Under the Law vs Under Grace

This topic is what separates the saved from the unsaved. It separates Christian from non Christian.

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

Ga 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law (or under the law) are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Ga 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept UNDER THE LAW, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made UNDER THE LAW,
Ga 4:5 To redeem them that were UNDER THE LAW, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

It seems that being under this state of being under the law is not a desirable state to be in. It seems that Christ redeemed us from under the law. In fact, being under the law is called a curse because a person must do the law perfectly in order to be justified by it, and if you fail to keep it just once, you are condemned for all eternity. Here is what Charles Finney says about what it means to be under the law...

To be under the law is to be subject to the law as a covenant of works. In other words, to be under the law is to be under the necessity of perfectly fulfilling the law in order to obtain salvation. To be under the law is to be influenced by legal motives or considerations, to be constrained by the fear of punishment or influenced by the hope of reward. To be under the law is to be constrained by conscience and a sense of duty, instead of by love. Individuals seem to go painfully about their duty under the biddings of conscience, and submit with about as much pain and reluctance as a slave to his master.
To be under the law is to be under the condemning sentence of the law, like a state criminal, and of course shut out from communion with God. A state criminal, under sentence, is legally shut out from all friendly intercourse with the government, and is considered and treated like an outlaw. Just so with a sinner, under the sentence of Gods law. While the sinner remains in a state of spiritual death and alienation from God, the sentence of eternal death is out against him. He is shut out of communion with God, and consequently sin will have dominion over him.

I can not say it any better than that. Beautiful peace of writing. So in contrast, let us look at what it means to be under grace. To be under grace means that a person accepts the gift of salvation freely without any offering of good works or anything from his or her soul. To be under grace means to be united to Jesus by faith and receive continual life and influence from Him. Through faith I mean simply believing that what Jesus did on the cross is enough to get you into heaven. To be under grace means that a person is motivated by love, and is excited and moved by grace not a sense of duty or legal motives. How marvelous it is to be under grace! How true it is what Jesus meant when He said that the Truth shall set you free.
How wonderful it is to know that there is never one act of righteousness required for me to inherit eternal life! How wonderful to know that ones sins are forgiven! How marvelous to know that not one sin will be put to ones account! It is great to be under grace!