The Law is a Guard

"Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.  But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3:21,22 - English Standard Version)

Because the law condemns and the promise justifies, some might think that they are opposed to each other. Paul says, “Certainly not!” The law was never intended to justify. In condemning us, it is fulfilling its purpose. God always intended to justify people by grace through faith. It is the only way that anyone has ever been made right before God.

The Law’s purpose is to reveal sin not remove it. Warren Wiersbe put it this way: “The law is a mirror that helps us see our dirty faces – but you do not wash your face with the mirror.” (Be Free)

Rather than bringing righteousness, the Law confines us. Sin was our prison. The Law was the prison guard. The promise of faith brought us our pardon. The Law judges man and shows that he is guilty. The Law makes us see that we are in the prison of sin.

The Law is Judge

"So why was the Law given? It was added because of offenses, until the descendant would come to whom the promise had been made. It was put in place through angels by the hand of a mediator.  Now the mediator does not take one side; but God is one." (Galatians 3:19,20 - Common English Bible)

Paul has just finished proving through the example of Abraham that the Law can not annul the Promise of God. The promise is that those who believe will be counted righteous. Paul has argued that the Law has no part in our justification.

The question that his opponents and others would then ask is: “Why did God give the Law? If it cannot make us right with God, what is the purpose of the Law?” Paul answers this question in beginning in verse 19.

Paul says that the Law was added because of offenses or transgressions. The Law was added to the promise because of sin. Before the law, the primary judge of a person’s moral standing was the conscience of the individual. This is a poor judge. Our conscience can be taught to judge wrongly.

Once the Law was given, there was a written standard by which a person could judge his moral condition. The Law condemns all as guilty before God! It was designed to make people aware of their need for a redeemer.

Once Jesus came, we no longer required the Law to judge us. We have an even better standard: the life of Christ. The perfect life of Christ as He obeyed not just the word but even the spirit of the Law brings even greater condemnation upon us. Christ went beyond the Law: not just adultery is wrong but lust itself; not just murder is wrong but even hate. We are not only to love God and our neighbor; we are to love our enemy!

Paul also mentions in these two verses another fact that makes the promise greater than the Law. According to Jewish tradition, which is supported by this and other New Testament passages, Moses did not receive the Law directly from God by through the agency of angels. Moses then gave the Law to the people. So the people received the Law third hand. However, God made the promise personally to Abraham without any mediator, whether angelic or human.

The law was a judge. It showed man that he is a sinner. Paul continues in the next verses to tell us that the law was also a prison guard.