The Law Doesn’t Restrict But Grants Freedom
God created us to enjoy happiness, peace, long life and all the other great blessings for which our hearts long. The Lord promised: “Keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Proverbs 3:1, 2). Obedience that is motivated by love to God will receive long life. Though this promise will be fulfilled for many by having a peaceful long life on this earth, it will be ultimately given to the saints in the blessing of everlasting life.
God’s law is the road map that points out the right paths to follow in order to find supreme happiness. “Happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). Instead of the confusion and pain that result when every man does that he sees best in his eyes (Judges 17:6), there are success, peace and joy when the will of God is carried out in the life.
The law is made to cause man nothing but prosperity and blessing, both now and throughout eternity (Romans 7: 10). If kept, it will bring peace and happiness everywhere (Psalm 19:7–11). “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12).
God’s “Commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3b). To the believers the law of God is not tiring, for obedience is the result of love. Those who love God find pleasure in doing his will and keep His instructions. For He gives them the strength to keep His law (1 Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 2:13).
Jesus declared, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). He who genuinely loves the Lord will find great pleasure in doing His will (Psalm 40:8). Those who take the yoke of Christ will find “rest” for their hearts as He has promised. The heavy burden of legal righteousness, of trying to attain salvation by works rather than the blood of Christ, will be done.
The Law Protects
God’s law is like a strong wall of protection from evil. It protects us from impurity, falsehood, murder, idolatry, theft, and many other evils that destroy life, peace, and happiness. “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes” (Psalms 119:117, 118). Through their own choice sinners destroy themselves (Hosea 13:9). They have no wish to follow God, and He has no alternative other than to leave them to the consequences of their own sinful desires (Galatians 6:7).
The Purpose of the Law
Although the law gives man the freedom, it doesn’t save him. It simply shows man the difference between right and wrong: “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). And it exposes sin. “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7). The Ten Commandment law (Exodus 20) clearly shows where to draw the line between good and evil and avoid the trap of sin. No one can be saved by keeping the law. “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20).
The good news is that Salvation comes only through grace, as a free gift from Jesus Christ, and we receive this gift by faith, not by works. “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). The law serves only as a mirror to point out sin in our lives. Cleansing and forgiveness from that sin come only through Christ (1 John 1:9).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
