Day 10

The Purpose of the Law

from the Galatians reading plan


Galatians 3:19-26, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 10:1-10, Romans 3:21-26

BY Bailey Gillespie

While reading the Bible, I’m often struck by what it must have been like living under the law—especially after Christ’s ministry on earth. For so long, the world followed an established, works-based system. How could people not be skeptical or disoriented by this new way of thinking? Even if it led to freedom, human nature often returns to what’s familiar if the cost outweighs our own good.

The gospel made it so that salvation was no longer dependent on perfect execution of the law. With Christ, it was all about receiving, not doing. Belief, not effort. Grace.

Talk about feeling your way around in the dark! When you’re used to managing your own righteousness, trading in the safe familiarity of rules for the wild realm of belief sounds foolish at first. I totally understand why they were wary of this “good news.” But the law was never the whole story. The law’s purpose was only ever to serve as a placeholder “until the coming faith was revealed” (Gl 3:23).

In Galatians, Paul describes the law as being our guardian until Christ came. Maybe I just haven’t read that passage in the Christian Standard Bible translation before, but until now I’ve never, ever thought about the law in this way. Truly, how beautiful this is! In our cultural moment, I think it’s easy to condemn ancient God followers (especially the Pharisees) as being resistant to relinquishing their system. But the reason they held the law so close to their hearts was because, at the time, that was the direct path to righteousness. As it turns out, it wasn’t the ultimate path to life, but it had its own purpose to accomplish.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never loved the darkness. Whether it was navigating a dark night of the soul or waking up in the middle of the night to eerie tree silhouettes dancing on the walls, I usually regard darkness as the enemy. However, I recently encountered a new idea: darkness also nourishes, holds, and prepares. I just love this. You can see it in the creation story. Darkness always comes before light, but that doesn’t mean that light renders it irrelevant. It just fills and overwhelms it by its very nature.

I think the law was God’s severe mercy. We couldn’t justify ourselves, and neither could religion, but God didn’t leave us to our own ends. He provided this strange guardian—holding, preparing us until Christ’s death and resurrection fulfilled the law and the prophets.

Now, we have the sweet, sweet privilege of releasing our anxious work and resting in the knowledge that “through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus” (Gl 3:26).

Post Comments (39)

39 thoughts on "The Purpose of the Law"

  1. ChappyBeach Girl says:

    These passages make me sad for my Jewish friends. Please Lord, reveal yourself to them.

  2. Tanya R says:

    Ugh this is so good! Delicious word! I devoured every sentenced!

  3. Terri says:

    Darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was over the face of the deep ( Genesis 1:2). Then there was light (Genesis 1:3). Then God saw that the light was good. God SEPARATED the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:4). This is interesting in the light of God being light (1John 1:5). The Bible talks a lot about light and darkness. It is interesting that from appearances God was not aware that light was good until He saw it?

  4. Jennifer Anapol says:

    I love how the is portrayed as a placeholder. I too have never heard it described like that, and it makes me understand the purpose of the law more.

  5. Melody Porter says:

    Darkness nourishes. Without knowing darkness we would not appreciate light. I also thought of the night and sleep, and how, for most, that it is a time of rest, recovery and replenishment that prepares us for the new day.
    I also think of beauty from ashes. That doesn’t instantly make sense…until you have walked through a dark and difficult time and then, after a time/season, breakthrough comes, a miracle happens… Darkness becomes light!

  6. Sue says:

    I am a daughter of God.
    Not because I’ve obeyed the law perfectly, but because of faith in Christ Jesus.
    So grateful!

  7. Kara says:

    Shawn Parks said it perfectly below. The guardian protects. But the Shepard leads, loves, pursues. The Bible is also clear that if your righteousness is from works, you’ve already received your reward. But if you are a Christ follower, we can expect our reward in heaven. Pursue me today, Good Shepard. Know my thoughts and lead me in the way everlasting!

  8. Gabrielle Marie Cauchon says:

    Darkness nourishes?

    1. Jennifer Cummings says:

      I picture in my mind here the bulb hidden under the soil in those cold, dark months of winter. Ultimately the bulb needs warmth and light to grow. But without the months of cold darkness there would be no BLOOM. God could’ve redeemed his people however He saw fit…could’ve sent Jesus in the next generation from Adam. But for purposes incomprehensible to us He first sent a long season of darkness until that light finally burst on the scene. Perhaps we appreciate the light more? His glory shines brightest out of the dark.

    2. Terry Anderson says:

      Think also of the darkness of the womb, or even the night/day cycle which restores health and strength to us in sleep and during which our imagination dreams.

    3. Gabrielle Marie Cauchon says:

      I get the metaphor but don’t agree. Tbe bulb is dormant, the baby is formed by the knitting of God’s hands, and the night does not mean rest for all.

      A season of darkness is necessary, yes, in many respects to let what God has set in place to work.

      Darkness does not nourish. God nourishes even in the darkness.

      1. Jennifer Cummings says:

        Yes, this is nicely stated. It is God who does the nourishing. Sometimes he does use the darkness

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