Dispensationalism has had an unfortunate longterm impact on Evangelicals, at least in America. Folks of that persuasion love to quote the second half of Romans 6:14, while glossing over the first half: "
Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." People walk around repeating, "
not under law but under grace," like a mantra to keep away evil spirits. Yet, the first half of the verse shows that Paul is talking about
a source of power. The Law does not, and cannot, enable us to live righteously; Only grace can do that. There is nothing in that verse about dismissing the Law of God as
a rule of life (see I Timothy 1:8-10). Yet, the dispensationalist will deny even that, because, he repeats, "we are not under law but under grace."
But let's consider another verse: "
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the
commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you
should walk in it" (II John 1:6).
So, we have a logical dilemma. If the dispensationalist is correct, that "we are not under law but under grace" means that the Law has no application to the Christian life, then what about love? John says that love - i. e., to one another, verse 5 - means keeping the Law. "
This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (I John 5:3).
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