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In this episode of God Is Not a Theory, Ken Fish and Joel Taylor tackle a term most Christians have never heard but desperately need to understand: covenantal nomism.
At its heart, the idea is simple but transformative—Israel never became the people of God by working their way in. They were chosen purely by grace, "not because you were impressive, not because you were big." (see Deuteronomy 7:6-8). The law was never the entrance fee; it was the way God's people stayed in, lived out, and were identified as belonging to His household.
The same pattern holds for believers today.Using the picture of an adopted child learning the "rules of the house," Ken and Joel show how grace brings us into the family—and how the Holy Spirit then empowers us to actually live the life we've been called to.
Together, they discuss:
- What covenantal nomism is and why it dissolves the false war between grace and obedience
- The adoption analogy—learning the rules of the Father's house
- A walkthrough of Colossians 3: putting to death the old self and putting on the new
- Why "be holy as I am holy" means being set apart, not earning your place
- A walkthrough of Galatians 5: the works of the flesh vs. the fruit of the Spirit
- Why being "not under the law" doesn't mean living however you want
- How unrepentant sin opens the door to the demonic—and why deliverance helps believers stay in bounds
- The difference between inner healing and deliverance
- Why even a single sinful action can carry real spiritual consequences
Donald Hagner's insight: we're freed from the law to produce the very righteousness the law demandedThis conversation is both deeply theological and intensely practical—a corrective to hyper-grace thinking and a hope-filled vision of the normal, victorious Christian life lived as sons and daughters who honor their Father.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- God's covenant has always begun with grace
- Obedience is a response to belonging, not a way to earn belonging
- The Old and New Testaments are more connected than many realize
- "Not under the law" is not a license for the flesh
- The fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh, marks kingdom life
- The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live differently
- Deliverance and inner healing help believers live free
- The goal is becoming like Jesus, not merely behaving better
How to Engage with Orbis:
- Check out Ken's book, On the Road with the Holy Spirit
- Partner with Orbis Financially
- Are you interested in learning about Holy Spirit-led ministry? Visit Orbis School of Ministry at https://orbissm.com or email our Registrar, Jo McKay, at jo@orbisminstries.org
- Upcoming Orbis Ministries overseas ministry trips are posted on orbisministries.org under the Train tab
-Join an International Ministry Trip link behind the registration/login portal.
- Do you want to join Ken's private Facebook discussion group, "God is not a Theory?" Please send a Facebook Direct Message to Bryan Orbis and a friend request to be added to it.
