Grace That Breaks Sin’s Dominion

Many believers stumble over Paul’s words in Romans 6:14. The verse is often misused to suggest that Christians can live however they please because they are “under grace.” Yet this is a distortion. Paul is not excusing sin; he is declaring its defeat.

Why is it misunderstood? Some interpret “not under the law” as freedom from all moral responsibility, while others wrongly blend law and grace, teaching that believers must keep Israel’s commandments to maintain favour with God. Both errors miss Paul’s dispensational point.

What does it mean? The law was given to Israel to expose sin and prove man’s inability to please God in the flesh. Grace, revealed through Christ’s finished work, provides righteousness apart from the law. Under grace, sin’s dominion is broken because believers are identified with Christ’s death and resurrection. Our standing before God is secure, not by performance, but by His gift.

The correction: Romans 6:14 is not a licence to sin, nor a call to return to the law. It is a declaration of victory: sin cannot reign where grace rules. The believer’s motivation is not fear of punishment but gratitude for undeserved favour. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11-12).

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