What is the Law?

Perhaps one of the most confusing subjects in the Bible is the relationship between Christians and the Law given in the Old Testament. The New Testament seemingly gives mixed messages about this, at times calling the Law not so great while other times calling it a very good thing. Our response has largely been to avoid studying the Law since we don't really know what to do with it.

Some argue that we as Christians are still required to follow the Law, but Paul debunks that (Romans 3:21-22). Still others would say that the Law is now useless and void, but once again Paul refutes that claim as well (Romans 3:31). There are plenty of other passages where Paul talks about the Law, but this chapter from Romans illustrates the point well. We, as Christians, don't know what to do with the Law.

I think that this is a subject that is very important to us as the people of God. Ignoring the Law is not a solution to the confusion; in fact that creates problems. What we must understand is that the New Testament writers aren't attacking the Law; they are criticizing people's attitudes towards the Law.

The Law During the 1st Century

One of the biggest hurdles we have to understanding the Law is that we spend far more time in the New Testament than we do the Old. Our understanding of things come from the situations of the New Testament. The problem is that during the New Testament era there were major things that the people had wrong. The Law is perhaps the largest of those things.

During the New Testament the religious ideology was dominated by that of the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed that the only way the Messiah would come and Israel would be restored was if every Jew followed the Law perfectly. In order to reach this goal they added traditions and rules to the Law in order to keep themselves from violating the Law. Their focus became less and less about following God and more and more about doing things perfectly. 

Since the Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day, the people adopted their mentality. Everything in Jewish society became about completing the checklist of the Law; as we would call it, legalism. They saw that the only way they could be right with God was by keeping the Law perfectly. 

This is what Jesus, Paul, and the other writers condemn. They do NOT condemn the Law itself; in fact they praise the Law. Their focus was on the rampant legalism that permeated Jewish, and then Christian, thinking. This what Paul means in passages such as Romans 3. Does the Law save you? No! You can't be right with God by completing a checklist. Is the Law a good thing? Absolutely! It is from God after all. 

So What is the Law?

Now that we know what the Law isn't, we can look at what the Law is. Think about when the Law was given to Israel. It was given to them at Mt. Sinai, AFTER they had been rescued from slavery in Egypt. The Law was never intended to be a means of salvation. God didn't tell Israel that he would only rescue them after they all kept the Law perfectly. God gave the Law to the saved.

The Law was intended for those who were already right with God. Israel was made right with God not because of anything they had done, but by the mercy and grace of God. The Law was a guide to teach this fledgling nation how to live with a holy God. 

Think of it this way; compare a toddler to a teenager. How many rules do you have to give a toddler versus a teenager? Truthfully you give the toddler a lot more rules. Everything becomes a rule for them. You pick their clothes. You choose their food. You have to tell them not to touch the stove. Toddlers need more rules because they simply don't know how to live. 

Teenagers, for the most part, don't need their parents to pick out every piece of their life. They pick their own clothes. Why? Because the parents have taught them standards of modesty. They pick their own food. Why? Because the parents have taught them to be healthy. You don't have to tell them to not touch the stove. Why? Because the parents have taught them to be safe.

Israel after they came out of Egypt was like a newborn or a toddler. They had no idea what it meant to live with God. So God, being the perfect Father that he is, laid out the ground rules in detail. He told them what to eat. He told them what to wear. He told them how to treat each other. He told them how to treat the sick. He told them how to pray, and so on. 

Fast forward to the New Testament era, our time. The people of God, us, have matured greatly since those days in the wilderness. We have learned what it means to live with God. We know that God wants our hearts. Are we still growing up? Yes. We still need the Father to guide us and watch over us. Do we need him to tell us how to do every little thing? No. He doesn't tell us exactly what to wear because we have been taught modesty. He doesn't tell us exactly how to deal with each other in every scenario because we have been taught mercy and love. We have been taught mercy and love by God's repeated actions throughout history; culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 

Does this mean that the Law is useless? No! The Law is the lessons of our youth. Just as we draw upon the lessons our parents taught us when we were young, we as a spiritual body draw upon the lessons of our collective youth. Today we are Israel. Matured and wiser to be sure, but still Israel. 

Conclusion

I pray that this post has helped refine your understanding of the Law in some way. I think one of the greatest mistakes we have made is disconnecting ourselves from our spiritual roots, Israel. Israel has never been defined ONLY as a certain people group (though that is part of it),  but by those who live in surrender to God. 

The Law is an amazing gift from God. It teaches us how to focus on God in every aspect of our lives. Just because we have grown up a little and understand that the point is to change our hearts doesn't make the Law ineffective.

In a few weeks we will return to this topic. Specifically we will look at how to study the Law. Knowing the Law is important and worthwhile to study doesn't necessarily prepare us to actually study it.