Charles Spurgeon Commentary Romans 6:14

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

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

When you were under the law, sin gained dominion over you; that law, which was ordained to life, worked toward death. The evil concupiscence of your nature revolted against the command and led you astray. But now, beloved, this new state is one of love and grace, and now sin cannot gain entry: stronger motives shall hold you to holiness than ever held you before, and the grace of God itself, like a wall of fire, shall guard you from the dominion of sin.

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

While you were under the law, and simply heard it command you to do your duty, the command seemed to awaken all the hostility of your nature so that you remained under the dominion of sin, but now no longer does the law speak to you as it did previously.

You are not now under the law, but another principle governs you.

The grace, the favor, the love which God has shown to you in Christ Jesus, appeals to your heart, and you cheerfully yield to it the obedience which, when the law demanded it, your unregenerate spirit refused to render.

For sin shall not have domination over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.

The reigning, ruling principle now, is not "You must, you shall," for reward, or under fear of punishment, but God has loved you, and now you love him in return and what you do springs from no mercenary or self-serving motive. You are not under law, but under grace; yet in another sense you never were so much under law as you are now, for grace places around you a blessedly sweet, delightful law, which has power over us as the word of command never had. I will write my law in their hearts, in their inward parts will I write them. Yes, that is the glory of the new life, the delight of the one who has passed from death to life.