Old Testament laws shows our need for savior

Galatians is the Apostle Paul’s most explosive letter. When Paul wrote this book he abandoned his usual custom of dictating to a secretary. He took the pen in his own hand and wrote the entire book in large, bold, block letters to emphasize the importance of its contents. In Galatians 6:11 Paul wrote, “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.” Many commentators believe that Paul had an eye problem and wrote in large letters in order to see the words. No. On the contrary, Paul wrote in large letters so they could read it.

Paul wrote Galatians in his own hand in boxcar-size letters so that no one would misunderstood the message. Paul defended the gospel with a fiery zeal. Paul was fired up by the gospel of Jesus.

Galatians has been called “the battle cry of the Reformation.” Many historians maintain that the foundation of the Reformation was laid when Martin Luther wrote his commentary on Galatians. The mere reading of its preface brought John Wesley to saving faith many years later. Galatians defends the gospel. The good news is that Jesus died for our sins upon the cross. At the cross our sin was transferred to Jesus. Through faith the perfect law keeping of Jesus can be charged to our account.

False teachers came to the churches of Galatia and claimed that a person could work their way to heaven. These false teachers believed that good works — circumcision, Sabbath keeping, obeying the Mosaic Law — resulted in salvation. Of course, forgiveness of sins is found in God’s unmerited favor. It is based upon the substitutionary death of Jesus.

God gave the Old Testament law at Mount Sinai many years earlier. The false teachers misinterpreted the law. Why did God give the law as detailed in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and then repeated in Deuteronomy? What is the purpose of the law? This is not an easy question to answer. Theologians have wrestled with this through the centuries. John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation. Calvin gave three purposes for the law.

The first purpose of the law is to act as a mirror. We look into the law and see ourselves. You and I cannot keep the law. We fall short of God’s moral standard. We are sinners. We have fallen short of the glory of God. The law cannot save but the law testifies that we need to be saved.

No one can be saved until they know that they need to be saved. There is great value in the law in evangelism. A Christian doesn’t walk up to a person and say, “Smile. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Their response is often to yawn and say, “So what? My life is just fine the way it is. I don’t need to join a religious club.” It is the law with its consequences that tells every person we have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. In Romans 6:23 the Apostle Paul summarized the Mosaic Law, “The wages of sin is death.” The law is necessary in pre-evangelism to bring about conviction of sin. As Spurgeon said, “The law must plow up the soil of the heart. It must break up the hardened heart so the precious seed of the gospel can be received.”

Calvin said that a second purpose of the law is a civil use. It serves as a collective body in society. The Old Testament law restrains sin. How do you and I know what is right and wrong in society? It is defined in the law. Exodus 20:13-15 reads, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal.”

The Ten Commandments are the moral fiber for any society. Any society must have moral restraint or the result is anarchy. Without the Old Testament law the result is chaos. If the moral infrastructure of the law of God in the Ten Commandments is removed society begins to unravel like a cheap sweater. The result is a society imploding because the family structure is destroyed. You are left with a society of thugs and thieves and terrorists.

A third purpose of the law is to guide believers into good works. For every negative command the positive is also implied. In Exodus 20:15 God said, “You shall not steal.” The positive implication is that people must work hard and provide for their needs. God said, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). The positive is also implied. “Tell the truth. Speak what is good. Only and always speak words that build others up.”

Paul wrote Galatians to remind that eternal life is found in Jesus alone. Why did God in his mercy give the Old Testament law? It serves as a mirror to reveal our sin. It shows our need for a Savior. Its civil use is to restrain and deter sin. If you remove the law from any society you are left with a people headed for destruction. The law also guides believers into good works. Won’t you turn to Jesus the Messiah today?

Ethan Hansen (ethanchansen@gci.net) is pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake.