“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added
because of trasgressions, till the Seed should come
to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed
through angels by the hand of a mediator”
– Galatians 3:19 –
Since it was clear that salvation is by grace and not by keeping the Law, another problem arose: why is the Law given? If the Law does not serve any purpose, neither do the arguments, because they were taken from the Law. Is it perhaps possible to understand the mysteries of faith logically?
Men create laws to amend laws, but God is not going to create a law that changes His promise. Abraham did not make a covenant with God; God made a covenant with Abraham. Paul revealed another wonderful thruth: God gave this promise not only to Abraham, but also to Christ, His Seed (Gal. 3:16). Already in Genesis, after the entry of sin, it was said that there would be a conflict between the seed of the enemy and the seed of the woman. Satan’s goal was to prevent The Seed, Christ, from being born into the world, for he knew that the Son of God would wound him in the head.
The law does not contradict the promise; it cooperates with the promise by fulfilling God’s plans. How does it do that? If life and righteousness could come through the law, Christ Jesus would never have died on the cross.
The law shows the sinner his guilt; and grace, the forgiveness he can have in Christ. The law is holy, fair, and good (Rom. 7:12), but we are wicked, unjust, and evil. Illegal us is trying to achieve salvation by keeping the law.
The tutor was the slave trained to care for and take his master’s children to and from school. He was the child’s teacher and instructor, a guide. The law is the tutor that leads us to Christ (Gal. 3:24).
A very well known writer summed it up like this:
We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith… Here is the true test. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law (Steps to Christ, p. 61).
The woman who was found in sin was not condemned by Jesus, but forgiven. It was not through her merrits, nor because of her works, but through the grace of the Savior. Now forgiven and rescued, Jesus said to her, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11), thus maker her subject of the law.
The more grace we receive,
the greater is our commitment of faithfulness.
Be blessed, in the name of Jesus…