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

Colossians (2:14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

The above verses due state that we are no longer under the law and that Jesus nailed them to His cross. But the question one needs to ask is what are the laws that we are no longer under because Jesus nailed them to His cross? An individual will find that they have erred if they accept the position that the Mosaic Law was done away with based on these verses. In studying the scriptures one will find that Paul was not referring to the Mosaic Laws as being the ones we are no longer under but instead was speaking of a different set of laws the Sacrificial Laws.

Paul makes the statement that we are not under the law but under grace in Romans (6:14) however to get an understanding of what law he meant we are no longer under one needs to familiarize himself with the definition of sin. The biblical definition of sin is that sin is the transgression of the law. That definition is found in the following verse.

I John (3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Why this definition is so important in understanding that Paul was not referring to the Mosaic Laws is because it sets up the fact that sin cannot exist without having an established law. In order words an individual can not break the law or sin unless there is a law in place to be broken. Paul even sights this fact in the following verse.

Romans (4:15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

So to take the statement that we are no longer under the law and apply that to the Mosaic Laws would mean that man is no longer capable of committing a sin when it comes to the commandments of God since the commandments of God are contained in the Mosaic Laws. Now everyone should realize that this is simply not the case. Man since the time of Adam has sinned and continues to sin. So based on the definition of sin itself there has to be laws in place that man are held accountable to. And if an individual believes that he or she is no longer under the Mosaic Laws which are the commandments of God they need to ask themselves what and whose laws are they following?

The following verses serves to further clarify that the law Paul is referring to in Romans (6:14) is a different set of laws other than the Mosaic Laws.

Romans (5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

(13) For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Leviticus (5:17) And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

Paul further emphasizes that where there is no law there is no transgression by saying in verse (13) that sin is not imputed when there is no law. This alone should cause you to be suspicious when someone tells you the law is done away with since you cannot have sin unless you have laws.

Galatians (3:19) Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Paul in addition to telling us why this law was added goes on to identify this law as being our schoolmaster which will bring us to Christ. This law was to teach or instruct the people until the arrival of Christ.

Galatians (3:24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

(25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Paul clearly states that after Christ comes we will no longer be under this schoolmaster or as he stated in Romans (6:14) we are no longer under the law. This is because Christ replaced the Sacrificial Laws.

The law that was added because of transgressions were the Sacrificial Laws. Through sin man was separated from God and under the penalty of death, and there was nothing man could do to save himself. Remember Paul stated in Romans (5:12) that by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. God in His grace provided a way of salvation through the blood of a guiltless substitute. Although an animal had to bear the death penalty so the sinner could be forgiven, the blood of an animal could not in itself take away sin. But it served as a teacher because it showed the sinner that God in forgiving sins was not ignoring them but was dealing with them. There is a price to pay for disobedience and that price is death. But we will see that the only blood that could take away sin is the blood of Jesus.

In Hebrews we will find a discussion on the same laws Paul was talking about namely the Sacrificial Laws. Remember in Galatians (3:24) Paul stated that these laws were a schoolmaster to bring people unto Christ. In the following verses it states that the law had a shadow of good things to come. This law pointed to that which Jesus would do and that is through the shedding of His blood there would be the remission of sins.

Hebrews (10:1) For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

But the sacrifices made under the law could never make the individual perfect otherwise they would not have had to offer these sacrifices year after year.

Hebrews (10:2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

(3) But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

Israel operated under the Sacrificial Laws until the crucifixion of Jesus. It was through the sacrifice of His body that sin was removed. And once Jesus died there was to be no more sacrifices made.

As stated previously the blood of animals could never take away the sins of man.

Hebrews (10:4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

(5) Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

(6) In burnt offering and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

(7) Then said I, Lo, I come ( in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

(8) Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

(9) Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

(10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

As stated the Sacrificial Laws were done away with as a result of the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus replaced the Levitical priesthood and it was these priest who preformed the rites under the Sacrificial Laws.

Jesus became our high priest.

Hebrews (8:1) Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the havens.

The Levitical priest could not continue on behalf of man because they were subject to death and there their intercession stopped.

Hebrews (7:22) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

(23) And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

But Jesus priesthood is everlasting and He continues to make intercession on behalf of man.

Hebrews (7:24) But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

(25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Jesus by the offering of Himself once did that which the Levitical priesthood could not do although they continuously offered up sacrifices.

Hebrews (7:26) For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

(27) Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Following will be a summation of what was just reviewed and with this in mind the reader should now have a clearer understanding when he or she looks at the following verse.

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

It was established that the law that was added because of transgressions were the Sacrificial Laws. Through sin man was separated from God and under the penalty of death, and there was nothing man could do to save himself. Remember Paul stated in Romans (5:12) that by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. God provided a way of salvation through the blood of a guiltless substitute.

Leviticus (17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

You will find in an concordance that atonement means to cancel: appease, make an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge away put off reconcile.

Hebrews (9:22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Although an animal had to bear the death penalty so the sinner could be forgiven, the blood of an animal could not in itself take away sin. But it served as a schoolmaster or teacher because it showed the sinner that God in forgiving sins was not ignoring them but was dealing with them. There is a price to pay for disobedience and that price is death.

Hebrews (10:4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.