21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
We have seen now that the Law of Moses had a different purpose than the promise to Abraham. The Law’s purpose was to expose sin, the rebelliousness of the human heart. The promise to Abraham, the unilateral covenant, was designed to give hope of the ultimate solution to the sin problem – namely, God would finally bring His blessing to the world, and that through the promised “seed.”
So the question naturally arises whether the Law and the promise were opposing principles, contrary to each other. Paul answers his own setup question in typical fashion, “May it never be!” (see Gal 2:17, Rom 6:1, 15; 7:7, 13). Or as another translation puts it, “Absolutely no!” Though the question may logically follow, the answer is unequivocal. Both the promise and Law came from God and they serve complementary purposes. The Law was never intended to give life. If it could do that, then, Paul reasons, righteousness would be based upon law. The problem then would be absolute hopelessness, for the Law proves (that is, demonstrates beyond all shadow of doubt) that everyone is a sinner and therefore unrighteous. As Paul says in another place, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). One cannot use that which by design exposes sin to make one righteous. That is patently absurd. The law is like a pair of glasses which, when one puts them on, shows him how much dirt is on his hands. The glasses cannot be used to clean his hands, that is not their purpose. Likewise, the law was given to show us how unrighteous we are, it cannot be used to make us righteous!
What then is the hope for people who are hopelessly unrighteous? This is where the promise comes in. The promise of blessing to Abraham and to “his seed” is obtained, not by keeping the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. It is obtained by faith and it is found in the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise in the Lord Himself.
How misled people are who strenuously strive for righteousness by their good deeds and religious acts. At best those efforts are useless. How blessed are those who have discovered a righteousness found only in Jesus Christ.
Lord, help me not become entrapped by the law again, the vanity of thinking I can add to my righteousness with good deeds and religious works.
0 Comments