The Love Behind The Law

In bible times there was a person called a pedagogue, who was a slave in the family, entrusted with caring and protecting the children from the age of six until their adolescence. This person was probably like a tutor whose main responsibility was to discipline the children, and teach them morals until a time when they could be on their own. Similarly, the law too was that kind of tutor which helped the people of Israel stay disciplined, and abide by the moral standards of God, until the coming of Christ Jesus into this world.

2. The Law gave us the knowledge of sin

Romans 3:20, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (NLT)

Paul beautifully explained this in the above mentioned verse. The law gave people the knowledge of sin. Up until then they only did what seemed good to them. For example, we stop at a red light, wear a seat-belt or a helmet only because the law says so. The purpose of the laws was therefore to help humans realize how sinful they really were, and to keep themselves safe from those things that God did not approve of. Apart from the law, there was no awareness of sin.

3. No one can be justified by the law but only by faith in Christ Jesus

Galatians 2:16, “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (ESV)

It was evident over the years that not one human being was able to fulfill all that the law required. That is why no one could be justified by keeping the law, for everyone failed in some way. However, when Jesus came down to the earth as the Son of God, He alone was able to lead a sinless life, and therefore, He alone could be the propitiation for the sins of all mankind. Therefore, we are now justified, not by keeping the law, but rather by placing our faith in the Lord Jesus who paid the price for our sins on the cross of Calvary.

4. Jesus became sin so we could become righteousness of God

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (ESV)

Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, took on Himself the sins of all mankind, so that we could now be declared righteous, and become the righteousness of God. This righteousness cannot be earned, but received by placing our faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf.

5. Righteousness comes by faith in Jesus

Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (ESV)

The above verse is a testimony of the apostle Paul. Paul was a Pharisee, a learned man, faultless, when it came to keeping the law, zealous about God and one who persecuted the church of God earlier. However, when Paul had this amazing encounter with the risen Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus, his life was totally transformed. Everything that Paul held dear in his younger days, he now considered rubbish. Paul realized that his righteousness could never come from the law, but rather from His faith in Christ.