The Law And The Contemporary Believer

Romans 4:15

For the law always brings punishment to those who try to obey it. ( The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) New Living Translation

The law of God, which was given to the people of Israel was not intended to make the people of Israel righteous. The law however demanded righteousness from them. To have attained righteousness was to keep all the laws to the letter. Unfortunately, it was never possible to keep the laws. The ability to keep some amongst the many laws given to Moses for the people of Israel was somewhat possible but obedience to the totality of the Law was impossible.

The law was not meant to be obeyed. The law was meant to bring man to and end of himself, so he (man) would turn to God for salvation. This knowledge however was lost on the people of Israel. Hence their efforts to meet the demands of the Law. Reading from Exodus 19:8, the people agreed that they had the ability to keep the Law. They said "we would do everything the law has commanded". They boasted in their own ability to be righteous ( ability to stand before God without the sense of guilt).

Sadly, upon the introduction of the Law, sin( transgression from the law) revived. Sin abounded when the law was introduced. This does not suggest that the law in itself is sinful. Romans 7:7 declares ' well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never had known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said "you must not covet". ' the 14th verse of this scripture says "so the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good...." The law pointed out your sin to you. The dressing mirror has the ability to reveal all the blemish on your face to you, but can not take away a single of them, such is the law.

When a man desires to seek righteousness by keeping the law, such a man is cursed and has fallen from grace.

Galatians 3 : 10 " but those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for scripture says ' cursed is any man who does not observe all the commandments that are written in God's book of the law". Breaking one of the Law is breaking all the laws. Therefore, you would have to suffer the brunt of the Law.

I have good news for you. Christ Jesus had done it all. HALLELUJAH. He has met and fulfilled the demands of justice on our behalf. He has finished the work. Righteousness for the contemporary believer has got nothing to do with the law. Glory to God. It has become an issue of grace and faith. No wonder Galatians 2 : 21 says that the death of Christ would have been meaningless if righteousness came by the keeping of the Law.

Jesus fulfilled the law and now we have a new and a better law. It is called the law of "greater love" John 15:13 Jesus said " A new commandment I give you, love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his brothers". Jesus abolished " love your neighbour as yourself". Surprised! ?. We have to love one another as Christ has loved us and not as we have loved ourselves.

Spiritual and good as the law may be, it was only a shadow of things to come. Hebrews 10:1 " the old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come and not the good things themselves". Praise God!! To walk in the fulness of life and blessing as a Christian, Look away from the law and look to Christ.

Mahama W Smith

Grace Commission Outreach ( GCO ) [email protected] 0506013514