As a teen, I made a few forays into the culinary arts. Because of my appetite for them, I became rather good at making chocolate chip cookies. However, during one of my early attempts, I made a big mistake. It was a simple and small mistake when compared to important matters, but it was big mistake in making cookies from scratch. I simply misread an abbreviation.  The recipe called for 1 tsp of baking soda. Instead, I added one tbs.  Mistaking one tbs (tablespoon) for one tsp (teaspoon) meant that I put three times as much baking soda as needed. My mistake was not obvious until I checked on the half-baked cookies, which had swelled up to twice the expected size. Being a novice, I let the cookies finish cooking and gave them a try. Yuck! Who knew that a few teaspoons could make something so delicious taste so horrible.

We can chuckle at small mistakes, but there are some big mistakes that have much more substantial consequences. One such “big mistake” is the one made by people who are looking for a “faith” that requires very little commitment or accountability. They often declare that New Testament theology teaches that we no longer live by the law, by quoting verses such as “for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:14nlt). However, it is clear from the rest of the chapter, and most of his other writings, that Paul is not teaching that believers are free from moral laws. The big mistake is in interpreting “law” to mean any kind of rules, rather than to mean Jewish ceremonial laws.  Paul taught that Jesus’ death freed us from the ceremonial laws of Judaism, but the rest of his writings prove that he believed Christians should not sin, and that they should obey the moral laws of God.

In short, to say, “Because of grace I no longer must offer animal sacrifices as prescribed by ‘the law,’” would be to agree with the theology of the New Testament.  To say, “Because of grace I am not longer bound to the laws of morality, such as the ten commandments,” would be a big mistake.

Ironically, while many people are navigating around God’s moral laws, such as the ten commandments, they are evading the very solution to mankind’s problems. Take, for example, the three commands “thou shalt not steal,” “thou shalt not kill,” and “thou shalt not commit adultery”; If everyone in the world would obey those three, simple, moral laws, most of our world’s social problems would be solved.

The Good News is that we are saved by grace, and salvation is not earned. But, our relationship with God has parameters. We are free from ceremonial laws, but obeying God’s moral laws is actually the path to freedom. Con artists count on people mistaking manipulation for kindness. The father of all con artists, the devil, counts on people mistaking lawlessness for grace. Big Mistake!