Galatain 3:19:Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.
What is the law? The law is nothing other than God's demand on man that man work for God. In Romans, Ephesians, and Galatians, the apostle Paul shows repeatedly that man is saved by grace, not by the law. In other words, man is saved because God works for man, not because man works for God. It is not a matter of being something before God or doing something for God, but a matter of God Himself coming into our midst to become something and do something for us. This is why the apostle, under the revelation of the Holy Spirit, constantly emphasized that, both for the Gentile and the Jew, salvation is absolutely of grace and not of the law.
The first thing we must see is that the law was not at all in God's original thought. The law was added in afterwards; it was brought in to meet certain urgent needs. It was produced to take care of certain things that came in along the way. The law was not in God's original thought; grace was in God's original thought. Second Timothy 1:9-10 says, "Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages but now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who nullified death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel." Here the apostle Paul tells us that God had a thought, and this thought began before the times of the ages, before the creation of the world. This was God's original thought. And what kind of thought was it? Paul says that this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages. Before man ever sinned, and even before the creation of the world, God had already made the decision to give us His grace through Christ Jesus. Therefore, grace was God's original thought. It was something that God planned from the very beginning.
Why did God want to give us grace? Paul says that God "has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace." God's will is to dispense His grace, and this grace saves us. He saved us and called us with a holy calling so that we may enjoy His glory. This is what God's grace is doing. He desired to save us and to call us with a holy calling according to His purpose, according to what He plans to do. Here Paul was very careful; he added a phrase to show us whether the law is according to God's purpose. He says, "Not according to our works." God's salvation is not according to how much we can do for God; it is not according to how much responsibility we can bear before Him. Rather, it is God coming to accomplish something for us, and it is God giving us His grace. This grace was always related to His plan. So let us remember that before the times of the ages, God's thought was grace, not works or the law.
Paul continues, "Which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages but now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus." This grace has not been manifested until now. Hence, we see that though this grace was planned long ago, it was not until the Lord Jesus came that we knew what grace really was. What does this grace do for us? Let us read on: "Who nullified death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel." When the Lord Jesus was manifested, He abolished works as well as the result of works. The result of evil works is death. Even if you have done the worst works, the most that the law can do is require your death. After you die, the law cannot do anything else.
You may ask, "What happens if my works have not violated the law? Do I still need to die?" Yes. But the Lord has also nullified death. The Lord has done away with works, and He has done away with death. This is our gospel, which was planned before the times of the ages, even though it was not manifested until the appearing of the Lord Jesus. Hence, the basic thought with God was grace...................

We have to pay attention to one particular point here. God's word to Abraham is unconditional. God simply said, "I will save and bless the world through your seed." He gave no conditions. God did not say that Abraham's descendants had to be this or that, or that the kingdom to come forth from him in the future had to be this or that before he would have a seed and the world would be blessed. No. God simply said that he would have a seed who would save the world. It did not matter if Abraham was good or bad; it did not matter if his descendants were good or bad; and it did not matter if his kingdom was good or bad. There was no condition attached. This is the way He wanted it done. He would cause the seed to bring blessing to the people in the world.
After this word was spoken, Christ the Son of God did not immediately come to the world. Abraham begot Isaac, but Isaac did not come to save the world. Isaac was not the Son of God. Four hundred and thirty years later, Moses and Aaron came. And though they were very good people, they were not the Christ of God. Through God's revelation, Paul pointed out to us that the seed of Abraham does not refer to many seeds, but to one seed, who did not come until two thousand years later. There is a great reason why the seed did not come sooner. It is true that God wants to do things for man, that God wants to give man grace. However, will man allow God to do things for him? God sees that we are not doing well, and He wants to help us; but we may still think that we are quite capable. We are evil, but we may still consider ourselves to be good. We are filthy, but we may still consider ourselves to be clean. We are weak, but we may still consider ourselves to be strong in everything. We are useless, but we may still consider ourselves to be useful. We human beings are sinful and completely incapable, but we may still consider ourselves to be good and useful. God's purpose from before the times of the ages was to give grace, and in time He told Abraham that He would indeed give grace to man. But because man was ignorant, weak, useless, sinful, and deserving to die and perish, God had no choice but to give man the law four hundred and thirty years after He gave Abraham the promise. After God gave man the law, man found out that he was sinful. God put the law there to let man find out if he is right or not and if he is able or not. God put the burden of the law there to let man see if he could lift it or not. Let us remember that God's giving of the law was not His original intention. I must emphasize that the law was something added in for meeting a temporary need. It was not something in God's original intention.............

Let us take a look at Galatians 3:15-22. We must consider these verses carefully because they are very important. Verse 15 says, "Brothers, I speak according to man, though it is a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one nullifies it or makes additions to it." Let us lay aside man's covenant with God for a moment and consider the covenants men make among themselves. Suppose someone is selling a house, and a contract has been agreed upon and signed. Can the seller come later and ask for one million naira more? Can he, after signing the contract, go and consider a little more and then tear the contract up? NO! Even with contracts between men, once they are signed, it is impossible to add conditions to them or to subtract conditions from them. If a contract between men is like this, how much more a covenant between God and man!
How did God make His covenant with man? The next verse says, "But to Abraham were the promises spoken and to his seed" (v. 16). God covenanted with Abraham through promises because it concerned the future. What is already accomplished is grace; what is not yet accomplished can only be a promise. Because the Lord Jesus had not yet come, we cannot say that God's covenant with Abraham was grace. Its nature was indeed grace, but because it had not been manifested, it was still a promise. This promise was given to Abraham and to his seed. Paul says, "He does not say, `And to the seeds,' as concerning many, but as concerning one: `And to your seed,' who is Christ" (v. 16). The seed is singular, not plural; it is one, Christ. God promised Abraham that he would bring forth Christ and that through Christ the nations would be blessed. Verse 14 says, "In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." This is the covenant God made with Abraham.
Since God wants to bless the nations through Christ Jesus, why did He give man the law four hundred and thirty years later? Since the covenant God made with Abraham could not be annulled or supplemented, why would not the Lord Jesus just come to give us grace? Why did the problem of the law intervene? You have to see the argument Paul was making here. Paul was explaining why after four hundred and thirty years the law came in. Verse 17 says, "And I say this: A covenant previously ratified by God, the law, having come four hundred and thirty years after, does not annul so as to make the promise of none effect." Although God gave the law to man, the covenant He made four hundred and thirty years before could not be made of none effect. God could not cancel the covenant formerly made after some further thought four hundred and thirty years later. The law is something absolutely contradictory to promise and grace. What is a promise? It is something given to someone freely. Although he may not have it yet, he will definitely have it later. But what is the law? The law implies that one has to do this or that in order to get something. You can see that these two things are completely opposite. The promise implies that God will do something for man; the law implies that man will do something for God..............

Verse 18 says, "For if the inheritance is of law, it is no longer of promise." If what was to be given is according to the principle of the law, it cannot be according to the principle of promise. These two things are completely opposite.
Verse 19 says, "Why then the law?" Now the problem arises; here we have the problem. This is a most difficult problem to solve. The law and the promise are basically contradictory in their natures. If you have the law, you cannot have the promise; if you have the promise, you cannot have the law. These two matters cannot stand together. But now there is the law, and there is also the promise. God gave the promise, and then four hundred and thirty years later He gave the law. What should you do? If the covenant made by God could not be changed, either by subtracting from it or by adding to it, why then was the law given? Since a covenant cannot be changed, a promise will always be a promise, and grace will always be grace. Why then is there the need for the law?
In verse 19 Paul gives us the reason: "It was added because of the transgressions." What does it mean to add something? Recently I went to a certain place to work. During my stay there, I went with a few brothers to a restaurant for dinner one night. Because we do not have a home there, we went to a restaurant and ordered a meal of five dishes. These dishes were eaten very quickly, and so we asked the waiter to add one more dish. The addition of another dish was not our original intention; it was added to meet the immediate need. In a similar way, Paul said that the law was added. Actually, God does not have to give us the law, and neither did He need to give it to the Jews. God gave the law to the Jews because He wanted to show the world through the Jews that He gave the law because of transgressions.
Why was the law added because of transgressions? Let us look now at the last part of Romans 4:15: "But where there is no law, neither is there transgression." And let us also look at Romans 5:20: "And the law entered in alongside that the offense might abound." The purpose of the law is to cause the offense to abound. What does this mean? Sin entered the world through man, and therefore, sin is in the world. Death came from sin and began to reign. From the time of Adam to the time of Moses, sin was in the world. But how can we prove this? It is evidenced by death being in the world. If there were no sin from Adam until Moses, man would not have died. The fact that from Adam until Moses all died proves that sin was there. Although there was sin during that time, there was no law. Hence, there was only sin but no transgression. What is transgression? Sin was real and present in the world, but man did not know that sin was here until the law of God came. Through the law God showed us that we have sinned. Actually, there was sin already within us. We were corrupted already, but we did not know about it until the law came, at which time the sin within was manifested as transgressions.............

All the Bible readers and all those who understand God's will know that God did not give us the law with the intention that we keep it. The law was not meant for us to keep, but for us to break. God gave us the law so that we would transgress against it. This may be the first time for many of you to hear such a word, and you may feel that it is strange. God has known all along that you have sin. God knows this; but you yourself do not know this. Therefore God has given you the law to transgress so that you will know about yourself. God knows that you are no good, but you think that you are fine. Therefore, God has given the law. After you transgress against it once, twice, and a number of times, you will say that you have sin. Salvation will not come to you until then. Only when you admit that you do not have a way, that it is impossible for you to go on conducting yourself in such a way, will you be willing to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Only then will you be willing to receive God's grace.
We have already seen that in order to receive grace one needs to humble himself. We are sinners, and we have committed sins. What causes us to humble ourselves? It is the law. Human beings are proud. All human beings think that they are strong and consider themselves to be good. But God gave us the law, and once we look at the law, we have to humble ourselves and confess that we are really not good at all. This is what Paul was talking about when he said that before he had read from the law that we should not covet, he did not know what it was to covet. However, once he saw the law, he realized that there was coveting within him (Rom. 7:7-. This does not mean that before Paul saw the law there was no coveting in him. There was coveting within him long before. He had always coveted, but he did not realize that it was coveting. It was not until the law told him so that he realized it. Therefore, the law does not cause us to do anything that we have not done before; the law merely exposes what is in us already. That is why I say that God gave man the law not to keep it, but to break it. Nor does the law afford man an opportunity to transgress; rather, the law shows man that he will transgress. The law allows man to see what God has already seen.
Romans 7 explains this matter very clearly. Let us look at this chapter, beginning with verses 7 and 8, "What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But I did not know sin except through the law; for neither did I know coveting, except the law had said, `You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind; for without the law sin is dead." Without the law, I do not feel that coveting is sin, even though there is coveting within me. Hence, coveting within me is dead; that is, I am not conscious of it. However, after the law comes, I resolve not to covet anymore. But I still covet, and the sin is made alive. Verse 9 says, "And I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died."
God gave us the law for one reason only: to show us that we have always been full of sin. Because we dont see our own sin, we often act proudly. The law came to try us out. we may say that we dont covet. However if you just try not to covet, what will be the eventual result? The more we try, the weaker we become and the more covetous we will be. We might purpose not to covet, but the moment we purpose this way, we find ourself coveting everything. we covet today, and we will covet tomorrow; we will also covet everywhere we turn. Now sin is alive, the law is alive, and we are dead. Originally sin was dead and you were fine, but now that the law has come you cannot avoid coveting. The more we try not to covet, the more covetous we become. The problem is that man's being is fleshly, and because man is fleshly, his will is weak, his conduct is rebellious, and his desires are filthy................

Verse 10 says, "And the commandment, which was unto life, this very commandment was found to me to be unto death." If man can truly keep the law, he will live. But I cannot keep it; hence, I die.
Verse 11 says, "For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me." If the law had not told me that I should not do this or that, sin would go easy on me and would not be that active in me. But ever since the law came and told me that I should not covet, sin through the commandment has tempted me and put this matter of coveting in my mind. The law tells me that I should not covet, and I purpose not to covet; but instead of not coveting, I covet even more.
Verse 12 continues, "So then the law is holy, and the commandment holy and righteous and good." We should never consider the law evil. The law is always holy, righteous, and good. "Did then that which is good become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin did" (v. 13a). At the beginning, sin was dead and I was not conscious of it; but when the law came to check me out, I became dead. "Did then that which is good become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin did, that it might be shown to be sin by working out death in me through that which is good, that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful" (v. 13). Initially, we did not sense that sin is that sinful. But when the law came and we tried to keep it, we realized where our sins are and how sinful and thoroughly evil they are.
You can see the function of God's law here. The law is like a thermometer. A thermometer will not give you a fever. but if you have a fever, the thermometer will surely make it manifest. The law will not cause you to sin, but if you have sins, God's law will immediately show you that you are a sinner. Originally, you did not know that you are a sinner, but now you do.
The law came to judge man's sin. The law was established because man has sin. You never see God keeping the law because there is simply no possibility for God to transgress the law. Hence, no law is put upon Him. God never told the Lord Jesus to love the Lord His God with all His heart, with all His soul, with all His strength, and with all His will, and to love His neighbor as Himself. The Lord Jesus simply did not need it. He spontaneously loves the Lord His God with all His heart, with all His soul, with all His strength, and with all His will; He spontaneously loves His neighbor as Himself, even beyond Himself. Therefore, the law is useless to Him. And God did not tell Adam not to covet and not to steal. Why would Adam need to covet? Why would Adam need to steal? God had already given everything on the earth to him. The Ten Commandments were not given to Adam because Adam had no need of them. Rather, the law was specifically given to the Israelites because it showed fleshly man his inward condition and his sin within. If no Nigerian had ever stolen, there would be no need for a clause in NIGERIAN law concerning stealing. Because man steals, there is a clause in the law which says that one should not steal. Hence, the law exists because of sin. When man sinned, the law came in.................

Glory be to God! The Lord reigns! Grace inspired article! Blessed brother. The beloved and I always love you.

Very true write-up. Unfortunately those who will argue will still argue.

Goshen360: Glory be to God! The Lord reigns! Grace inspired article! Blessed brother. The beloved and I always love you.

Did you actually go true the OP? Can you see the stark contrast between the way he presented the gospel of grace and the law with yours? What chuka is pointing out to you is that with grace we keep the law by overcoming sin and that's what Apostle Paul teaches.The difference between us and the OT saint who couldn't is the HOLY SPIRIT shared abroad in our hearts,hence we are able to fulfill the law which is LOVE cos God is LOVE..CHIKENA!!!

I wouldn't have argued with you if you had presented it like this:

The law will not cause you to sin, but if you have sins, God's law will immediately show you that you are a sinner. Originally, you did not know that you are a sinner, but now you do.

The law came to judge man's sin. The law was established because man has sin. You never see God keeping the law because there is simply no possibility for God to transgress the law. Hence, no law is put upon Him. God never told the Lord Jesus to love the Lord His God with all His heart, with all His soul, with all His strength, and with all His will, and to love His neighbor as Himself. The Lord Jesus simply did not need it. He spontaneously loves the Lord His God with all His heart, with all His soul, with all His strength, and with all His will; He spontaneously loves His neighbor as Himself, even beyond Himself. Therefore, the law is useless to Him. And God did not tell Adam not to covet and not to steal. Why would Adam need to covet? Why would Adam need to steal? God had already given everything on the earth to him. The Ten Commandments were not given to Adam because Adam had no need of them. Rather, the law was specifically given to the Israelites because it showed fleshly man his inward condition and his sin within. If no Nigerian had ever stolen, there would be no need for a clause in NIGERIAN law concerning stealing. Because man steals, there is a clause in the law which says that one should not steal. Hence, the law exists because of sin. When man sinned, the law came in.................

@ichuka,
Thanks for sharing...we learn more and more so we can apply the word in life correctly.

In addition to what you said on your post below, I will like to quote Paul's message here on grace:

i.chuka:

Why did God want to give us grace? Paul says that God "has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace." God's will is to dispense His grace, and this grace saves us. He saved us and called us with a holy calling so that we may enjoy His glory. This is what God's grace is doing.
Hence, the basic thought with God was grace...................

Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Grace has come through Jesus Christ that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us so we can continually fellowship and commune with God (who cannot bear iniquity) thus giving Him pleasure.
So we see grace as an enabler, a teacher (guiding us in all truth) and a gift. Grace helps us to say No! to ungodliness and makes us zealous for good works. That is the priviledge grace brings.

Bidam:
What chuka is pointing out to you is that with grace we keep the law by overcoming sin and that's what Apostle Paul teaches.The difference between us and the OT saint who couldn't is the HOLY SPIRIT shared abroad in our hearts,hence we are able to fulfill the law which is LOVE cos God is LOVE..CHIKENA!!!

You think you get it, but you don't. you keep going back to the law even after you claimed to have received grace. @ the bolded bit in your post above, that is not what ichuka is saying. The purpose of the law is not in the keeping. read the post below again..

i.chuka:

The law came to judge man's sin. The law was established because man has sin. You never see God keeping the law because there is simply no possibility for God to transgress the law. Hence, no law is put upon Him....

i.chuka:

And God did not tell Adam not to covet and not to steal. Why would Adam need to covet? Why would Adam need to steal? God had already given everything on the earth to him. The Ten Commandments were not given to Adam because Adam had no need of them. Rather, the law was specifically given to the Israelites because it showed fleshly man his inward condition and his sin within. If no Nigerian had ever stolen, there would be no need for a clause in NIGERIAN law concerning stealing. Because man steals, there is a clause in the law which says that one should not steal. Hence, the law exists because of sin. When man sinned, the law came in.................

Bidam, you don't need/or use grace or holy spirit to keep the law. The man in Mark 10:17-22 was able to keep the law. even Christ was impressed.

Unfortunately for the lwaless ones the mantra count will go up a notch today

Dan 7:25 And he [the little horn] shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a [b]time and times and the dividing of time.
[/b]

Children of the little horn doing your masters bidding trying to change times and traditions well guess what your time is running out

revelation 20 v 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth,

I think children of the little horn of dan 7:25 will be the new title for the lawless ones since you are all tired of being called children of the lawless man of 2 thess 2

Second base

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, [b]till all be fulfilled.


[/b]

And we all know tha ALL has not been fullfilled from the world we live in today.


19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:

but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven

Verse 19 reveals the full penalty for the actions of Goshen and his desciples for they teach men to speak against the LAW and the PROPHETS

Finally

Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;


Act 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave [their] heads:

and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee spoken by goshen and his crew , are nothing; but [that] thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

Stop useing PAUL AS THE EXCUSE FOR YOUR LAWLESSNES [/b]he is [b]blameless before the father just as all the prophets [/b]before him

Your own priesthood is somthing else, a really [b]DARK priesthood a priesthood without ORDINANCES

How is that for your cognition?

Zikkyy:

You think you get it, but you don't. you keep going back to the law even after you claimed to have received grace. @ the bolded bit in your post above, that is not what ichuka is saying. The purpose of the law is not to keep it. read the post below again..





Bidam, you don't need/or use grace or holy spirit to keep the law. The man in Mark 10:17-22 was able to keep the law. even Christ was impressed.

When i talk about keeping the law,i am not referring to the 613 laws of moses but this :JOHN 14:15 (Jesus)
15 If you love me, keep my commandments


1 JOHN 5:2-3
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.


2 JOHN 5-6
5 And now I beseech you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.



Romans 13:9-10

New International Version (NIV)

9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.


[b]"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev 12:17). "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Rev 14:12)

Goshen360: Glory be to God! The Lord reigns! Grace inspired article! Blessed brother. The beloved and I always love you.

This is he that says he is greater than the master

James even emphasized that you must keep all of the commandments, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder'. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law" (Jam 2:8-11). John similarly wrote, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness" (I Joh 3:4).

Beautiful write up OP..

May Our Lord God give you the grace to continually stir up the gift of God within you.

@ bidam

I hope you read out of the OP and not into the OP.

I hope you will reposition yourself on the command of the Spirit of life in Christ by abandoning the law of Moses of sin and death in Jesus name.

shdemidemi: Beautiful write up OP..

May Our Lord God give you the grace to continually stir up the gift of God within you.

@ bidam

I hope you read out of the OP and not into the OP.

I hope you will reposition yourself on the command of the Spirit of life in Christ by abandoning the law of Moses of sin and death in Jesus name.

Child of the little Horn

PLEASE, let us come back to Galatians 3 and continue with verse 19: "Why then the law? It was added because of the transgressions." Now we are clear. God purposed before the times of the ages to give grace to man. Later He gave Abraham a promise. In eternity it was merely His purpose. With Abraham, it was something spoken: He would deal with man in grace. Why then did God give man the law four hundred and thirty years after that? It was added because of the transgressions. In order for man's sins to become transgressions, the law was given to man. In this way, man realized that he had sin and would wait "until the seed should come to whom the promise was made" (v. 19). It was not until the whole world saw that they were sinners and that they were really hopeless that they were willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ whom God had promised. Even if God had given man His salvation earlier, man would not have taken it. Man does not want God's grace, but because man has transgressions and is hopeless, he will possibly receive God's grace.
Verse 19 ends in this way: "It being ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator." The "it" here refers to the law mentioned above. The law was not only added because of transgressions, but was also ordained by a mediator. There are these two features to the law: it was added because of transgressions, and it was ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. Why was the law ordained through the hand of a mediator? Verse 20 explains: "But a mediator is not a mediator for one." Have you ever been an intermediary or a go-between? An intermediary acts on behalf of two parties. Why does the law have a mediator? It is because with the law there is the side of God and the side of man. Man has to do certain things for God before God will do certain things for man. When parties A and B draft a contract, the contract states what A must do and what B will do in return and vice versa. A mediator will then serve as a witness between the two parties. The law states what God's responsibility to man is and what man's responsibility to God is. If either side fails, the whole matter falls through.
What follows in verse 20 is wonderful: "But God is one." But God is one! The law implies two sides. If either side has problems, the whole matter falls through. In giving the law, God said that we should do this and that we should do that. If we fail to do them, the whole matter will fall through. But in making the promise, "God is one," regardless of how we are. In promise and in grace, there is no mention of our side, only of God's side. As long as there is no problem on God's side, there will be no problem at all. The question today is whether God can save Abraham and whether He can preserve him. The question is not how we are. In the promise, there is nothing that involves us, nothing that depends on how we are.
Verse 21 says, "Is then the law against the promises of God? Absolutely not!" Some may say that the law contradicts grace. It is right to say that law and promise are two completely different things, but there is no contradiction at all; the law is merely the servant of the promise. It is something used by God and something inserted by God. Law and promise may appear contradictory in nature, but in God's hand they are not contradictory at all. The law was used by God to fulfill His purpose. Without the law, God's promise would not have been fulfilled. Please remember that God uses the law to fulfill this goal. Hence, law and promise do not contradict each other at all.

Paul "CONCLUDES" in this way: "For if a law had been given which was able to give life, righteousness would have indeed been of law" (v. 21). If a man could obtain righteousness by the law, he could have life through the law. However man cannot do this. Therefore, "the Scripture has shut up all under sin" (v. 22a). What did God use to shut us all up? He used the law. Whoever is shut up by the law has to admit that he is a sinner. God shuts up all under sin "in order that the promise out of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (v. 22b). Hallelujah! The law of God is something God uses to save us. It is not something God uses to condemn us. The law is absolutely something used by God. To every one of "US" here has been shut up. Every one of us is a sinner. God has used the law to show us that we are sinners so that He may save us.

i.chuka:
Paul "CONCLUDES" in this way: "For if a law had been given which was able to give life, righteousness would have indeed been of law" (v. 21). If a man could obtain righteousness by the law, he could have life through the law. However man cannot do this. Therefore, "the Scripture has shut up all under sin" (v. 22a). What did God use to shut us all up? He used the law. Whoever is shut up by the law has to admit that he is a sinner. God shuts up all under sin "in order that the promise out of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (v. 22b). Hallelujah! The law of God is something God uses to save us. It is not something God uses to condemn us. The law is absolutely something used by God. Tonight every one of us here has been shut up. Every one of us is a sinner. God has used the law to show us that we are sinners so that He may save us.

Rather paul end like this


Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;


Act 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave [their] heads:

and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee spoken by goshen and his crew , are nothing; but [that] thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

Goshen360: Glory be to God! The Lord reigns! Grace inspired article! Blessed brother. The beloved and I always love you.

Bless you too bro.
we still have to be open for corrections given through His Love by our brethren.

@BIDAM
BRO,were person go start with your plenty objections?

Alwaystrue: @ichuka,
Thanks for sharing...we learn more and more so we can apply the word in life correctly.

In addition to what you said on your post below, I will like to quote Paul's message here on grace:



Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.


Grace has come through Jesus Christ that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us so we can continually fellowship and commune with God (who cannot bear iniquity) thus giving Him pleasure.
So we see grace as an enabler, a teacher (guiding us in all truth) and a gift. Grace helps us to say No! to ungodliness and makes us zealous for good works. That is the priviledge grace brings.

My dearest sis,
sorry,i didnt reply your post in the other thread(technical issues) never vex oo.
anyway,Proverb27:17 says "IRON SHARPENS IRON"
Let us continue to edifify ourselves in Love with His Word.
thanks and may His GRACE in you never run dry in JESUS NAME AMEN

@ZIKKY
Thanks for your back up(even in GOSHEN thread)
you dont usually say much.but,your few words always have a way to sum everything up.
remain bless bro.

shdemidemi: Beautiful write up OP..

May Our Lord God give you the grace to continually stir up the gift of God within you.

@ bidam

I hope you read out of the OP and not into the OP.

I hope you will reposition yourself on the command of the Spirit of life in Christ by abandoning the law of Moses of sin and death in Jesus name.

May His GRACE continue to be your guide and Life in Jesus name amen

i.chuka:
@BIDAM
BRO,were person go start with your plenty objections?

Bro..the bible says keep the commandments I'd rather believe the words of Jesus and scriptures i quoted up there in their literal context than one thousand exegesis on lawlessness.

Thanks @ichuka.
I like the way you ended it and i think it also gives a nice summary to what i have been saying on this section too. The law shows us where we are wrong (by conviction of the Holy Spirit) so Jesus saves us and Grace helps us. Our need for Jesus is continuous that is why we keep looking into the mirror of His word till we become fully transformed liinto His image. That is why we can walk in bodly to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need because our spirit and flesh are in a constant battle as Paul said.
Anytime we walk according to the dictates of our flesh, we come under the law and need to run to Jesus for mercy and his grace helps us. Even the bible said where sin abounds, grace abounds the more.
As you can see Grace teaches us to say No to ungodliness so as sin increases, we receive more grace to say no.

Where I have issues is where some claim even if we sin as Christians, it does not matter, there is no need for repentance or asking for forgiveness. And that is why we now have people who sin willfully and say there is no repercurssion to such sins. Well Hebrews has a message for those who believe once saved, always saved below. Salvation is continuous as long as we remain with Jesus else:

Hebrews 10:26
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.
27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us


It is summed up as if after we have recieved the grace to help us to say No to ungodliness by the knowledge of the truth but we still delibrately go ahead to sin claiming we are covered by grace, the above is what happens.

May the Lord Jesus help us live continually in Him.

ayoku777: Very true write-up. Unfortunately those who will argue will still argue.

True bro,
but arguing constructively with Love i believe is our way forward.
thanks and remain bless.

Bidam: Bro..the bible says keep the commandments I'd rather believe the words of Jesus and scriptures i quoted up there in their literal context than one thousand [b]exegesis [/b]on lawlessness.

The EXEGESIS dey give many a man constipation

Unecesarry if yoy ask me

All we need is the red print in the bible, within the masters words lie all of salvation.

The words of Yashua Ibn Joseph.