What was the purpose of the Law? To reveal the need of the Messiah.
The Law teaches us that we cannot carry out God’s requirements and we need His solution.
We need a new nature - the result of the finished work of the Messiah and the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to live the life of faith, relying on God alone to enable us to live the life that gives God pleasure.
We are taught in the New Testament that the Law was our school master that brought us helpless sinners to God who would Himself get involved making it possible to make us a new creation.
He created us and He has to recreate each person through faith in Jesus His anointed one who alone passed the test of living a life that brought God pleasure because He never sinned.
We have to make that discovery. It will all be the work of God.
No one can claim or boast that he did it by his efforts.
All we acknowledge that they are who they are by the grace of God.
It would be grace that began the new creation in them, that continues and brings to completion the life to the glory of God alone.
His glory He will not give to another.
Following Martin Luther, Andreas Osiander taught that justified by faith resulted in keeping the Law.
Imparted righteousness:  The righteousness of Christ becomes ours.
John Agricola taught imputed righteousness : Christ’s righteousness put to our credit.
Law has no place in the believer.
Led to Antinomianism.
Law has no place in the life of a believer.
The Law:
The Mosaic Law Given by God through Angels Galatians 3:19, Acts 7:38
At Sinai Exodus 20:1-17 The Moral Law: The Decalogue (the Ten Commandments).
Personal Righteousness - the way to live. God’s bottom line.
The Civil Law: Exodus 20-23 How the nation should be governed. Relationships of people.
Ceremonial Law: How God’s people should worship God. Sacrifices, Holy Day, Tabernacle.
The Righteousness of The Moral Law Exodus 20:3 'You hall have no other gods before Me'
Idolatry: of wood or stone or anything taking God’s place. God is jealous.
Exodus 20:4-6 God is opposed to visible forms of anything that we adore and comes between you and the invisible God.
Faith does not depend on sight but hearing God’s word.
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God Exodus 20:7
God is jealous. His name reveals His character. His power and reputation.
Not to be used in an oath. Abusing God’s name as though He is on your side. Not to use it in an argument to support your viewpoint.
Exodus 20:8-11 Keeping the Sabbath: sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Complete rest. Man and animals. Bodies need a break.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
For Christians, Jesus rising on the first day of the week made a new Sabbath of New Covenant.
Exodus 20:12 'Honour your father and mother that you may live long in the land.'
Respect due to parents. Authority given to parents. Kids to obey parents. Ephesians 6:2 'this is the first law with a promise'.
Exodus 20:13 'You shall not murder.' Sacredness of life. Abortion included.
Exodus 20:14 'You shall not commit adultery.' God is jealous for the family unit and the security of the marital relationship and the security of the children who are hurt by infidelity.
Exodus 20:15 'You shall not steal.' God respects private possession. Some things belong to us.
Not be taken by another. God cares for the person and his property.
Exodus 20:16 'You shall not give false testimony.' Only the truth is to be told. No slander about others.
God cares for our integrity and reputation.
Exodus 20:17 'Not covet anything belonging to your neighbour.' Covet=desire eagerly.
The inner person. It reveals the sinfulness of the heart.
Matthew 5:17 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them.' Jesus Himself fulfilled the Law. He kept it for us in detail as our substitute and what He did is ours by faith as though we kept it ourselves.
Since Christ kept the Law for us, to what extent are we obliged to keep it?
We are saved by faith. Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9
What is the role or purpose of the Law today?
Galatians 3:19-24 'The Law was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator
v23 Before faith came we were kept under guard by the law kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Thus the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.' After faith has come we are no longer under a tutor for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
The people turned to sin in the wilderness 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 Idolatry Exodus 32 Sexual sin Numbers 25 Complaining Exodus 16:3
God intervened with a Moral code of righteousness
Before the Law was given Sin and Righteousness existed Romans 5:13
The Law gave understanding of both.
Murder was sin before the Law Genesis 4. Adultery as sin Genesis 39:9
1 Timothy 1:9-10 'The law not made for a righteous person but for the lawless ... and anything contrary to sound doctrine.' The purpose was to hold back sin.
Reign through fear of punishment:
Death for murder Numbers 35:30. Death for Adultery Leviticus 20:10.
Civil Law is enforced through fear of punishment. The same applies today.
The Law of God has a Spiritual Purpose Psalms 19:7-14, Romans 7:12
The Law reveals the character of God Leviticus 11:44
1 Peter 1:16 God is Holy.
The Law reveals the standard God requires of His people. Decalogue (10 commandments).
It has not changed Malachi 3:6
The Law is the objective standard acceptable to God. It is imprinted on the conscience.
Romans 2:15 'The requirements of the law are written on their hearts their consciences bearing witness...'
The external written code is standard.
The convicting purpose of the Law
Romans 7:7 Reveals the seriousness of sin. God hates sin.
Expects punishment. Costly Sacrifice required a substitute Hebrews 9:22
The Law came in between Abraham and Christ Galatians 3:19
Abraham is our example of justified by faith. All who believe in Christ are children of Abraham.
Romans 4:12 'They walk in the footsteps of their father by faith.' Jesus said John 8:56 'Abraham saw My day and was glad'
We go back to Abraham, the Law came 430 years after Abraham Galatians 3:17
The law was added but not intended to be permanent. It was fulfilled in Christ. What He promised, He did.
In the meantime between Abraham and Christ, the law was a tutor which revealed the righteousness of God, the seriousness of sin, the need of a perfect substitute. But once Christ came the role of the law fell away.
When we are in union with Christ the laws requirements are met.
Galatians 2:16 'We have put our faith in Christ that we may be justified by faith and not by observing the law'
Those in Christ are no longer under the Law Galatians 3:26 They are sons of God through faith in Christ.
The Relevance of the Law 1 Timothy 1:8-11
The Law had to be fulfilled. Jesus did what no other person had ever done Acts 15:10
He carried out the Law 100%.
The Law could not impart life Galatians 3:21 Christ who fulfilled the Law can impart life.
John 5:21 'The Son gives life to whoever He is pleased to give it.'
What do we have in Christ? 1 Corinthians 1:30 'You are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.'
Christ fulfilled the Law by perfect obedience
Romans 5:10 We are saved by His life.
We were reconciled by His death Romans 5:9.
Everything Jesus did becomes ours by faith in Him.
Romans 4:5 'Trusts God who justifies the ungodly.'
Jesus was without sin Hebrews 4:15 Tempted in every point yet was without sin. Knew no deceit.
If a person prefers to keep the Law, then he must do so 100% all the time everywhere.
James 2:10 The law is powerless to be carried out because of the weakness of the sinful nature.
Romans 8:3 Faith in Christ fulfils the law.
Romans 10:4 'Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.'
God puts to our credit a righteousness as though we kept the law.
The Law reveals our inability which is only possible through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished for us.
The minimum standard of righteousness required for the believer:
Romans 8:4 'Who live not according to the sinful nature but The Spirit.'
Romans 6:22 'Set free from sin to be a slave of God reaping the benefit of holiness and eternal life.'
Holiness is keeping what the law requires.
Galatians 5:16 'Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.'
Obedience to the Spirit and to the Word is out of gratitude resulting in a life set apart for God.
The Law was weakened and helpless because of the sinful nature.
The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.
What the law could not do the Holy Spirit is able to do.
He requires submission to His ordering of our lives, His teaching of the Word of God, and obedience to the will of God.
In the service of God there is perfect freedom.