At the risk of biting off more than I can chew, I want to address a few things. First, I often hear Christians appealing to "Christian liberty" to defend various practices, often citing the book of Galatians. Second, I heard a teacher recently who basically put all Christians under the Mosaic Law. Now let me say that I am certain he would deny any form of works salvation and he would say we are not under all the Law, but he indicated that we are under the jurisdiction of the Mosaic Law.
What do these two things have in common? The book of Galatians. The book of Galatians teaches us that Christians are free from the Mosaic Law to obey God. The book actually teaches nothing about doubtful areas in which Christians disagree. The meaning of the book, if it means anything at all, makes it crystal-clear that believers are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Mosaic Law.
The Law does not offer salvation because the Law was never able to give life (Gal 3:21). Galatians 2:16 says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." The Law offers no benefit to Christians in their sanctification. In Galatians 3:3, Paul laments, "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" We cannot keep it, and there is no benefit to us if we try to keep it.
The Mosaic Law is no longer binding on believers in Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus Christ marks the end of the Law's jurisdiction and the beginning of the age of Grace, as well as the inclusion of Gentiles into the family of God. Children of God are now free from the Law of Moses to live under the Holy Spirit's control.
The Law is a unity; that is, it is not a bunch of commands that we can pick and choose from a la carte. James 2:10 makes it clear that if we are trying to keep the Law, we must keep it all. Paul, quoting the Law itself (Deut 27:26), emphasizes this same point in Galatians 3:10. "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'" The emphasis is on "all things"; one did not get any points for almost keeping the Law! It was all or nothing; and if you didn't keep it all, you were under its curse.
What then was the purpose of the Mosaic Law? 1 Timothy 1:9 tells us that the Law is "holy, just, and good." Man’s inability to keep the Law is not due to some fault in the Law code; rather, it is because of man’s sinfulness and inability to obey and please a holy God. The Mosaic Law serves two functions:
- During the time from Moses until Christ, the Law had a regulatory function; that is, it was binding. However, the Bible says specifically that the Christian is free from the Law, both from its condemnation and its jurisdiction (Rom 6:14; 7:4–6; Gal 3:15–25).
- Starting with the giving of the Law and continuing on, the Mosaic Law has a revelatory function. On the one hand, it reveals something about the glory and nature of the God who gave it. On the other hand, it reveals the sinfulness of men who are entirely unable to keep it. Our inability points out our need for a perfect Savior--- Jesus Christ, who kept the Law perfectly in every way.
The Mosaic Law, then, reveals the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. It leaves us with the stark realization that we all fall short of God's glory. It leaves us wondering how anyone could ever meet God's standard. It leaves us longing for some way to be free of the Law's curse. It leaves us crying out to God for mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
That's what the Law does: it brings us to Jesus Christ (Gal 3:23-4:7).
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