Law in the Kingdom Economy (6)
Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. Romans 3.31
No place for the Law?
Paul had just completed a summary argument against the idea that people can be saved by keeping the Law of God. This is what certain Jewish sects were teaching in his day, and Paul denied such teaching vigorously. Men cannot, by their own efforts at keeping the Law of God, attain the righteousness necessary for finding acceptance with God. Only Jesus Christ can provide that; we are saved, Paul insisted, by clinging to Jesus and appropriating, by grace through faith, His righteousness as our own.
That being the case, it might seem that there is no place for the Law of God in the life of the believer or his church. If the Law can’t save us, and Jesus can, then all we need is Jesus, right? The Law is no longer relevant, it would seem.
Immediately Paul moved to disabuse his readers of any such notion. “Do we then make void the law through faith?” he asks. And then answers emphatically, “Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
The Law will not save us, but it is not made void. Jesus saves us; His righteousness is credited to us; and the Law is established still.
But established for what purposes, Paul?
Uses of the Law
In Romans 7, Paul explains three uses of the law in the life of the believer. I know that some will argue that, in Romans 7, Paul is describing his pre-Christian experience. But this argument derives, I believe, from a predisposition against the Law of God as having any abiding validity in the life of the believer or the Church. If we let Paul speak for himself, he doesn’t appear to be describing his past in this chapter; all the crucial verbs are in the present tense. He’s talking about his ongoing experience as a believer, and anyone who reads this passage for its plain meaning can certainly identify with what the apostle describes.
What, then, are the uses of the Law of God, as Paul outlines them in Romans 7?
First, the Law of God is useful to define the nature of sin and to alert the believer or the congregation to its presence (Rom. 7.7). Remember, the Spirit of God is at work within us, to make us willing and able to be pleasing to God. A central part of His work is to convict us of sin (Jn. 16.8-11), which He does by shining the pure light of the Law of God on the dark recesses of our souls. Paul says we’ll never know what sin is, or be aware of its presence, if we refuse to subject our souls to the searchlight of God’s Law. James described the Law as the Law of liberty precisely because of its power, through the Spirit, to liberate us from the strength of sin.
By exposing our sins, the Law moves us to seek relief, redemption, and revival, which we can only find in Jesus Christ. He has fulfilled the Law for us. As we hide ourselves in Him, we are liberated from the condemnation of the Law and into the realm of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Second, Paul insists that the Law of God marks out the path of holiness, righteousness, and goodness for the believer, who has been redeemed by grace through faith unto a life of good works (Rom. 7.12; Eph. 2.8-10).
Again, the Spirit within us works not only to convict us of sin, but also to convict us of righteousness (Jn. 16.8-11), and the holy and righteous and good Law of God is His instructional aid of choice. He has rewritten the Law on our heart and continues to point us to it day by day (Ezek. 36.26, 27). By the Law, the Spirit shows us where we have strayed, and in the Law, He shows us how to get back on the path that Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2.1-6).
Finally, the Law of God puts in stark relief the law of sin that operates within us because of the lingering effects of the fall (Rom. 7.21-23). The Spirit uses the Law to convict us of judgment, that is, to warn us of divine displeasure, should we choose to follow the law of sin instead of the Law of God, and of Fatherly discipline which will surely ensue (Jn. 16.8-11; Heb. 12.10, 11). This is similar to what we see Moses doing in Deuteronomy 28, where he warned the people of Israel against flouting the Law of God. The Law thus reminds us of the holiness of God, of His faithfulness to His Word, and of His power to bring discipline against us when we stray from the path of righteousness (Heb. 12.3-11).
Abolish the Law?
The Law of God is thus essential to such elemental aspects of the life of faith as spiritual growth, being equipped for ministry, exercising church discipline, stimulating one another to love and good works, raising our children unto the Lord, admonishing, correcting, and teaching one another, offering acceptable worship to the Lord, and understanding and learning from the trials and afflictions God brings our way from time to time.
The Law is also important in doing the work of evangelism, for only in the light of the Law will unbelieving sinners be able to see their sinful condition and understand the reason for God’s provision of Jesus and His righteousness.
Shall we abolish this holy and righteous and good Law? Shall we ignore or neglect it or fail to delight in and love it?
As Paul would say, “Certainly not!” The Law of God, as taught by the apostles and prophets, is the foundation of which Jesus is the Cornerstone in the temple of the Church He is building (Eph. 2.19-22).
For reflection
1. How is the Law of God established for living in the Kingdom economy of God?
2. Can we experience the transforming work of the Spirit apart from the Law of God? Explain.
3. Along with the Law we need all the rest of God’s Word, to help us know Him and understand His will. But we must not neglect the Law, for it is the acorn to the oak of all Biblical revelation. Explain.
Next steps—Demonstration: How should you use the Ten Commandments as part of your Gospel presentation? Write out your presentation, then share it with a Christian friend.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: Our daily Scriptorium study presses on in Ephesians 5. Our Read Moore podcast is working through The Gospel of the Kingdom, looking for the true Gospel of the Lord. The Crosfigell teaching letter continues our study of the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
