The Believer and The Law of Moses (Part 2)
In my last post, I began an examination of the relationship of the Christian and the Mosaic Law. I finished, yesterday, with an emphasis on the discontinuity between the Law and the believer. Christ’s work has changed the way a New Testament believer approaches the Law.
Is the Law, then, to be regarded with disdain and seen as a vile thing? No, not at all. There is no doubting that the Law is good. The important question is, Good for what? The Law’s worth must be judged with regard to its purpose. It is clear that the Law was never intended to be, nor could it be, a means by which one might obtain salvation.
Douglas Moo calls the Law a hypothetical covenant of works. By this he means that, in theory, it would be possible to obtain salvation if one were to keep all the commandments of the law. Leviticus 18:5 states, “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.” However, in practice, this is impossible, and the Law was never intended for this purpose by God. Sinful humanity could never achieve such perfection.
So, am I asserting a contradiction? The dual assertions that God did not give the law to bring about the salvation of His people and that one can be saved by full obedience to the law are not contradictory. The Law is not a legalistic document and does not advocate a method of salvation other than faith. God, knowing the inability of man to keep the law, did not give the law for that purpose. Acts 13:39 states that…
… by him [Christ] everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Galatians states…
… if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law… (and) if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.
In the Old Testament, as well as in the New, the only means to obtain righteousness was by faith in God. In Romans 4, Paul supports this principle by arguing that the promise of righteousness was given even before the Law was given. Therefore righteousness does not depend on keeping the Law but on grace through faith in the promises of God. God’s means of salvation has always been the same – faith in Him.
Next, the purpose of the Law.