Why The Law Then?

0:03 He's saying for while you were in the flesh the sinful passions which were brought to light this is a different translation than what you were reading but were brought to light by the law or aroused by the law and they were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death that's the relationship of us and the law before we were in christ that's that's a tough spot to be because i don't want to bear fruit for death welcome back mayhem makers this is cassandra barbato your host. And amber jinks your co-host We.

0:44 Are talking about why the law then. And the reason why we're talking about this is because we've been on the subject of identity in Christ. And we've really been trying to show the believer that they are right with God on the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that they've been made a new creation. They're perfect in him. And it is completely apart from the law. So then the question comes up of why did God give a law then if Jesus was going to die for our sins? And so I've heard a lot of things in the past. I've heard that the law was given because it means that it's going to keep us safe from bad things happening to us in this life. So good things happen when you try and follow the law. And then that's why God gave it. So I've heard some interesting things about people trying to drag the law into the new covenant.

1:35 But we're going to define a little bit about what the law is. And then we're going to talk about why God actually gave it according to what Scripture says. So it's going to be fun. We want to start with what it is and what we're talking about. There's a couple of verses to look at for that, both in Hebrews. We can start Hebrews chapter 7. Yeah. And then verse 11. So if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, For on the basis of it, the people received the law. What further need was there for another priest to rise according to the order of, oh my goodness. Melchizedek. That guy.

2:16 Not be designated according to the order of Aaron. For when the priesthood is changed of necessity, there takes place a change of law also. So we bring out and point out this verse because it is speaking specifically on the portion of the law that refers to the Levitical priesthood. Yeah. And this also conveniently states when the priesthood is changed, a necessity there takes place and a change of law also. So the Levitical priesthood. Wow. That's a tongue twister. So the Levitical priesthood is from the tribe of Levites from the family of Aaron, right? So Aaron was Moses's brother, and God ordained this priesthood under what we would call the Old Covenant from the line of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. That's why it's called the Levitical priesthood.

3:17 And so this verse that we're pulling out is actually in the New Testament. It's in Hebrews. And it's talking about there's a change of priesthood because Jesus Christ is now the high priest. But we're just kind of demonstrating some of the portions of what the law is. So there's a priesthood and they sacrifice animals. Chapter 10, verse 8. After saying above, sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin, you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them, which are offered according to the law. Yeah, so there was animal sacrifices according to the law. And there's a lot of different purposes like sin offering and the peace offering and all these different things. But they were types and shadows of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

4:02 Another big portion of what we consider to be the law is, is the commandments given by God. And there's a lot of different commandments. There's things about if you dig a hole and an ox falls in it and dies, you know, like this kind of stuff. But there's the specific 10. Yes. There's the big 10, right? The top 10, which were written on tablets of stone. And these were given to the people. And it was really a moral law that was given, right? In second Corinthians, Paul makes a wild statement. about the Ten Commandments. And when I'm talking about the law, I'm usually referencing the commandments, but it really was a whole system that was a type, a shadow, a picture of the coming reality that we have in Christ.

4:51 It wasn't just rules and regulations, but there were definitely rules and regulations that were a part of it. So then that priesthood, the sacrifices were a part of that system. And then we have the Ten Commandments. So Paul, he makes a statement, though, about this ministry of the law. And he says some things that I don't know we ever really sit in and consider. So I'm going to read this. This is 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6. He says, who made us as adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. So he's talking about the law, the letter of the law. Now, remember, Paul was a Pharisee, right? He loved the law. He was very passionate about the law to the point of.

5:43 His whole job was to walk around and let people know if they were living in accordance to the law. He was a keeper of the law. And then he was also a major persecutor of the church. And he may have. He may have had some things he did. He made some choices. But his reference here is kind of wild because you've got the guy who is super passionate about this law of the Levitical priesthood, the sacrifices, the commandments, and all of these things, and holding to the traditions of his people. And he talks about this old covenant, this law, as being a letter that kills. And then he goes on.

6:23 And he says, but if the ministry of death engraved in letters on stones came with glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face fading as it was, because when he was given the tablets, remember he came down off the mountain and his face was like glowing. Yeah. Yeah. But then it started to fade. So Paul's making reference. He's actually taking that that happened and showing that this was, it was actually a picture of something that was not supposed to last. That's why it faded. So the glory, it was a fading glory.

7:05 She sees what you did there, Paul. Yeah. Intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face fading as it was. How will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? And he's talking about the ministry of the new covenant, this new covenant of righteousness by faith. And he goes on, if the ministry of condemnation had glory, how much more does the ministry of righteousness? That's an interesting thing. The ministry of the new covenant is the ministry of righteousness, right? much more does the ministry of righteousness excel in glory. For indeed, what had glory in this case has no glory. So he's talking about the old covenant had glory in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it, which is talking about the new covenant is surpassing the old covenant's glory.

8:07 For if that which fades away was with glory much more, that which remains is in glory. As beautiful as it is, as righteous as God's law is, as perfect and just as God's law is, it was a ministry of condemnation and death to humanity. Yet the ministry of the Spirit, which is the new covenant, a righteousness of faith that is given by faith, is a ministry that surpasses it in glory, right? So that's what Paul's getting at there. But I'd like to point out this passage because we are using the law, even as churchgoers today, to try and tell people that they need to straighten up. But when you use the law to tell people to straighten up, and I'm talking specifically about the commandments, that moral law even, you are actually participating in a ministry of condemnation and death.

9:13 It's an impossible task to keep up with. The law was not enough in its. Ability to make you right with God. Yeah. It was not able to fully cleanse us permanently of our sin. There's only one sacrifice that had the ability to permanently cleanse the believer, right? Christ is the fulfillment of the law. Matthew 5, verse 17 is where he says, Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. So Jesus himself says he is fulfilling the law. Yes. He is the ultimate sacrifice that actually makes clean.

9:55 Paul talks about in Galatians how under the law we were under that curse, that condemnation, that ministry of condemnation and death. He says in Galatians chapter three, verse 10, he says, for all who are of the works of the law are under a curse for it is written, cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law to do them. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident for the righteous one will live by faith. And he goes on to explain this by faith thing even more. And then he gets to this. He says, why the law then? Because really, why the law then?

10:38 If the law causes curse, if it's condemnation and death to us, why the law then? And so Paul says this. This is Galatians 3, verse 19. It was added on account of the violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a mediator until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Just a couple of little references there. The mediator was Moses, right? So there was the The word of God came to Moses. He was explaining, setting up all the things of the old covenant law. And then it says, until the seed, that seed is a reference to Jesus. Verse 21 says, is the law then contrary to the promises of God?

11:26 Far from it. For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the scripture has everyone confined under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody. Now this is, I really want to highlight this because if we're really trying to understand why the law came, why the law was given, this is what it is. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. Therefore, the law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith. Then he even goes on, he says, but now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to understand why the law then, it was given to lead us to Christ.

12:51 It was given so that we would understand our need for a savior. Because through the law, we become very aware of our sin. It even can cause sin to rise up. And I'm going to give you the verses to prove that in a minute. But there's this law thing brings us to the end of ourself and helps us to see that we cannot measure up before our God on the basis of our own efforts. And in fact, we need a savior. And that's the purpose. That's the main purpose of the law. Mic drop.

13:33 There's a few different scriptures. Romans 6, 14 talks about us being under grace. But Romans 7, 1 through 6, it reads, Do you not know, brothers, for I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, So this is saying that our relationship with the law changed comparing it to the marriage contract that we left the law and now we're married to Christ. So the whole illustration is pertinent, but verse 5, where it says, for when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.

14:43 He's saying that the law arouses sinful passions. Yes. He's basically telling you. It's highlighting them. It is a ministry of condemnation and death to us. he's saying for while you were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light, this is a different translation than what you were reading, but were brought to light by the law or aroused by the law. And they were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. That's the relationship of us and the law before we were in Christ. That's a tough spot to be because I don't want to bear fruit for death.

15:29 But with Christ, we have a different relationship with the law. And that is highlighted in a couple different places. One of them being Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Every time I say Jeremiah, that is immediately what happens. Jeremiah 31 and verse 33 said, This is the new covenant. This is telling us what the new covenant does with the law. It inscribes it on our hearts. It literally becomes part of our new creation. The law is a part of that new creation that you are. Your new creation does not sin.

16:17 It's completely perfect forever. Here, though, Paul is talking, he's basically explaining through this contract of marriage. We were married to the law before, but through Christ we died, and now we are able to be married to another that is to Christ. There's something kind of cool about this verse 5. That verse talks about how we bear fruit for death. Under the old covenant, check this out, okay, you have lots of works. Lots of works. You are trying to meet all the demands of the law. You've got sacrifices and all these different things that you're supposed to do. And it bears fruit for death. You got one fruit, lots of works, one fruit, death. Under the new covenant, you have one work, and that is to believe onto Christ. And there's scripture for that, to believe onto Christ. One, one work, but lots of fruit, love, joy. peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, all the fruit of the spirit. So old covenant, lots of works, one fruit, you got death. New covenant, one work, believe, and you get lots of fruit, the fruit of the spirit. The law bears fruit for death, but there's a few other things the law does. In Romans chapter 3, Paul says this, verse 20, because by the works of the law, none of mankind will be

17:49 justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. So the law brings us to the knowledge of our sin. It causes sinful passions to rise up. It becomes a ministry of condemnation and death to us because we are not able to keep it. So it's the knowledge of sin. Romans chapter 5 kind of adds to this a little bit. It says the law came in so that the offense would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. So we see that through the law comes the knowledge of sin. That was Romans 3.

18:32 The law came in so that the offense would increase. That's Romans chapter 5, verse 20. In Romans 7, the law causes sinful passions to be aroused. So this is the impact of the law. It is really bringing about sin. The knowledge and awareness of sin and even exposing it and causing it to even rise up as your nature rebels against it, that sinful nature rebels against it. The outcome of that is it becomes a ministry of condemnation and death to us, bearing fruit for death. Before this, faith came. We were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ.

19:16 That we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. Which is really, really cool. That we were obeying the law out of fear or obligation. And then the indwelling of the Holy Spirit changes the believer's desires naturally. Producing the fruit of the Spirit you were talking about. And then the law acted as a tutor or the guardian. But Christ has arrived and the tutor is no longer needed for justification. It's no longer needed. I will say that there is a place to use the law even in nowadays. You use the law with the self respect. the self-righteous need the law. They need to be brought to the end of themselves. They haven't come to the end of themselves.

19:56 The law is not given to humanity in order to make you right with God. In fact, it can't do that. The purpose was not to make you a better person or, The purpose of the law was not to make you walk rightly. It was not ever capable of doing that. No, it was an impossible task. You better do this. You better do that. You better not do this. You better not do that. If that's what we think is going to fix people, we have sadly missed the fact that it never did. Not ever. And in fact, it becomes a ministry thing. of condemnation and death. And even now, the law that is written on our hearts and our minds is not us learning and trying to be something. It is a total new formation, new creation that we are. We are the fulfilled law.

20:59 Our new creation is perfect. It doesn't sin. That law that's written on our hearts and minds is established in the fabric of who we are in Christ. We don't see it all the time in our behavior and our thinking and all these things, which is why that's confusing to us. And the flesh loves to go back to a means of right standing with God by works and effort. It's trying to do that thing as a church, as Christians. We want to move into a new covenant mindset, which is righteousness by faith, not righteousness by doing. So if you're wondering what's the use of the law, what's the purpose of the law? Why did God give it? He gave it to bring you to the end of yourself.

21:52 He wanted you to see that you can't do it. Your efforts are never going to measure up. So that you would be moving into that new covenant and be willing to accept righteousness by faith, by faith in Jesus Christ. As a young Christian, not understanding all that there was in the full righteousness of Christ and all that I was in the new creation in him, there was the A time when you try and live up to the standard. You're like, okay, I've signed up to be a Christian now. So here are the rules. This is how you have to act. That's an exhausting way to look at it. And it's not even the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do. Right. Because you're trying to do it all of yourself. You're not doing it with the Lord's help. You're in the driver's seat, which is nowhere to be. And you're trying to measure up and be right with him.

22:41 Yes. On that basis. And you can't. I mean, that was the whole reason for Jesus. Yes. One of the things that happens when you really press into the righteousness by faith and faith alone thing is that people just come out of the woodworks with concerns that you're promoting sin, which is so bizarre because scripture actually teaches that you lose, you break your bondage to sin through coming out from the law and under God's unearned favor. That thing actually severs sin's power over you. Having a right understanding of how right you are with God actually brings you out of bad behavior. It's the thing that transforms you, and it's a natural byproduct. It's not an effort. I am a better person in my behavior and in my thought life than I was when I was younger, and I did not understand the grace of God. That's what the new covenant, the new law of the Spirit does. It actually severs you from sin, in a way that your behaviors are not in bondage to that thing anymore. I find that that mentality of we're going to use the law, the moral law, or even we're going to create our own law. Maybe we've decided we've got a whole new law in God, and it's that you've got to read your Bible, you've got to pray a certain amount, you've got to walk a certain way, talk a certain way. We've got all these things that we've pulled out of different behavior conversations in Scripture, and now we're using those as rules and regulations to

24:13 measure up to God. standard to his standard, if we've taken and created these good things about behavior and made them as a, a measuring tool to say, this is how you're right with God. And then telling people you're living in sin. If you're not doing them, you literally destroy people's ability to mature in Christ, which is very, it's a point of some major big feelings for me. Because when you do that, you've now got these malformed, malfunctioning Christians. They cannot walk properly in the Lord because they never learned how right they are with him. So why the law then? To bring you to the end of yourself so you can receive righteousness as a gift.

25:07 That's why the law. The law is given to bring you to the end of yourself, period. Don't use it again. Don't make up your own. Don't look at behavior passages in scripture as something you've got to live up to in order to be right with God. That's not the purpose of those passages. The law is a means to bring you to Christ so that you will receive his righteousness as a free gift. Amen. Amen. Amen. And if the law wasn't heavy enough, we're going to talk about judgment next week. So, yeah, we're talking about why the law. And I'm telling you that, yeah, the law was actually there to give you a pointer to Jesus Christ. But what about at the end? Are we going to be judged? Is the believer going to be judged according to their works?

26:00 Is there going to be a list? Because mine would be very, very long. Yeah. A list of sins? Yeah. Yeah, you got a long one, huh? I do. Yeah, me too. Yeah. So we're going to talk about judgment as far as judgment for the believer. Is there going to be a judgment? So that's next week. Come back and check it out.