Galatians 3:19-22
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Laws have an interesting effect. On the one hand, they allow us to know what the moral standard is so that we know how to adjust accordingly to remain within their boundaries. On the other hand, the rules can also incite us to rebellion as our fallen nature is drawn to that side of the equation. Tell me how far I’m allowed to go…and I’ll be tempted to take one extra step. Tell us there is ONE TREE we can’t touch within an entire garden of perfection and which one will we long for the most? The forbidden one. It’s a sad indictment on our fallen nature.
Why then the law?
Spurgeon said, “The LAW was given to discover and lay bare our sin to us. Under the hand of the Holy Spirit, it makes us see the evil of sin (Jn 16:7-9).” John Trapp remarked that, “A sight of misery must go before a sense of mercy. Lex, lux, ‘the law is a light,’ and shows us our need of a Mediator.” This is one of the great dangers of the downward slide of American culture. As the country becomes increasingly more secular, most traditional notions of right & wrong are being left behind. As a result, more and more people are losing sight of any need for personal salvation. If there is no posted speed limit, how do you know if you are in violation? You could be driving 90 in a 65-mph zone and totally unaware of your “sin,” so to speak. Add to that the approval of millions of your neighbors (Rom 1:32) who think you should do whatever is best for you and voila! We have a land without need for a Savior.
The Law not only shows us our sin, but it is also meant to serve us for our own good and the good of our neighbors. Part of the reason the law was given was to restrain the transgression of men through clearly revealing God’s holy standard. God had to give us His standard so we would not destroy ourselves before the Messiah came. It’s a sobering thought. There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is destruction (Pr 14:12). Remove all the rules of the road and what do you get? Carnage. The strong would rule over the weak and common courtesy would be out the window. Do you think everyone would stop at an intersection and insist the other folks go first? Think again. And God help you if you drive a small car.
As Oliver Greene says “The Law cannot save, the Law cannot sanctify, the Law cannot redeem. The Law cannot make man better. All the Law could do was to show man how exceeding sinful he was, and how hopeless he stood before GOD without the grace of GOD. Paul preached to the Galatians that the Law could neither justify, sanctify, nor satisfy the sinner.” This is why we must preach the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27). The day we stop talking about sin is the day we strip the Gospel of its full weight…and for that, lost people will pay an eternal price.