What then is the purpose of the law?

Even to Christians, when they read the New Testament or the commandments of Jesus or the apostles, they think, "But, how? " "I'm not good enough," "I can't" "That's too hard," "I'll try," "I wish I could be like that" "I already do this I don't need to worry," "I won't." All of these are normal, but, sinful responses to the law. The law is designed to show us the need to abandon our efforts in a way that is trusting God to supply obedience, to supply righteousness.

What is the purpose of the law?

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase.” rom 5:20 This is contrary, then, to the goal of the Christian. Is it right to preach the law amongst Christians? I think so, but only if it does not but rarely leave out a concentrated explanation of what happened at the cross. It is advantageous for a Christian to be shown how to properly handle the word of God.

“But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 cor 3:14-17

Reading Moses (the Ten Commandments) without a Mediator increases confusion, increases the hardness of our hearts. But when we turn to the Spirit of God, we do not have that complication. That is why this covenant is better.

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, ...,--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God...” 1 tim 1:8-11 So the law is made for those who do not walk in fellowship with God.

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' "Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." rom 13:8-10

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." rom 8:2-4

The law was only a shadow, the inferior and now obsolete way of the reality and fullness which dwells in the person of Christ.

If I have to become something more in order to be seen as righteous in the eyes of God, that means that as a Spirit-led believer alone I am not good enough. The Mediator supplied through my faith isn’t sufficient. If there is a perceived insufficiency in faith in Christ to produce a Godly life, then there is a lack of trust for the work of the Holy Spirit.

Any list we might assert beyond “Christ crucified” for pursuing holiness, is a resurrection of the written code. The written code was nailed to the cross in Colossians 2:14 and declared what kills us spiritually in 2 Cor 3:6 and already fully met whether we understand it or not in Rom 8:4

We serve God in a completely new fashion. Before, the Jews tried to follow God’s will only by reading the commandments and then trying to obey them. But now, believers serve God’s will by reading the commandments and then knowing that they do not need to attempt to get out there and obey them (the law was our overseer to bring us to faith in Christ)--both because it is impossible for us to obey them, and because Christ already did, and He wants to credit His righteousness and His nature to us so that we don’t have to sweat it. So by faith we become obedient to the laws of God.

“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” rom 7:4-6

When have you ever heard a Christian ask another Christian “So; tell me-- how has the law kept you from bearing fruit for God?” (The law in itself is not evil but rather good, but since sin dallies behind law we cannot use it.)

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” 1 cor 15:56

We do not move into victory so often because our eyes are upon the good standard, and therefore sin takes advantage of our desires. Our consciences are troubled! (“some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘you must... keep the law’” Acts 15:24) The law causes the focus to shift! From God, to ourselves! That’s sin evil accomplishment. And that is why His power is diminished and why our pride and lust increases. The way for them to put down sin is to recognize that Christ has made them obedient to the law by promise, by faith, and they need to claim that obedience in the Spirit.


Still with a desperate desire for input on this!