Galatians 3:19
God’s Purpose.
Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law?…
Throughout this book, Paul asked and answered the question, "How far
into Judaism must one go to be saved?" The answer of course was and
is none. One can be saved with no knowledge of the Law. In \\#2:16\\,
Paul went so far as to state that no one has ever been saved by the
Law. In chapter 3, Paul proved that Abraham was saved by faith and
that it was THAT SAME promise of faith that produced every blessing
the Jews would receive from God. That would include salvation.
Reading Paul’s arguments against the Law being able to justify a lost
soul has caused some to think that the Law was somehow evil or
sinful. So much so that Paul would specifically ask and answer that
question in Romans.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law
sin? God forbid….
Hear this: Paul was not saying the Law was evil or sinful. Paul was
saying that to trust the Law or to do the works of the Law expecting
it to take you to heaven was sinful or evil. He was stating that
doing so was not going to work. The Law never saved anyone, and it
never will. Faith in the grace of God has always saved everyone, and
it always would.
The question then arose in \\#Gal 3:19\\, "If the Law does not save,
what does it do? Why did GOD give us the Law?" It is a logical
question that Paul asked and answered it in this book.
As I have said before, let me say again, "Galatians is a deeper Book
of the Bible." These are not the sermons most preachers preach. Most
Christians like to hear sermons on salvation. Some will even tolerate
sermons on sanctification, but few will listen intently to sermons
which require study and focus. But this is the Bible, God’s Word. If
God wrote it, it is important. Many in today’s churches are
susceptible to false doctrine because they have never gotten the
spiritual ladder out and reached for the truths the top shelves. Let
that not be said of us. Let’s do some spiritual climbing tonight
and find the answer, "What is the Law’s purpose?"
I will mentioned two answers:
I. The Law was given to teach us right from wrong.
A. Paul gave one answer in verse 24.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no
longer under a schoolmaster.
1. Paul said God gave the Law to be a Teacher to us.
2. Teach us what? He does not say but it can be surmised
that God wanted to teach us right from wrong with it.
3. This is not the only verse to reveal this truth:
Romans 7:7 …I had not known sin, but by the
law: for I had not known lust, except the law had
said, Thou shalt not covet.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law
there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to
them: for this is the law and the prophets.
a. I find it interesting that all four of those verses
are saying the same thing.
b. I also find it interesting that all four of these
verses are in the New Testament.
c. If you want to say the Old Testament as no purpose
since we are living in the New Testament time
period, why does the New Testament tell us it is
our Teacher?
B. \\#Gal 3:25\\ However, Paul does say that we are no longer
UNDER the Law.
1. It means that we are no longer bound by the Law’s rules
and penalties.
a. If you break the law, we no longer take you out back
and stone you.
b. That’s a good thing considering all the laws of God
we break.
2. You add the fact that we are no longer UNDER the Law to
the fact that it has never saved souls, and it is
obvious that the role of the Law today is very limited.
3. However, according to the New Testament, the Law can
still teach!
a. Right and wrong are right and wrong no matter when
you live:
b. Old Testament, New Testament, tribulation, millennial.
4. Thanks be to God that we have a God who is big enough to
save you without you knowing one fact from the Old
Testament. He is even big enough to scantily you
without you ever opening to a single Old Testament
passage.
a. But why would we want to make the Holy Spirit do
that when all we have to do is read the whole Bible?
b. Add to that the fact that some people don’t seem to be
too good at hearing the Holy Ghost.
5. Just read your Bible!
C. Let’s run some rabbit trails.
1. What are we to do with this knowledge about the Law’s
purpose.
a. Are we to create rules and impose them upon others?
b. Generally no.
c. That does not mean that a church should not have
standards.
d. But it is not primarily the function of the pastor
or the church to create a list of dos and don’ts
for the church.
e. That is the work of each individual believer as he
reads the Bible and is dealt with by the Holy Ghost.
(1) Understand that this does not in any way mean
you can do what you want to do.
(2) It means you have the responsibility to find the
will of God and to do what He wants you to do.
(3) That is why every believer will stand before God
and be rewarded.
(4) To fail in doing so will not keep you out of
heaven, but it will certainly diminish your
crowns.
2. Is the Law good or bad, helpful or hurtful, spiritual or
carnal?
Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto
me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear
sin, working death in me by that which is good;
that sin by the commandment might become
exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but
I am carnal, sold under sin.
a. The New Testament says of the Law that it is
HOLY, JUST, GOOD, and even SPIRITUAL.
b. So the Law can and does teach us right and wrong,
good and bad, carnal and spiritual.
3. With that mind, what about the issues that I have
mentioned several times by those who are attempting to
take some back under the Law?
a. What about worshipping on Sunday instead of the
Sabbath?
(1) Paul dealt with it.
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another
man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or
falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is
able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another:
another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man
be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto
the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to
the Lord he doth not regard it….
(2) Paul’s counsel was do what you think the Lord
wants you to do and let others do what they
think Lord wants them to do.
(3) The obligation is on the believer to read the
Bible, seek the Holy Ghost, and to do right;
and not on anyone else—not even the Pastor—to
force others to do what they perceive is right.
b. What about calling God by Old Testament names?
(1) That thought is just a made-up concept that has
no root in the Bible at all.
(2) God gave the Jews a name by which to call Him,
but all through the Old Testament, they created
dozens of other names by which to call God.
(3) The fact that we have an English translation of
a New Testament name does not mean it is an
inferior name.
(4) What the Old Testament commands and the New
Testament teaches is that God’s name is holy
and should be reverenced:
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the
LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold
him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name.
II. The Law was given to take care of sin until Jesus came.
Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was
added because of transgressions, till the seed
should come to whom the promise was made….
A. God had to do something with the sins of mankind while He
waited for the time that Jesus would remove them.
1. Remember, God is holy and man is sinful.
2. The holy God could not ignore the sinfulness of mankind,
especially if He wanted to have a relationship with them.
B. So God created a temporary covering for sin and taught man
how to apply it through the Law.
1. God allowed the blood of innocent animals to hide the
sins of the men who by faith would offer them.
2. That was revealed in the Law.
3. Along with the sacrifices, God taught mankind what sin was
by giving us commands and penalties in the Law.
4. It was not permanent and—to be bluntly honest—in many
ways, it was not effective; but it did accomplish what
God wanted it to accomplish.
5. It allowed God to have some fellowship with mankind while
He waited for the proper time for Jesus to come.
Of course there is much more that could be said about these two
purposes and—I am equally sure—there are others reasons why God
gave the Law; but all we have to understand is that God had purposes
for giving the Law, but it was not to save. Man has never and will
never be saved by the works of the Law. He has always and will
always be saved by faith in the grace of God. I pray you understand
that.
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