I frequently hear people making disparaging comments about the law. My conclusion? many people think of the law as bad. But, is it really bad?
Consider, neither Jesus nor the Apostles were against the law. In fact, Paul says,
Romans 7:12-14
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
The law is holy and spiritual and the commandment is holy, just, and good - the law is not bad.
So what’s the problem? Me. I’m the problem. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. And the problem with me is sin. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. The commandment shows sin for what it is.
Romans 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
The holy and spiritual law has a weakness, and again I’m the culprit – it was weak through the flesh. So, the problem is not that the Law is bad, but I am. It is spiritual and holy but I am not. And right here is the weakness of the Law – it directs me in the right way but offers no help in getting there.
Galatians 3:19
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions
As he said in Romans 3:20 by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Galatians 3:21-24
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ...
Here is another weakness of the law, it cannot give life. And yet again the problem is with me – I am dead in sin. But in this passage he expands on the purpose or function of the law, it is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The law is holy and spiritual but it cannot give me forgiveness, righteousness, or life. But God gives us life, righteousness, and forgiveness through Christ. This is the gospel! The law leads us to Jesus who is able to give us what the law has shown us we lack. This is what was promised in the prophecy of the new covenant.
But, it is interesting to note what exactly was promised concerning the new covenant:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
This is what God said he will do for us under the new covenant:
† I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts
† and will be their God, and they shall be my people
† they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them
† I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more
Amen! As you can see, the New Covenant is not a breakaway from the Law. No! God writes his law in our hearts. If the Law is bad then the New Covenant is bad. And in a really cool move, in the chapter devoted to the working of the Holy Spirit in us, Paul explains what it is the New Covenant produces in us:
Romans 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Do you see it? The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk after the Spirit. The Gospel is not anti law, rather, by the grace of God, the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us when we walk in the Spirit. To listen to many talk today, Law and Spirit are at odds - if you walk in the Spirit you’ll have nothing to do with the Law and if you fulfill the law you ain’t walking in the Spirit. But as we can see, this is simply not true.
Here we come to another problem with the law - it doesn’t go far enough. Both Jesus and Paul start with the Law but then raise the bar.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, did this with the phrase, you have heard it said ... but I say. One example is in Matthew 5:27-28
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Notice, the law said no adultery; Jesus does not repeal this, adultery is still sin, but he raises the bar - to look on a woman to lust after her is adultery. This is the righteousness of the law. And in the rest of Matthew 5 he does the same thing with murder, divorce, swearing/oaths, and vengeance. And he introduced all this by saying, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Paul does the same thing. For example, in Ephesians 4:28 he wrote, Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. The law said, Thou shalt not steal, Paul does not revoke this, stealing is still sin, but he goes further - work to have so you can give to him in need. This is the righteousness of the law.
So, is the righteousness of God revealed and reflected in the law? We know that the ceremonial aspects of the law are fulfilled in Christ - they are the shadow, he is the substance; and the civil or judicial aspects of the law applied to Israel and not to the church; but is there any benefit to us in the moral aspects of the law? In other words, can we read the law and say of these commands, “This is the righteousness of God and I ought to obey this?” I believe the answer is, Yes.
The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us when we...
Ah, that’s my next post, How we fulfill the righteousness of the law
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