Law and Liberty in the Dispensation of Grace

In the present dispensation of the grace of God, we are not under law but under grace. That statement should be taken without qualification. If we say we are “under” any binding system of laws in the Pauline sense, we undercut grace and step back toward a rule-based standing before God.

subsection*Not Under Law

Paul states plainly that believers are not under law but under grace. To say that we are under “some law,” even if we avoid calling it “the law,” reintroduces the very category from which the apostle says we have been freed.

In this dispensation:

• Our relationship to God is not regulated by a codified set of statutes, whether Mosaic or newly constructed.
• Our acceptance before God is based entirely on the finished work of Christ and received by faith, not on law-keeping.

When we attempt to identify a new set of binding laws for this age, we risk replacing the Mosaic code with a Christianized code and putting believers back under bondage.

subsection*Commands in Paul and Their Scope

Some object that Paul uses the word “command” in his epistles, for example:

"And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you." (2 Thessalonians 3:4)

"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

"These things command and teach." (1 Timothy 4:11)

However, several points must be observed:

• Many such commands are addressed specifically to particular congregations in particular circumstances (for example, the Thessalonian church and its immediate issues).
• Some instructions are situational and cannot simply be universalized without creating conflicts with other Pauline instructions. For example, 2 Thessalonians 3:6 commands withdrawal from a disorderly brother, yet elsewhere Paul instructs believers to restore one who is overtaken in a fault. Applied woodenly, these could appear to clash.
• The presence of apostolic commands in a letter does not automatically mean a new standing “under law” in the theological sense that Paul rejects in Romans and Galatians.

A helpful approach is to distinguish between:

• Apostolic instructions given into specific historical situations.
• The theological category of law, as a covenantal system of commandments binding one’s standing before God.

We are not under law in the latter sense, though we may learn much from apostolic instruction and apply it in ways that respect context and right division.

subsection*The So-Called “Law of Liberty”

James speaks of a “law of liberty”:

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of this work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25)

"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." (James 2:12)

However, the letter of James is written to a Hebrew audience and operates within a different framework. If we import “law of liberty” as a binding system for the body of Christ without rightly dividing, we are likely to create tensions with Paul’s clear insistence that we are not under law.

James’s use of “law of liberty” does not authorize us to construct a new code and place believers under it in this dispensation. It is safer to recognize the distinct audiences and dispensations at work.

subsection*Liberty Guided by Revelation and Conscience

In the present age, our moral and practical decisions are not governed by a codified law but by:

• The full revelation of God in Scripture, rightly divided.
• The believer’s renewed mind and conscience informed by that revelation.

In that sense, our situation is somewhat analogous to what is sometimes called the dispensation of conscience, though with the enormous advantage that we now possess the completed written revelation.

Faced with choices, the believer does not consult a law code but weighs each option in light of:

• Clear Pauline teaching applicable to the body of Christ.
• The broader revelation of God’s character and purposes.
• The realities of grace, love, and edification within the body.

This is not law in the sense of an externally imposed statute-book that determines standing before God. It is liberty exercised under the light of Scripture and in personal accountability to God.

subsection*Why Creating New “Christian Laws” Is Dangerous

There is always a temptation to replace the Mosaic law with a Christian moral code: lists of forbidden and required behaviors designed to tell believers exactly what to do in every circumstance. Such codes may include items that are wise in many contexts, but once they are elevated to the status of “law,” several problems arise:

• They shift the center of the Christian life back to rule-keeping rather than Christ and His grace.
• They tend to multiply and harden over time, creating traditions that are hard to distinguish from Scripture.
• They foster judgmentalism and spiritual pride, as those who conform to the code view themselves as more spiritual than those who do not.

Paul’s insistence that we are not under law is a safeguard against these tendencies. Grace does not mean moral chaos; it does mean that moral life is not structured as a legal code binding the conscience with the threat of covenantal curse.

subsection*Practical Decision-Making Without Law

How does a believer decide what is right or wrong without a codified law? Practically, one asks:

• Does this clearly contradict any direct Pauline instruction for this dispensation?
• Is it consistent with the revealed character of God and the nature of grace?
• Does it edify or harm the body of Christ?
• Does it violate my conscience as it is informed by Scripture?

Because circumstances differ, what may be wise and acceptable for one believer may be unwise for another. It would be easy, for example, to declare that it is always wrong to possess a certain level of material wealth or a certain size of house. But Scripture does not legislate in that way for this age. The specific application must be made in light of each believer’s stewardship, context, and conscience.

This is not relativism. It is liberty under Scripture, not law under a code.

subsection*Grace as a Higher Motive Than Law

Law motivates by command and threat. Grace motivates by gratitude, love, and the reality of our new identity in Christ. When believers grasp their secure position in Christ and the sufficiency of His work, they are moved to live in a way that honors Him—not because they fear covenantal penalties, but because they know who they are and whose they are.

This is a more mature, though less easily controlled, way of life than a law code. It requires personal responsibility, thoughtfulness, and ongoing engagement with Scripture.

subsection*Summary Answer

To the specific question, “Is there any law that applies to us today in the dispensation of the grace of God?” the answer is no, not in the Pauline sense of being under a binding law system that governs our standing before God.

We have:

• Grace as our standing.
• Scripture as our sufficient revelation.
• Liberty of conscience before God.
• Personal responsibility to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, guided by the word rightly divided.

Any attempt to place believers back under “law,” even under a new name, runs contrary to the very nature of this dispensation and to the liberty that flows from the completed work of Christ.