Series: Towards Maturity
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.
Galatians 3:19-25; Romans 3:20; 7:7-13The 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).
Galatians 3:15-17God 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
Galatians 3:1-3,10-14; James 2:10No wonder Paul said the Galatian Christians were foolish for reverting to the Law, for under its light two things are revealed:
2 Corinthians 3
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)
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Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted in these studies are from the New International Version of the Bible, & copy; New York International Bible Society, used by permission. Other versions referred to are: KJV (King James Version), NKJB (New King James Bible), TLB (The Living Bible), Amp (The Amplified Bible) and The Message. All versions used by permission.
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