“Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins…” Galatians 3:19 (NLT)
Have you ever wondered why God gave the law to the Israelites in the first place? And no, ‘The Law’ isn’t just a title given to every law graduate by that dramatic uncle. The law had a purpose to serve in God’s divine agenda.
Whether it is acknowledged or not, there is an innate desire within every human being to know God and to stand right before Him. Interestingly, this is also God’s desire for every one of us. Nevertheless, the Bible makes it clear that we cannot attain right standing with God by obeying the requirements of the law.
In Romans 3:19-20 (NLT), Apostle Paul explained that “the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 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.”
The law points us to the standard of life God would have us live up to; showing what is required of us to please God, and that anything short of this is sinfulness before Him. The sinful nature of mankind that came by Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God in the garden of Eden, kept us from being able to satisfy God’s requirements.
This makes the law an instrument that levels the playing field, bringing everyone—regardless of class, lineage, gender, or race—under one umbrella: sinners. As the Bible says in Romans 3:23 (NLT), “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Just like a person would go to the doctor because they recognize that they are sick, go to eat because they realize they are hungry, or go to drink water because they acknowledge thirst; so it is that, beyond revealing our sinfulness, the law drives us to acknowledge our need for a savior from the hold sin has over us, preventing us from being able to live lives that are pleasing unto God.
Herein we see that indeed the law served God’s purpose, and in this, we see the grace of God made manifest. All who were sinners can be made right before God, not by keeping the requirements of the law, which we could not keep, but by believing in Jesus Christ and in His finished work. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Do this: Give God thanks for His Grace that was so proactive to meet our need for salvation, even when we were yet ignorant of our sins.
Bible Reading Plan: Deuteronomy 18-20