Thematic Bible: What the law is

Verse Concepts

It is sin that gives death its sting, and it is the Law that gives sin its power. Verse Concepts

Verse Concepts

For 'no human being will be pronounced righteous before God' as the result of obedience to Law; for it is Law that shows what sin is. Verse Concepts

What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet. But sin took advantage of the Commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life. There was a time when I myself, unconscious of Law, was alive; but when the Commandment was brought home to me, sin sprang into life, while I died! read more.
The very Commandment that should have meant Life I found to result in Death! Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death. And so the Law is holy, and each Commandment is also holy, and just, and good. Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is. We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am earthly-sold into slavery to Sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I am so far from habitually doing what I want to do, that I find myself doing the very thing that I hate. But when I do what I want not to do, I am admitting that the Law is right.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that 'offspring' to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator. Now mediation implies more than one person, but God is one only. Does that set the Law in opposition to God's promises? Heaven forbid! For, if a Law had been given capable of bestowing Life, then righteousness would have actually owed its existence to Law. read more.
But the words of Scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, upon faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him. Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the Faith that was destined to be revealed. Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith. But now that faith has come we no longer need a guide. For you are all Sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into union with Christ clothed yourselves with Christ. All distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female, have vanished; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one. And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham's offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.

We know, of course, that the Law is excellent, when used legitimately, Verse Concepts

Thematic Bible: What the law is

Thematic Bible

Law » What the law is

Related Topics