What is the purpose of the Law?

Believers, we're not under Law just so that we can go on sinning sprees. Under grace, we're married to our Saviour Jesus Christ so that we can can be righteous in God's sight and thus get to live a life of moral excellence. One that is sin-free. Grace is the Way out of sin.

Be for the Law for the purpose for which the Law was given: to show everyone up as guilty before God. Romans 3:19 says: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

Galatians 3:19 says: "Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], ..."

The Law is righteous, holy and unbending and demands perfection from those who are under Law. None can be made right with God by doing its works. The Law was given to show us how sinful we are, not for us to keep as our standard of righteousness. Romans 3:20 says "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."

Galatians 5:4 says "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

1 Corinthians 15:56 says ".....the strength of sin is the Law." The Law gives sin its power over those under Law.

Under Law: Romans 7:5 

"When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."

"Old nature" in Romans 7:5 is the sin nature that all inherited from Adam. New creation are those that have died to this old nature (sin), having Christ as our righteousness and not that which proceeds from works of the Law. "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19

The very Law that many believers try to keep in order to be godly; in order to be like God, causes them to sin more and die. Remember who else ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a picture of the Law) because she was told that she would "be like God?" Eve. But the letter (Law) kills. The devil is still deceiving people to eat from this tree and to human wisdom, it seems like "the good thing to do." He is still deceiving many and getting them to come under condemnation, cut off from Christ. The law condemns all who try to keep it. And judgment will follow here.

But under grace, with Christ as our righteousness, the devil has been DISARMED. See Colossians 2: "14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."

The handwriting that was against is the Law. The Accuser's accusations against people for their inability to keep the whole Law is his only power. All who are under Law are cursed and condemned to death. The Accuser has nothing to accuse you of when you are no longer under Law (trying to keep the Law to get right with God); when you believe that you are made righteous by Christ's obedience; no longer under Law because Christ took your curse and  died your death. Under grace, power has been taken away from Satan and his minions. Another - Christ - already took whatever curse or punishment that was due to us for failing to keep the whole Law.

Under Grace: Romans 7:4

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God."

God's grace is not a licence to sin. Never.Would you really give your own child a gift that has a slight chance of killing him or give him the liberty to be rebellious? How much more our loving Saviour in whom "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence," Ephesians 1:7-8 here tells us His grace is showered on us with wisdom and prudence, not just anyhow that we could misuse it.

Those who are still wallowing in sin and say that they are under Grace are under something else, definitely not grace. Yes there are some who try to replace the grace of our Lord with sheer license to sin. These people are not under grace but under the control of the devil.

Paul spoke of these scoundrels in Jude 1 and described them as spots in our love feasts, greedy and rebellious. These people are not of Christ and their behaviour should not make pastors and leaders try to “help God” by introducing the Law to keep New Covenant believers in check. Sarah (GRACE) did not need Hagar (LAW) to raise Isaac (The Church). Grace is enough. Cast out the bondwoman and her son!

Pastors and leaders, there's no need to help the Holy Spirit to do His work of transforming believers to the image of the glory of the Lord by putting them under the Law again. This is death. Plus you can't. No human is that good a transformer! 2 Corinthians 3:18 says the Spirit of the Lord transforms us to the image of His glory, not the Law, or you.

Point the people to God's Grace (unveil the love of Christ) and according to Titus 2, Grace (our Saviour Jesus Christ Himself) is the one that teaches us to shun ungodliness and worldly lusts, gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds, not you or I.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.