In Galatians 3 Paul appeals to the fact that God made an unconditional promise of blessing to his people and then after this he gave them the law. His point is to show that the promise was therefore not dependent upon anyone’s success in keeping the law. This raises the question, ‘So what is the role of the law?’ The role of the law was, as I said previously, to allow God’s people to fully realise the blessing of the promise. What is the blessing that God promises to us? It is that we would be reconciled with God and that God would restore us to be all that he made us to be. Hence God wants to heal the self-destructive dysfunctionality of our nature which is a continual curse to us. Unless he deals with this, we will not have the ability to enjoy the blessing that he freely gives to us. This is where the law comes in. The law shows us what a ‘healthy’ person will and will not do. By the law we can recognise how dysfunctional we have become. An honest diagnosis is the necessary first step toward realising the blessing of restoration. Last week I encouraged you, in accordance with Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 13:5, to continually examine yourself. The law is the mirror we should use to examine ourselves. Jesus is the ultimate fulfilment of the law. Examine yourself by him and by the words of his apostles and prophets.
Ask God to show you where you are lacking.
Read Galatians 3:15-25 again
