with its benefit, the redeemed are “set free” from the “law of sin and of death” by the “law of the Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:2)


Set free, the redeemed do not relate to God according to the old "law of sin." Instead, they are obligated to Him by the gracious "law of God," the rule of His indwelling life (zoe).

The new law of the Eternal Covenant, the “law of God," is variously referred to in the New Testament as the “law of faith,” the “law of Christ, the "law of the Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus," the “perfect law,” and the “law of liberty.” (Romans 3:27; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; James 1:25; 2:12) In this book it is frequently specified as the “rule of life.”

The new law of the Eternal Covenant, the “law of God," provided the parameters for living the new life of the covenant. Its new life shared with the Eternal Covenant is life shared with Jesus Christ, the mediator of the covenant.

The law of the Old Covenant, the "law of sin," the “law of sin and of death” served to do nothing more than reveal the transgression of law (sin). Therefore, it is the law of the dead.

In contrast, the new law of the Eternal Covenant, the “law of God,” the “law of the Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus,” unveils only the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the gracious rule of His indwelling life (zoe). Consequently, it is the law of the living (zoe).

© 2025 James Hiatt

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