“Why then the law?” (Galatians 3:19a ESV).
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully” (1 Timothy 1:8 ESV).
Last week, we started a new sermon series through Paul’s first epistle to Timothy. We encountered a phrase in 1 Timothy 1:8 about the “lawful” use of the law. Apparently, the church in 1st century Ephesus had false teachers that were misunderstanding the right use of the law. And Paul instructed Timothy to put a stop to it! He charged Timothy to guard the gospel of grace, which proclaims that faith in Christ alone will save us. The law cannot save.
This begs the question, “Why then, do we need the law?” If the law cannot save, of what use is it? What is its “lawful” and “unlawful” use?
I suppose before we attempt to answer the question of the law’s usefulness, we should first define what we mean by “law.” When we speak of the law as it pertains to the Bible, we are generally speaking of the law as given by God to Moses, or the Mosaic Law. It might be helpful to further distinguish the law into three categories (These three categories are informed by John Calvin’s work The Institutes):
- Moral Law – Moral or perpetual duties towards God and our neighbor (i.e. The Great Commandment: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself).
- Ceremonial Law – The rites about the sacred things to be observed under the Old Testament law, mainly concerning the sacrificial Temple system.
- Civil Law – The laws that set apart and made the Israelites a “peculiar” people.
Although the Bible doesn’t make this threefold distinction when discussing the law, we might infer these categories through the way the New Testament, especially Jesus, views specific laws. For the sake of brevity, allow me to say that the New Testament points to Jesus as the fulfillment of the ceremonial and civil laws, so that they are no longer in effect. Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system, the blood of goats is no longer needed. The gospel is given to Jew and Gentile alike, so the civil “peculiar” laws are no longer binding. Only the moral law is left in effect, but not as a means of salvation (Not that it ever was).
With an awareness of these three categories of law, what would be an “unlawful” use of it? I can think of several “unlawful” or misuses of the law.
Unlawful Uses of the Law:
- As a means of earning salvation – The idea that we can be good enough to earn salvation by keeping the law. The problem is that no one is good enough. We’re all sinners (Romans 3:23). “For what the law could not do” … Christ did (Romans 8:3).
- Adding to salvation – In the 1st Century, the Judaizers attempted to add the burden of the ceremonial and civil laws to the newly baptized Gentile Christians. They insisted that laws concerning such things as: circumcision, the Sabbath, holy days, dietary laws, etc. were in full effect and necessary for salvation. But Paul taught that this would negate the gospel of grace (For understanding read the whole book of Galatians).
- Legalism – Similar to the above, but not so much saying it is necessary for salvation as making it the mark of the Christian community. So, that the church is known for keeping the law rather than sharing the gospel of love and grace.
- Antinomianism – The opposite extreme from legalism. To say that the law has no use and to live immorally thinking that one can always ask forgiveness later. Paul addresses this error in Romans 6.
- As a measuring stick – Jesus taught us not to compare ourselves to others thinking we are better according to our law keeping, this is hypocrisy (Matthew 7:1-5).
As we study the Scriptures, we may identify many more “unlawful” uses of the law than these. But now that we have discussed what we mean by law, and its misuses, the question still remains, “Why then the law?” Most theologians would agree that there are three “lawful” uses of the law. I like to remember these as the three “R”s of the right use of the law.
The Three Right Uses of the Law (3 “R”s):
- Restraining our sinful behavior (Like a guard rail). The law is given to keep us from completely “running off the road.” It is like a warning sign, saying “Sharp turn ahead.” It exists to warn us of the consequences of sin (Galatians 3:23).
- Reflecting our guilt (Like a mirror). The right use of the moral law is to “show” us that we are guilty of sin (Galatians 3:19, James 1:23).
- Revealing God’s righteous way (Like a tutor or guardian). The law was given to show the impossibility of keeping it in the weakness of our flesh, so that we might cry out in need for One to save us. It is like a teacher pointing us to Jesus (Galatians 3:24-25).
The law is good when it is used lawfully. Let us not be a church that uses it “unlawfully,” and in so doing, hindering the gospel ministry with which we have been entrusted.