“…desiring to be teachers of the
law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But
we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the
law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate,
for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers
of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for
sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other
thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,” 1Tim1:7-10
Let us
now deal specifically with our inability to produce the righteousness of God in
our-selves and why any attempt to obey the law is futile. The bible is clear
that we should not seek to be righteous through obedience to the law but through
faith in Christ. Unfortunately most of us are not convinced about this. We
think that we can surely obey God’s law and produce correct behavior. We also
compare ourselves with others who are not performing as well as we are and
conclude that surely God is pleased with us. The only person you should be
comparing yourself to is Jesus. And when you do you will realize very quickly
that you are nothing. We have greatly misunderstood the purpose of God’s law. The law was never meant to justify us; the
law was given to reveal to us our unrighteousness! It was given to lead us
to Jesus and His mercy.
A person that
truly lives under law realizes very quickly their inability to keep it and
cries out for the mercy of God. And that’s its purpose.
Many
Christians believe that preaching the grace of God will encourage people to sin
and that the way to stop people from sinning is by preaching the law to them
and getting them to feel guilty and condemned. Unfortunately this is not only
incorrect but also the opposite of the truth. The truth is that the law causes
people to sin more and grace causes people to stop sinning.
THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW
Misunderstanding
the purpose of the law has been one of the major mistakes we have made in the
church. We have attempted to use the law as an avenue by which we can attain
the righteousness of God. However this is not the purpose of the law. The
scriptures clearly state the purpose of the law. Let us look at why God gave
the law;
The law was not given to everybody. It was given to Israel only
Note1: Acts15:1-31
is a classic passage on the issue of the relationship between the Christian and
the law. Today it is widely accepted that we are all supposed to keep the Law
of Moses and yet this is wrong. The apostles Paul and Barnabas moved about
evangelizing and converting the Gentiles to Christianity and establishing
churches. However in many places where they did this they were closely followed
by certain Pharisees who had converted to Christianity. These Pharisees would
go to these new congregations of largely Gentile believers and tell them that
they must also be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses much as they had
believed in Jesus. Apparently faith in Jesus wasn’t enough. You also had to
keep the law. This sounds so much like the Pharisees of today in our churches
and ministries.
This of
course caused a great dispute between Paul and Barnabas on one side and the
religious Pharisees on the other side. It was finally decided that Paul and
Barnabas were to go to Jerusalem and see the other apostles and the elders and
settle this dispute once for all. These were the twelve that had been with
Jesus. They were deemed the final authority on this among men. Whatever they
decided would be adopted. This in effect was the first church council or synod
if you may.
After
considering the matter and being guided by the Holy Spirit, the council
concluded in Acts15:13-31 that the Gentiles were not to be burdened any further
by trying to obey the Law of Moses and being circumcised. This is a good
passage to study for anyone that has issues about the Law of Moses.
"What advantage then hath the
Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because
that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” Rom3:1-2
Note2: Paul
says that the main advantage that the Jews had over other groups and nations of
people was that God had committed His Word unto them. They had the inner knowledge
of God and also a written record of God's instructions that were written down
by Moses. We do not see any other nation or group of people throughout
scripture that God gave His Word to through written instructions or any laws.
This was uniquely for the Jews. Furthermore we do not see God punishing any
other nation for breaking His law. This is because He hadn’t given it to any of
them. He only punished Israel for breaking His law.
“Now we know that whatever the
law says, it says to those who are under the law…”Rom3:19a
Note3: This scripture
may shock many of us but it is true. Christianity as a whole has embraced the
Old Testament law and most Christians have never thought about the fact that
the law was not intended for them. However, Paul is very clearly saying that
the law was given to the Jews. Whatever the law says, it says to those who are
under it. He did not say it says to the whole world. He said it says to those
who are under the law. I.e. the Jews.
If you
are not a Jew, God never meant for you to be under the Law of Moses. Don’t get
offended, we are just beginning.
The law was given to make you guilty before God
“Now we know that whatever the
law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be
stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Rom3:19
The
purpose of the law was to make us guilty before God. It stripped us of every
excuse and made us guilty as charged. The law made us aware of just how sinful
we were. Anyone who denies their guilt and culpability before God will in the
face of the Law realize that they are indeed guilty.
The law was given to reveal sin in you
“What shall we say then? Is the
law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except
through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had
said, You shall not covet.” Rom7:7
Paul is
not saying that the law is the thing that made us to sin. He is saying that the
law of God simply made clear to us that we already had a depraved and sinful
nature. He uses the example of "thou shalt not covet". This commandment
didn't make covetousness come, but it made the lust that was already present in
our heart wake up and start coveting. God's aim was that we stop
deceiving ourselves that we are good and righteous on our own. The law revealed
the covetousness and other sins that were resident in our sinful and corrupted
hearts.
You can
say that the law stripped off the
mask and disguise that we were wearing and revealed our true nature which was
the sinful nature. It brought our sin into focus.
It removed all our
blindness to our sin problem. Even those who thought that they were so good suddenly
realized how filthy and unworthy they were. It showed everybody that they were
a sinner. That was its purpose.
The law made sin in me alive and me dead
“But sin, taking opportunity by
the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the
law sin was dead. “I was alive once
without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.” And the commandment, which was to bring life,
I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived
me, and by it killed me.” Rom7:8-11
Note 1: The law gave sin an opportunity
against us. Our rebellious sin nature always lusts for what we are not allowed
to have or do. The moment we are forbidden from doing something, even if we
were not interested in doing it, suddenly we develop an uncontrollable lust for
that very thing. Back in school we used to say that ‘rules are meant to be
broken. If you can’t break it at least bend it.’
This is
why God gave the law. He knew that sin was already working in us but we thought
we were very good and holy. When the law came forbidding us from doing certain
things, sin came alive. This is what Paul means when he says that sin took
opportunity by the commandment.
Note2: Paul says that there was once a
time when he was alive before the commandment came. How is this possible? What does
he mean? We know that God gave the law thousands of years before Paul was born.
What does this mean?
The answer
is a profound revelation that answers a lot of questions. When Paul speaks of
the commandment coming, he is speaking of the time in every person's life when
we recognize that we are violating a commandment of God.
There is
a time in all of our lives usually during childhood that we realize that we are
disobeying God when we do certain things that have been forbidden either by our
parents, teachers, society or anybody in authority. We become conscious of God and a holy standard
which we are failing to achieve. We begin to experience guilt for our
transgressions. That's when the law comes and God begins imputing our sins from
that time until salvation. Prior to that time, our sins are not being imputed
to us and we can fellowship with God.
This is
why children can fellowship with God even before they are born again and also why
infants and young children who die go straight to heaven. They haven’t yet
reached the time when the commandment comes. They haven’t yet become aware to
the fact that they are transgressing the law of God. This is commonly known as
the ‘age of accountability’.
For all
human beings there is a time when our soul is not separated from God. This is
the time before the law comes into our lives. We still have a sin nature and commit
sins but God doesn’t impute those sins unto us. This is because the law hasn’t come
to us yet. We haven’t become aware of and accountable for our sins. Until that
time we are alive and can fellowship and communicate with God without being
hindered by sin.
Note3: ‘…when the commandment came, sin revived…’
Notice also that
Paul uses the word ‘revived’. He does not say that sin came, he says it
revived. You cannot revive something that isn’t already there. The sin nature
already exists in all of us at birth but until the law comes, that nature is
dead. God doesn’t impute our sins unto us.
By trying to obey the law we become exceedingly sinful.
“Has then what is good become
death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing
death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might
become exceedingly sinful.” Rom7:13
The law
draws out of us the sin that is already in our soul so that we can see how
sinful we are and realize that we need a Savior. We become exceedingly sinful
when we get under the law. The law sucks out all those little sins that we hide
and pretend about. This just serves to disgust us even more. That is what God
wanted. That's the purpose.
The law arouses sinful passions and lusts in us.
“For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” Rom7:5
This verse
says that sinful passions, emotions and influences in us are by the law. The law aroused
sinful passions! Can you believe that? And yet it is scripture.
The law strengthens sin
“The sting of death is sin, and
the strength of sin is the law.” 1Cor15:56
Note1: This is probably one of the most
controversial statements Paul ever makes. If you say something like this in
church today, they will most probably throw you out. To most of us it is nearly
blasphemous. However the scripture is very clear; THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW! The law strengthens sin!
It’s right there in your bible, I didn’t make it up. Read it yourself.
Note2: This is also one of the
clearest scriptures on the relationship between sin and law in the entire
bible. Many preachers say that preaching grace will make people sin, on the
contrary, preaching law will make people sin limitlessly because the law
strengthens sin.
The law is the ministry of death. It kills
“But if the ministry of
death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children
of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of
his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the
Spirit not be more glorious” 2Cor3:7-8
This is
speaking of the 10 commandments which were written on tablets of stone. This
scripture calls the 10 commandments of God the ministry of death. Think about
this. Indeed on the day Moses brought the tablets from the mountain 3000 people
were killed. That’s how God introduced His law! Read Exodus 32. The law kills. That
is what it does.
The law is the ministry of condemnation. It was given to condemn
“For if the ministry of
condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in
glory.” 2Cor3:9
After calling
The Law the ministry of death, he now calls it the ministry of condemnation. Notice
that he doesn’t call it ‘a ministry’ but ‘the ministry’ of condemnation.
The law doesn’t condemn you just for the
sake of it. That is its purpose. To condemn you. It is ‘the ministry of
condemnation.’
The law released the wrath of God.
“Because the law worketh wrath:
for where no law is, [there is] no transgression.” Rom4:15
The law
of God released the wrath of God. Without the law there was no wrath because
without the law there was no transgression. 1John 3:4 says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." Therefore,
before the law of God was given, men's sins were not being held against them.
Anyone
who seeks to keep the law of God for the purpose of being justified in God's
sight, will also release the wrath of God in their life. If you put yourself
under law, you will experience God’s wrath! That should be reason enough for us
to creep out from under the law and stay away from it. Why would you want to
experience God’s wrath? Unless you are crazy…
THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF KEEPING THE LAW
Most
people I have heard preaching the law don’t really realize that they are
preaching the impossible. When you ask people to obey the law of God and live
by its demands, you are asking them to do the impossible. It is impossible to
fulfill the law of God. It is like
telling you to jump and touch the clouds in the sky. It doesn’t matter how fit
you are or how high you can jump, nobody can jump and touch the clouds. That’s
the way God’s law is, its standard is too high.
Earlier
we saw that Jesus told his congregation to be perfect even as God is. This is
what the law demands. God doesn’t tell us to obey it the best we can and live
the rest to Him, nor does He tell us to pick out the ones we like or the ones
we can obey. God tells us to obey all of it perfectly. Breaking even one
commandment is the same as breaking all of them. You either obey all of it, or
leave it. Many of us may struggle to believe this because those who preach law
don’t tell you to be perfect. But here is what the bible says;
“Cursed is the one who does not
confirm all the words of this law by
observing them.' "And all the people shall say. Amen…” Deut27:26
You
know what the Hebrew word for all used there means? That’s right ALL…
“Now it shall come to pass, if
you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His
commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you
high above all nations of the earth.” Deut28:1
This
passage is popularly taught because of the blessings that are attached to it.
We are taught that if we obey God’s law then His blessing will pursue us and
overtake us, that God will bless the work of our hands, that we shall be above
and not beneath, the head and not the tail and so many other things as long as
we obey God’s law. The only problem is that the preachers fail to mention that
God puts the condition that we “observe
carefully all His commandments”. Not some of them, ALL of them.
“For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who
does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do
them.” Gal3:10
Paul
says that everybody that tries to live by the law is automatically under a
curse. Why? Because God pronounced a curse on anybody that doesn’t “continue in all things which are written in
the book of the law, to do them.” If you are going to live by the law,
don’t just pick the 10 Commandments, do all of it!
Look at
this next scripture;
“If someone obeys all of God's
laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them. After all, the
one who said, "Never commit adultery," is the same one who said,
"Never murder." If you do not commit adultery but you murder, you
become a person who disobeys God's laws.” Jam2:10-11GW
Did you
see that??? That if you obey all of it and miss only one, you are guilty of
all!! Wow! This doesn’t fly in the face of religion today. But it is what God says. You either do it all or leave it alone.
This is
the reason no one can be justified and declared righteous by obeying the law.
It’s not because God doesn’t want to, it’s because God wants it obeyed
perfectly and no one can obey it perfectly. Indeed the correct purpose of the
law is to drive us to Jesus who obeyed the law perfectly and became our
righteousness before God. Let us look at some more scriptures that make this
point;
“knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not
by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be
justified.” Gal2:16
“But that no one is justified by
the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith.
Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by
them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse
for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that
we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Gal3:11-14
“For we ourselves were also once
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in
malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the
love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us
abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become
heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Tit3:3-7
For further study, read Rom3:20, 28-31, Rom4:13-16, Rom8:3-4, Rom10:4-13, Gal2:16, Gal3:11-14
All
these scriptures make the same point; that we can’t be justified by our
obedience to the law but only through faith in what God has already done in
Christ. If all this scripture can’t convince you, then nothing can. You need to
examine your heart, whether you really believe the Word of God or your own
words and ideas and doctrines and religion.
“What purpose then
does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed
should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels
by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but
God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if
there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness
would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that
the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But
before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith
which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us
to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we
are no longer under a tutor.” Gal3:19-25
God gave us the law for the purpose of showing us that we couldn’t make it on
our own and needed a savior. If you have truly tried to obey the law then I am
sure you have already realized that you can’t keep it. It’s just impossible. If
you have already come to Jesus in faith, then stay there. Don’t ever leave Him,
He promised that He would never leave you; That He would abide with you
forever. Jesus is our only hope.
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