why then the law? it was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made. [galatians 3:19a]
what is a transgression?
yes, it is a sin, but it is more than that. more specifically, transgression means to step over a boundary. in the garden of eden there were rules for adam and eve to abide by. adam and eve were forbidden to eat from the tree of knowledge. you know how the story goes from there. adam and eve stepped crossed a boundary. what is the point of bringing this up? the reason is, even in paradise there are rules. we cannot escape the law. this is not about the laws of the legal system we are currently under. this is about God’s law and his desire for us to be conscious of our sin and to obey him accordingly!
if words such as “obey” or “law” are like hard pills for you to swallow, then think about it like this: if God is who you say he is, then why question his desire for your obedience?
the purpose of the law was, and is, to drive men (and women) to despair over their sins and to a desire to receive the salvation that God’s sovereign grace offers to those who believe. grace is meaningless to a person who feels no inadequacy or need of help. the law merely points to what only grace can produce- john macarthur
notice how paul says law and not laws? this is because there are lawful and unlawful ways to adhere to the law itself. transgressions are a part of human reality. yet there is a route to salvation and freedom from the curse- faith and belief in the Lord himself!
philippians 2:8- and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross
1 peter 1:14-15- as obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.
~ angela younger