THE ONE TRUE GOSPEL
Meditations in the Epistle to the Galatians
Galatians 3:19-25
THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW

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THE LAW of God as a means to acceptance before God is indelibly written on our consciences. When Paul tells us, as he has in verses 10 to 14 of this chapter, that the law, far from gaining acceptance with God, really brings a curse upon us, then we have every right to ask the question 'why did God give the law through Moses?' Paul gives us the answer to this question here in the verses we are considering now.

It has to be said that this section of Galatians presents us with verses which are one of the most difficult to interpret in the whole Bible, and although many commentators have sought to expound them, yet as far as I know there is no one who has really been able to do so satisfactorily. The verses are 19b and 20. However, even if the exact meaning of these verses may allude us, yet it makes no difference to the essential clarity of the passage, so we are not left in doubt as to the purpose of God in giving the Law.

Paul gives us three reasons why the Law of God was given. This is not an exhaustive list, but relates specially to the place of the Law in the scheme of God for our salvation from sin.

LAW MADE NECESSARY BECAUSE OF TRANSGRESSION

The first reason Paul gives is in the difficult section - verses 19 and 20. The reason for the Law Paul states here is that the Law was given because of transgression until the Seed to whom the promise referred should come. There is no doubt that the apostle seems to have left the bare statement, which I suppose all of us would have wished he had expanded for us, but the meaning is clear when we understand in some measure the whole Bible testimony concerning the scheme of salvation.

Transgression or sin is the great problem in this world. It was the reason for the fall of humanity from God's original purpose. Because of that fall, every human being is born under Satan's dominion and with a fallen nature that has a bias towards transgression. Because of this, transgression is liable to continue to spoil the purposes of God unless something is done to control it. The Jews were specially chosen as the Bible reveals, not for any privileges concerning salvation above other nations, but to be under the care and protection of God, so that through their nation the Saviour should be born. This was the great privilege that God gave them. After this purpose was fulfilled, the Jews ceased to be any different to other nations before God, apart from the fact that when the Seed did come, they were not ready to recognize him, and instead sought for and achieved his crucifixion.

God purposed that Christ, the Seed, should be born from the line of Abraham as to his human nature. As all human being are prone to transgression, and so there was danger that the Jews could spoil the plan by sin, God introduced the Law, not just the 10 commandments, but also the ceremonial law which governed the life of the Jews. This was in order to preserve the nation as God's people until the Seed should be born. It was because of the Law that there was always a remnant who remained faithful to God, and it was from this remnant that Christ's parents were found. Without the law not even this remnant would have survived the ravages of transgression. Thus the Law was given because of transgression until the Seed should come. See the sure plan and purpose of God.

The difficult part of these two verses, that is from the words "the Law was put into effect ...." is Paul giving us how the law was given. For what it is worth here is my understanding of the meaning. It is that God used angels to give the Law to Moses, who was the mediator between Israel and God. The two parties in the agreement were God on the one hand, and the people of Israel on the other. Usually an agreement needs the assent of both parties. If this had been enforced here, then the Israelites would have never agreed. It is because of this that God as one, acted in a sovereign way, and impressed the agreement on the Israelites so that they agreed to be bound by it, as they did at mount Sinai. I don't pretend to say that this is necessarily the true meaning of Paul's words, but they seem to me to be probable, and fit well into the reason for the Law we have just discussed.

LAW NEVER MEANT TO GIVE LIFE

The point that Paul argues concerning the Law in the next section - verses 21-22 - is that the Law was never meant by God to give life. As we have the idea that the Law is the means of life firmly fixed in our minds, and this came from God's original covenant with Adam at creation, it is necessary for the apostle to speak concerning this point.

Far from being able to give life, the Law is impotent, says Paul, because Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin. This is a truth which human nature finds very difficult to swallow. However we are in fact a prisoner in two ways. Firstly, the Bible reveals that the whole world is under the rule and dominion of Satan. This does not mean that God has lost his power in the world. What it means is that Adam by his choice in the garden of Eden, put himself and all his progeny, under the rule of the devil, when he chose to obey Satan rather than God. Satan holds us all by the authority of the sin of Adam, and then on account of our own sin. We can only be justly saved from his dominion by our fulfilling the Law of God perfectly, and ceasing to be sinners. While we are sinners we must be the subjects of the devil. Being subject to the devil, we can't wholly be subject to the law and so life by keeping the law is impossible for us. Our fallen nature is a result of this subjection to the devil.

Secondly we are prisoner of sin because, since Adam's sin, we have been under a sentence of death, and we lack spiritual life, and thus have a bias to evil and the things of the devil. It is only the common grace of God curbing this bias to sin, that keeps the world from becoming hell on earth, as without this curb on sinning, the sin within humanity would express itself without curb or hindrance.

The Scripture makes this point about our being in prison to sin, so that it may be seen that the only hope we sinners have is the promise concerning the Seed, and our faith in that promise. As Paul has so clearly and continually taught, the only place there is where a righteousness can be found that meets all the holy demands of the Law of God, is in Christ and his work as the second Adam. Where the first Adam failed to obey, Jesus obeys perfectly, firstly and actively by his pure and holy life, and then secondly and passively as he gave his pure body up to the justice of God as the substitute sacrifice to pay the price of the sin of the world. The promise in Christ is that whosoever believes on the Son of God has everlasting life, because faith in the promised seed means that his righteousness is counted as ours. We are, thus, free from sin because all the demands of the Law of God have been met in our surety, Jesus Christ.

As we are prisoners of sin in the world, there is no way by which we can gain life by our effort or obedience. For this reason the only way of life is to receive it as a gift. Paul makes this point again here when he says that what was promised was given, and so must be received by faith by humble supplicants for mercy. However the point that is being pressed is that there is no uncertainty about life through promise. It is given to all who believe without exception.

LAW IS MEANT TO TEACH US OUR NEED OF CHRIST

Lastly, Paul tells us that the purpose of the Law was to lead us to Christ. Such is human pride and self-disception, that unless the truth is impressed upon us of our desperate need, we will assume that we can save ourselves through the Law. So the Law was given as being like a school master, who firstly keeps us in order, so that we don't follow the excesses we are so prone to, and also teaches us to see that, even with all our effort, we fail to keep its holy standards, and are always thus under the condemnation which the Law of God demands. It is also our tutor to make us realise the standard that is required and to approve its divine purity.

It is only when the Law has done its perfect work that sinful humanity is brought to the end of itself, and in desperation looks for some way of escape from the inevitable judgement that hangs over every sinner. It is the law perfectly applied that brings us to the end of our self effort, and destroys our pride in our ability to gain God's favour. This need of the law is seen so clearly at every period of history. Human beings hang on to the belief that they can be saved by their good works in spite of everything. Human beings refuse to face the high extent of the demands of holiness the Law reveals. Human beings are so ready to believe in a lower morality than God demands. Human beings hold on to the idea that it is not 100 percent that God demands, but rather the idea that 50 percent or over is all that is required is held so firmly. Human beings forget that 50 percent is still impurity, and that 100 percent keeping of the Law alone is purity. Human beings are so easily deceived into accepting that perfection in the future is all that is needed, and overlook the impurity of the past, not realising the Law once offended cannot be overlooked.

The Law is our school master to bring all this home to us, and needs to be faithfully applied to the mind and heart. For this to happen, not only must there be faithful teaching of the Law from the church, but there must also be a deep convicting work done in the heart by the Holy Spirit applying the teaching of the Law, and forcing people to face the reality of the Law, and their failure to reach its pure and holy requirements.

Until Christ came, humanity was locked up under the tutorship of the Law. As soon as the promised Seed had come, and the promise achieved by Christ, then we who believe are freed from the tutorship of the Law. The Law having done its work is needed no more because the believer is under the dominion of Christ.

CONCLUSION

It is so important for us to understand the place of the law in the purpose of God. It is only when we do, that we are weaned from trust in the law, as we see it is impotent to bring the life we are depending on the law to achieve for us.

In the midst of our failure to keep God's Law, it is such a deliverance to understand that the Law was never meant by God to be the means of life, and that God had truly provided a more perfect way, which in fact the Law is leading us to.