Some “through the bible” thoughts from Galatians 3.
“Why then the law?” (Galatians 3:19)
Why indeed? If we receive the Spirit of God through faith, why have the law at all? (Gal. 3:2) If we are justified by faith, just like Abraham, why bother with the law? (Gal. 3:8)
“It was added because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19). It’s because without the law, we’d do a lot of foolish things. We’d self-destruct.
I recoil at the printed warnings, cautions, and instructions that wallpaper my world. From desiccated silica packs labeled, “Do not eat” to “warning hot surface” on my 3D printer, I wonder, “Are all these warnings necessary?” Then I remember, if there’s a rule, it’s because someone ate or touched something, opened something, or broke something.
Someone let their kid play in a big plastic tote. So we’re warned, “Not a toy.” Someone poked their finger on a pod coffee maker needle, so I’m reminded, “Caution: sharp metal.” Someone messed up a yard with an excavator, so the Benadryl label reminds me not to operate heavy machinery. Someone stuffed a towel down the toilet, so now there’s a sign forbidding that. An ugly “Don’t poop in our yard” ruins a beautiful lawn because a dog dropped a deuce.
I never responded well to the abundance of signs adorning the walls of church buildings. (If you noticed one missing, chances are I tore it down and threw the paper away.) Turn off lights, throw away your trash, clean up the kitchen, wash your hands, flush the toilet. None of those signs should would exist. But they do. Human nature means we need lots of rules just so we can live together.
However – Paul really drives home this point in Galatians – living together with God isn’t about the rules. It’s about faith in Christ.
Waite for it... 