Law and Grace

The question of the Law is one of the most important subjects for a Christian to understand. The Apostle Paul devotes one whole book - Galatians - to the question of the Law, and many other large sections of the New Testament deal with it.

Why the Law?

Galatians 3:19-25; Romans 3:20; 7:7-13

The Law was given to reveal sin. Its purpose was to act like a mirror. When we look into a mirror and see that our face is dirty, we do not pick up the mirror and rub our face with it to try to get clean. Its purpose is simply to show us that we need cleaning, but we go to another source - the water - to actually be made clean. The Law was added for a short period of time to show mankind their need of salvation, and to point to the One who would make us clean (see Rev.1:5; Titus 3:5).

Two Covenants

Galatians 3:15-17

God made a covenant with Abraham and his "Seed" (Christ). The covenant was for Abraham to believe God, and God would then credit His own righteousness to Abraham (see Rom.4:1-5). The law of Moses was introduced 430 years later because of sin - to preserve Israel until the coming of the Messiah. The covenant of law was only a temporary, holding covenant.

The two covenants do not mix. In fact, Paul says that when God gave the Law to Moses, it did not even interfere with the Covenant of Faith He had already made with Abraham. That Covenant of Faith continued, untouched, through to Christ and now to us who are in Christ ( Gal.3:15-19). We are the "seed of Abraham" ( Gal.3:29) and heirs of the Covenant of Faith. The Covenant of Law has nothing to do with you at all.

Romans 8:3-4; 1:16-17; Phil.3:3

The Curse of the Law

Galatians 3:1-3,10-14; James 2:10

No wonder Paul said the Galatian Christians were foolish for reverting to the Law, for under its light two things are revealed:

God's righteous standard and judgement ( Matt.5:21-48)

Our inability to reach that standard, and deserving of judgement ( Romans 7:14-25).

Comparing Covenants

The Covenant of Law means that I try by my own self-effort to reach God's holy standard. This is living in the flesh, and the flesh has no ability to conquer itself ( Rom.8:3-4). The Covenant of Faith recognises that I cannot do anything to help myself, but trusts the grace of God to do the work in my life ( 1 Cor.15:10; Gal.2:21; 2 Cor.12:7).

2 Corinthians 3

The letter kills ( Ex.32:15-28; Heb.12:18-21)

The Spirit gives life ( Acts 2:1-40; Heb.12:22-24)

Moses came down from Sinai, after receiving the Law, to find the people worshipping the golden calf the very thing the Law forbade them to do. Because of this transgression of the Law, 3,000 people died that day. But on the Day of Pentecost, when all Israel was celebrating the giving of the Law to Moses, God poured out His Spirit, and His Law was written on "tablets of human hearts" ( Jer.31:33-34; Luke 24:49). Through the preaching of this covenant, 3,000 people were made alive that day (read John 6:63).

We are dead to the Law! ( Romans 7:1-6; Galatians 2:19-21; 3:13-14) Rom.5:5; Matt.22:36-40; Gal.5:1-4,14,16)