Application
Paul never viewed the Law as an enemy of God’s plan for salvation (vs. 21). Rather, the Law was put in place to reveal sin and guard God’s people until Christ came (vs. 24).
So what are we to do with the Law today? Is it pointless? Is it merely a throwback to a previous generation that was ignorant of the Christ to come? If all Scripture is profitable for our spiritual growth, then surely the Law is of some use to us, right?
Paul is not using the book of the Galatians as his rationale for getting rid of the Law completely, nor should we. Instead he is teaching the Galatian believers what proper use of the Law should be. The Law should never keep us in bondage. The Law should never make us feel like we must meet all of its requirements, because let’s face it, we can’t. The Law is actually doing far greater things for us than we realize. It’s pointing us to the Savior. The Law daily reveals to our souls, worn down by our own failure to keep it, that Christ did it all perfectly. The promise given to Abraham, that all nations would be blessed through his offspring, is met in this perfect one, Jesus. And we are the recipients of such a blessing.
While we may be tempted to throw the Law out, let us follow Paul’s example and use the Law for what it was intended—to point us to Christ.
Pastor Rowena