Why the Lost Need the Law
In the previous post, I explained, in detail, that righteousness is neither gained nor maintained by the Old Testament law. If this is the case, Jesus Christ shed His blood in vain. To think that, for a single moment, works of the law get me saved or keep me saved, I insult the precious blood of the Lamb of God.
Not only am I not under the law, but it is equally true that I actually, as a saved man, have no need for the law. The lost person needs the law. This is true for two reasons. First, as I previously explained, the lost person is under the law, and God Almighty will require that they fulfil every part of it. The saved man is not under the law because he is clinging to Jesus Christ, who fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. Second, when the lost man understands that he cannot fulfil the law, this truth brings him to Jesus Christ, the only One who has ever fulfilled the law. This is why the lost man needs the law; it shows him his sin, and ultimately presents to him Jesus Christ. Note the following:
Romans 7:7 – “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
Galatians 3:24-26 – “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The lost need the law to show them their sin, and to bring them to their only hope for their sin – Jesus Christ.
Why I Do Not Need the Law
Having shown why the lost need the law, I can show two reasons immediately why I don’t need the law. The lost need the law to show them their sin. I have already admitted my sin; therefore, no law is needed here. The lost need the law to bring them to Christ. I have already come to Christ; no need for a schoolmaster here.
A third reason why I have no need for the law is because Jesus fulfilled the law, paying the debt in full. I am now in no obligation to pay it; it is completely paid for in Christ Jesus. I covered this in depth in my previous post, so I will not elaborate any more on this point here.
What God Gives Us In Place of the Law
When we are relieved of our obligation to fulfil the law, we are given precious possessions in place of obligations to fulfil the law.
Look with me at the book of Galatians. Paul spent four entire chapters stating repeatedly that WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW. He uses strong language, stating that, if we are justified by the law, Christ is dead in vain. He says that if you are under the law, you are under the curse! He states that if you keep one law, you must keep ALL OF IT! He asks them if, after beginning their walk with God in the Spirit, they are going to finish it in the flesh! All of this is found in the first four chapters of Galatians. In Galatians 5:3, Paul concludes it all by stating – “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law: ye are fallen from grace.”
Then we come to chapter five. Anytime I teach that we are not under the law, I have someone come to me, afraid that I am going liberal. Let me ask you a sincere question – was Paul a theological liberal? Did Paul preach a “live any way you want to” gospel? Paul did preach that righteousness does not come by the law. Paul did preach that salvation is by grace through faith. Notice what Paul says in the fifth chapter of Galatians, after four chapters of hammering the fact that we are not under the law:
Galatians 5:19-21 – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Someone may argue with Paul that if he preaches that salvation is not by works, then people in his audience will live loose. Does it look like Paul condoned loose living? Paul spent the entire fifth chapter of Galatians showing us who are not under the law, that we do not need the law to live right. That’s right; we do not need the law. We do not need the Ten Commandments. We do not need the sacrifices and offerings. We do not need the blessings and curses. I am telling you that God would not declare in His word, “You are not under the law,” if we needed the law! The reason we are not under the law is because we do not need the law. When we receive Christ, and the law has no more authority over us, we receive three things far better than the law. Paul explains this in Galatians 5.
First, instead of the law of Moses, we have Christ living in our hearts. Notice the following:
Galatians 5:2-4 – “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Notice these phrases – “Christ shall profit you nothing,” and “Christ is become of no effect to you.” The reason for this is simple – if the law could justify us, we do not need Christ. And, the exact opposite is true. If Christ justifies us, there is no more need for the law. When Christ is doing the living in my heart, I need no law.
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
When you obtain salvation by faith, the just, or justified, LIVE BY faith. Paul states here that when we live by the faith of the Son of God, we are crucified with Christ, and Christ lives in us! If Christ is living in me, explain to me why I need a list of dos and don’ts. Explain to me why I need to be told what to do and what not to do. We argue over whether or not Christ, while in a physical body upon the earth, could have or couldn’t have sinned. Here’s a revelation – HE STILL DOESN’T! When Christ lives in us, He fulfills the law just as He did when He was a man upon the earth (Romans 8:3, 4). When a man is born again, and Christ moves in and begins to live in that individual, the only life Christ will live is one of holiness and righteousness! Then, the need for the law is gone!
A second thing we are given in place of the law is love.
Galatians 5:13, 14 – “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
I heard a preacher give a good illustration once, and I will use it here. I may not have all the details just right, but you’ll get the point. The man said something like this:
“I hate driving through school zones. I hate having to go fifteen miles-per-hour. I just can’t stand to see that speed limit sign. But if you take that speed limit sign down, and put my little grandson out in the road, fifteen miles-per-hour is no problem!”
When that man’s grandson is in the road, he doesn’t need a sign telling him to drive slowly. And when I love my brother like I should, what need is there for a law? Should we just “forget the Ten Commandments?” No, we shouldn’t just “forget them.” We ought to preach them to the lost to show them how lost they are. But as far as the saved are concerned, they won’t be needing the Ten Commandments. With love in our hearts, we do not need to be told, “Thou shalt not steal.” I won’t steal from you if I love you. I won’t lie to you if I love you. When we get saved, the Bible declares that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. With love like that, no law is needed!
The last possession we receive in place of the law is the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 5:16 – “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
With the Spirit of God leading us and guiding us, it is impossible to fulfil the lust of the flesh. He will not lead me to break the law of God. Paul says in Galatians 5:18 – “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” And, if we be led of the Spirit, we do not even need the law!
In the previous post, I explained, in detail, that righteousness is neither gained nor maintained by the Old Testament law. If this is the case, Jesus Christ shed His blood in vain. To think that, for a single moment, works of the law get me saved or keep me saved, I insult the precious blood of the Lamb of God.
Not only am I not under the law, but it is equally true that I actually, as a saved man, have no need for the law. The lost person needs the law. This is true for two reasons. First, as I previously explained, the lost person is under the law, and God Almighty will require that they fulfil every part of it. The saved man is not under the law because he is clinging to Jesus Christ, who fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. Second, when the lost man understands that he cannot fulfil the law, this truth brings him to Jesus Christ, the only One who has ever fulfilled the law. This is why the lost man needs the law; it shows him his sin, and ultimately presents to him Jesus Christ. Note the following:
Romans 7:7 – “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
Galatians 3:24-26 – “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The lost need the law to show them their sin, and to bring them to their only hope for their sin – Jesus Christ.
Why I Do Not Need the Law
Having shown why the lost need the law, I can show two reasons immediately why I don’t need the law. The lost need the law to show them their sin. I have already admitted my sin; therefore, no law is needed here. The lost need the law to bring them to Christ. I have already come to Christ; no need for a schoolmaster here.
A third reason why I have no need for the law is because Jesus fulfilled the law, paying the debt in full. I am now in no obligation to pay it; it is completely paid for in Christ Jesus. I covered this in depth in my previous post, so I will not elaborate any more on this point here.
What God Gives Us In Place of the Law
When we are relieved of our obligation to fulfil the law, we are given precious possessions in place of obligations to fulfil the law.
Look with me at the book of Galatians. Paul spent four entire chapters stating repeatedly that WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW. He uses strong language, stating that, if we are justified by the law, Christ is dead in vain. He says that if you are under the law, you are under the curse! He states that if you keep one law, you must keep ALL OF IT! He asks them if, after beginning their walk with God in the Spirit, they are going to finish it in the flesh! All of this is found in the first four chapters of Galatians. In Galatians 5:3, Paul concludes it all by stating – “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law: ye are fallen from grace.”
Then we come to chapter five. Anytime I teach that we are not under the law, I have someone come to me, afraid that I am going liberal. Let me ask you a sincere question – was Paul a theological liberal? Did Paul preach a “live any way you want to” gospel? Paul did preach that righteousness does not come by the law. Paul did preach that salvation is by grace through faith. Notice what Paul says in the fifth chapter of Galatians, after four chapters of hammering the fact that we are not under the law:
Galatians 5:19-21 – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Someone may argue with Paul that if he preaches that salvation is not by works, then people in his audience will live loose. Does it look like Paul condoned loose living? Paul spent the entire fifth chapter of Galatians showing us who are not under the law, that we do not need the law to live right. That’s right; we do not need the law. We do not need the Ten Commandments. We do not need the sacrifices and offerings. We do not need the blessings and curses. I am telling you that God would not declare in His word, “You are not under the law,” if we needed the law! The reason we are not under the law is because we do not need the law. When we receive Christ, and the law has no more authority over us, we receive three things far better than the law. Paul explains this in Galatians 5.
First, instead of the law of Moses, we have Christ living in our hearts. Notice the following:
Galatians 5:2-4 – “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Notice these phrases – “Christ shall profit you nothing,” and “Christ is become of no effect to you.” The reason for this is simple – if the law could justify us, we do not need Christ. And, the exact opposite is true. If Christ justifies us, there is no more need for the law. When Christ is doing the living in my heart, I need no law.
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
When you obtain salvation by faith, the just, or justified, LIVE BY faith. Paul states here that when we live by the faith of the Son of God, we are crucified with Christ, and Christ lives in us! If Christ is living in me, explain to me why I need a list of dos and don’ts. Explain to me why I need to be told what to do and what not to do. We argue over whether or not Christ, while in a physical body upon the earth, could have or couldn’t have sinned. Here’s a revelation – HE STILL DOESN’T! When Christ lives in us, He fulfills the law just as He did when He was a man upon the earth (Romans 8:3, 4). When a man is born again, and Christ moves in and begins to live in that individual, the only life Christ will live is one of holiness and righteousness! Then, the need for the law is gone!
A second thing we are given in place of the law is love.
Galatians 5:13, 14 – “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
I heard a preacher give a good illustration once, and I will use it here. I may not have all the details just right, but you’ll get the point. The man said something like this:
“I hate driving through school zones. I hate having to go fifteen miles-per-hour. I just can’t stand to see that speed limit sign. But if you take that speed limit sign down, and put my little grandson out in the road, fifteen miles-per-hour is no problem!”
When that man’s grandson is in the road, he doesn’t need a sign telling him to drive slowly. And when I love my brother like I should, what need is there for a law? Should we just “forget the Ten Commandments?” No, we shouldn’t just “forget them.” We ought to preach them to the lost to show them how lost they are. But as far as the saved are concerned, they won’t be needing the Ten Commandments. With love in our hearts, we do not need to be told, “Thou shalt not steal.” I won’t steal from you if I love you. I won’t lie to you if I love you. When we get saved, the Bible declares that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. With love like that, no law is needed!
The last possession we receive in place of the law is the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 5:16 – “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
With the Spirit of God leading us and guiding us, it is impossible to fulfil the lust of the flesh. He will not lead me to break the law of God. Paul says in Galatians 5:18 – “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” And, if we be led of the Spirit, we do not even need the law!
