The Law Love it or hate it?

Sometimes, the apostle Paul can be quite confusing.

For example, Paul may say that the law is holy, righteous and good, and in another breath seems to argue that it is bad for you. For example, compare “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary,,we establish the Law” (Romans 3:31. All scriptures quoted from NASB95) with “for if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise nullified.”(Romans 4:14).

How can something be both good and bad?

Actually, lots of things. Consider, for example, medicine. If someone is having a heart attack, one does all sorts of things to save the person’s life that would be completely inappropriate for a normal, healthy person.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, there is a short section that helps to clarify the matter (Galatians 3:21-24).
He says in Chapter 3:19 that the law was added because of transgression (sin). Why? Well, consider this: as our society has evolved, even so our laws have evolved. Two hundred years ago, there were no laws dealing with which side of the road to drive on; no speed limits; no rules about what to do when you come to an intersection. We, too, have needed to add to our laws because people don’t naturally do the right thing.

However, Paul says, even though the law was not contrary to the promises of God, it was unable to impart life (verse 21). Just like medicine can arrest an infection or a disease, but you do not become a healthy, vibrant and productive person by taking medicine. For that, you need something else.

Unable to move

Through the scripture, God has revealed the sinfulness of man, not just as “sinner,” but as in a state or condition . Like a body riddled with cancer, far more than can ever be cut out – to attempt to do so would kill the patient. Like a patient in a hospice who can watch kids playing in a park, and listen to their joyful sounds, he is bound to his bed by his illness, unable to move and join them. This is what sin does to us.

In verse 23, he broadens the analogy to describe man as being “in custody” (some translate it “imprisoned”). The Greek means to post a guard over. So, it is as if mankind has been quarantined by the law because of sin, but he is unable to get better.

Consider for a moment a modern equivalent: when the law says that a man’s home is his castle and that another may not enter it unwelcomed, the home owner is justified to use appropriate force to protect his home and family. Our laws create a “safe place” where we may operate and live. The choice of “imprisoned” as a translation for the Greek is a pity – the meaning is more like what the Voortrekkers or other travelling pioneers used to do when they pulled their wagons into a circle and posted guards. Those on the inside were kept safe from wild animals and enemies on the outside. But who wants to live like that forever?

This is exactly what Scripture has done for those who have not yet received the Spirit, as he explains from Galatians 5:13 onwards.
In Romans chapter 6, Paul describes the world as it is under the rule of the devil. Sin enslaves us, and the devil is the slave master. One of the reasons Jesus became man was to rescue (save) us, from this system. To reverse the slavery that was the natural consequence of Adam and Eve switching allegiance from God to the serpent.

A new identity

Imagine that you were witness to the brutal slaying of a number of people by a gang lord and his cronies. The right thing to do would be to go to the police and be a witness in the ensuing trial. However, to do so would place your own life and even your family at risk. So the authorities put you into a witness protection programme – to keep you safe. They might even move you and your family to a different part of the country, and give you completely new identities.

God gave Israel the Law to insulate them from the pagan practices that would draw them back into captivity again.
The purpose of the Law, as Paul states, was to bring them safely to faith (Christ). And it would have done so, if they had kept it (Hebrews 8.8).

In these verses (Galatians 3:22-23), Paul reveals another problem – some feel so comfortable in the safety of the laager, that they don’t see the need for faith (2 Corinthians 3), and so they remain shut up in the laager, unable to enjoy the freedom of life God intended for us.
In verse 24, he once again changes the metaphor slightly, and compares the Law to a tutor, guardian, or governess1, as the different translations have it. The role is to protect and teach.

In chapter 4, Paul develops this last metaphor further when he describes how a child under a guardian is just like a slave. The child is under the full control of the guardian. But the time comes when the child reaches the legal age of maturity. When that time comes, the guardian no longer has a say over the adult. But, if there was a loving relationship between guardian and child, the guardian often continues to be a guide or mentor. And so, Paul too, can cry out “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law” and “So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.” (Romans7:7,12)
Just like medicine, the Law was a necessary and even vital act of loving protection from God.

But, who wants to live on medicine forever?

Instead, God has offered each one of us freedom in Christ from the threats of the devil and his society. Say, “YES” to the Father’s calling; turn your back on your previous life; be willing to submit to the renovating work of the Spirit, and he will create the new person  in you, one who is able to live out the law of Christ.   

1.    A governess was like a nanny, but who had a lot more control over the child – to protect, to teach, to care for. In fact, the classical governess was often a substitute for the parents themselves