01/07/2025
The Purpose of the Law
(Right Division Perspective)
Gratia Bible Institute
Introduction
Many today misunderstand the purpose and role of the Law in God's program. By rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), we understand that the Law was not originally given to the Body of Christ, but to the nation of Israel. In this lesson, we will explore:
The original purpose of the Law under the Mosaic covenant
The role of the Law in this current dispensation of grace
I. The Law Was Originally Given to Israel
The Mosaic Law was a covenant between God and the nation of Israel. It was not given to the Gentiles nor to the Church, the Body of Christ. It had specific purposes under Israel’s kingdom program.
A. To Establish Israel as a Kingdom of Priests
> Exodus 19:5-6
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation..."
God gave the Law to Israel to set them apart from other nations. Israel was to be His peculiar people — a holy nation and a kingdom of priests.
B. To Be the Covenant of Righteous Living
> Deuteronomy 4:13
"And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone."
The Ten Commandments were part of the covenant God made with Israel, requiring strict obedience as a condition of blessing.
C. To Display God's Wisdom Among the Nations
> Deuteronomy 4:6-7
"Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations..."
If Israel obeyed the Law, other nations would witness God's wisdom through them, and recognize Israel’s special relationship with the Lord.
D. To Be Their Righteousness
> Deuteronomy 6:25
"And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments..."
Obedience to the Law was counted as righteousness under the covenant. Righteousness was performance-based in Israel’s program.
E. To Bring Blessings Upon Obedience
> Deuteronomy 28:2, 8
"And all these blessings shall come on thee... The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee..."
Israel’s material and national blessings were conditional upon obedience to the Law.
II. The Law in the Dispensation of Grace
In this present dispensation — the mystery revealed through the Apostle Paul — the role of the Law has changed. The Law was not given to the Church, the Body of Christ. Instead, it now serves a different purpose.
A. The Law Reveals the Knowledge of Sin
> Romans 3:20
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified... for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
> Romans 7:7
"I had not known sin, but by the law..."
The Law acts as a mirror, revealing man's sinful condition. It identifies sin but provides no power to overcome it.
B. The Law Was Added Because of Transgressions
> Galatians 3:19
"It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come..."
The Law was temporary, added to expose sin until Christ (the Seed) should come.
C. The Law Was a Schoolmaster to Bring Us to Christ
> Galatians 3:24-25
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ..."
The Law’s role was to tutor and prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah. But once Christ came, the believer is no longer under the schoolmaster.
D. The Law Is for the Lawless and Disobedient
> 1 Timothy 1:8-10
"The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient..."
The Law serves to expose the sinful nature of mankind and drive sinners to realize their need for a Savior.
E. The Law Cannot Justify or Save
The Law cannot save anyone in this present dispensation. Salvation today is by grace through faith — without the deeds of the Law.
> Acts 13:39
"And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
> Romans 3:20
"By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified..."
> Philippians 3:9
"Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but... the righteousness which is of God by faith."
> Galatians 2:16
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ..."
III. Summary
The Law was originally given to Israel to govern them as God’s covenant nation, to be a kingdom of priests, and to serve as a witness to other nations.
In this present dispensation, the Law still has a function — not for justification — but to expose sin and lead individuals to faith in Christ.
The Law cannot save, cannot make one righteous, and is not the means of sanctification for the Body of Christ.
Today, we are not under the Law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). Justification and righteousness are by faith alone in the finished work of Christ, apart from the works of the Law.
Jason GI
