#DailyDevotion The Law Increases Trespasses. Why?

Gal. 3:19-22 ¹⁹Why, then, was the Law given? It was added to arouse transgressions until the Descendant would come to Whom the promise was made. And it was given through angels in the hands of a mediator. ²⁰A mediator deals with more than one, but God is one. ²¹Is the Law, then, opposed to God’s promise? Never! If a law had been given that could make us alive, it certainly would have given us righteousness. ²²But the Scripture has said that everything is a prisoner of sin, so that the promised blessings might be given to believers through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now, given the covenant made with Abraham is in the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) the Law here is the covenant God made with Israel on Mt. Sinai. It seems such like an odd thing for the LORD to give the Law to arouse transgressions until the Descendant would come to Whom the promise was made. Paul explains a bit more in Romans concerning this. In chapter 3 he writes, “ ¹⁹Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may stand guilty before God. ²⁰Therefore not one person will be declared righteous before God by doing what the Law says, because the Law teaches us to recognize sin.” It is impossible to keep the Law. That is why not one person will be declared righteous by doing it. They won’t and can’t do it. It teaches us to recognize sin. In the same Paul also writes in chapter 5, “²⁰The Law came to multiply sin, but where there was much sin, God’s grace was so much greater ²¹that, as sin ruled in its deadly way, so His grace is to rule, giving a righteousness by which we live forever through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Speaking to the first half of the verse we see this principle again, the Law was given to multiply sin, not to make us better people. It has no power to do that in us in our current fallen condition. Finally in Romans 7 Paul concludes, “⁷What does it mean? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! But only by the Law did I learn what sin is. For example, only when the Law said: ‘Do not coveť, did I know how wrong it is to covet. ⁸Taking the commandment as a challenge, sin worked in me every kind of wrong desire. Without the Law sin is dead. Once I was alive without the Law, but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died.” So through the Law we come to know what sin is, particularly sin within us. It removes from us any boasting or claim before God we deserve eternal life, to be heirs of his kingdom, and that we are righteous within ourselves. The purpose of increasing transgressions and sins is to teach us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of our God so we may receive his blessing.

That is what follows in verse 22. We have been imprisoned by sin so the promised blessing might be given to believers through faith in Christ Jesus. That is what Paul said above in the quote from Romans 5:21that “his grace is to rule, giving a righteousness by which we live forever through our LORD Jesus Christ.” When we hear the promise, the promised seed of Abraham purchased us with his blood from sin, death and the power of the devil, and we believe it, God credits us that faith as His righteousness. When we hear and believe Jesus reconciled us to the Father by his crucifixion and no longer counts our trespasses against us, the Father treats us as if we ourselves were Jesus and possessed His righteousness. If we didn’t recognize the depth of our sinfulness, we would not put our trust in Christ Jesus and his works but think we were good enough. Now we know, through the Law, we are not good enough. Jesus though is good enough for us and has become for us our wisdom, righteousness and holiness as a gift.

Heavenly Father, your wisdom and ways are far above our own understanding. Give us such faith that believes your Word, confesses our sinfulness and trust solely in the righteousness of Christ Jesus alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.