“Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” Deuteronomy 5.29

The question immediately arises: Why, given all Israel had witnessed of the greatness and graciousness of God, and in view of the precious and very great promises He held out them, did the people have such a difficult time getting in step with His Law? The answer is found in yet another unseen component of the worldview which we begin to discover in the Law of God: sin.

Sin, as the Apostle John explained, is transgression of the Law of God (1 Jn. 3.4). When we break the Law, we sin; but why do we sin? Because of sin. The rebellion of Adam and Eve introduced the unseen power of sin into the cosmos, focused in the souls of human beings (cf. Rom. 5.12). Sin affects every aspect of creation, beginning in the hearts, minds, and consciences of people. Our natural set-of-soul is affected by sin and therefore unto sin.

God knew this full well when He gave the Law; nevertheless, He lamented the lack of a “heart” (the Hebrew for ESV’s “mind”) within His people, and He looked forward to the day when He would “operate” on their hearts so that they would hear and obey Him (cf. Deut. 30.1-10; Ezek. 36.26, 27). At the same time, He commanded His people to walk in the ways of His Law and, knowing they would fail, provided means, through offerings, sacrifices, and Sabbaths, for them to be continually renewed in His grace.

The Law of God takes into account the sin as well as the sins of people. The Law does not excuse disobedience, because of sin; rather, it commands obedience, because of grace. Grace ever exists from God to carry us through our transgressions into His favor once again. In the Law this grace could be known through sacrifices and offerings; yet these served above all to point the people forward to the final Sacrifice and Offering, even our Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 7-9). In Him the Law is fulfilled, the sacrifices are complete, and grace is available to even the most wretched of sinners.

Forgiveness of sins, and renewal of our souls, sets us, by God’s Spirit, on a path of obedience in which grace carries us step by step into greater degrees of Christlikeness (2 Cor. 3.12-18). God still commands us to obey His Law (Rom. 7.12; Matt. 5.17-19; 1 Jn. 2.1-6). But now He gives us the heart and His Spirit to enable us to will and do according to His good purposes (Phil. 2.12, 13). Sin still has a powerful place in the worldview we find in Scripture beyond the Law, but the true believer, clinging to Christ and walking in God’s Word and Spirit, is set free from the power of sin into the newness of grace (Jn. 8.31-36).

For a more complete exposition of the promises of God, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store. In his article, “A Work of Warning,” T. M. explains more fully how the Spirit works with the Law to combat sin in our lives.