8But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
Such false teaching is driven by the desire to teach the Law. Keep in mind that Paul is writing to Christians who have been saved by the grace of God and not through keeping the Law: “. . . by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20, also Rom. 3:28).
Yet, according to our passage today, the Law is good. The catch is that the Law must be used correctly “according to the glorious gospel of the blessed Lord.” How is that? Clearly, improper application of the Law is to use it for attempting to gain salvation. The Law condemns us; it cannot save us. That is why we are saved by the gospel of grace and not a gospel of Law.
The proper use of the Law is to show a person his or her sinfulness, to make that person understand and receive grace. To those with a Jewish mindset, the word “the law” always pointed to the Mosaic Law (that is why we capitalize it as “Law,” to distinguish it from other systems of law). Yet in Christianity today, although we say the Law of Moses no longer applies, many live under a new set of rules, Christian laws. This is where the instructions of the Lord Jesus and apostolic writings become a list of do’s, a checklist of sorts, by which we run our lives. To be sure, Christians have a responsibility to obey God, particularly the new law He has given us to love one another as He has loved us. But this is not a system of merit by which we gain favor with God. If we are saved by grace, then we are to continue to walk in grace (see Col. 2:6).
Teachers in the Christian community should not use a Christianized version of the Law to whip believers into conformity by religious coercion or manipulation. Instead, the Law is meant “for those who are lawless.” That means it is designed to show where sinners fall short and need grace—not judgment. It shows those who sin where they go off track and reminds them of their need for grace. If this applies to me, I need to seek the gracious presence of the Lord.
Lord, thank You for leading me to grow in grace through the conviction of sin in my life.
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