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The sermon presents the Mosaic law as holy and useful, but not as a means of salvation. Its primary work is to reveal human guilt, destroy confidence in self-reformation and religious achievement, and make sinners feel their need for a Savior. Christ fulfills the law, bears the punishment of repentant sinners, and supplies the righteousness they cannot produce. Salvation therefore rests on faith in Christ alone, while the law continues to expose pride and guard believers against self-righteousness.
Theological center: The law exposes and condemns sin but cannot justify; sinners are saved through Christ’s substitutionary atonement and righteousness received by faith.
Applications: Abandon self-righteous trust · Come to Christ by faith · Understand the law’s purpose · Consider the insufficiency of reform
Primary texts: Galatians 3:19 · Galatians 3:17-18 · Romans 10:9
“Wherefore then serveth the law?” Galatians 3:19 THE apostle, by a highly ingenious and powerful argument, had proved that the law was never intended by God for the justification and salvation of man. He declares that God made a covenant of grace with Abraham long before the law was given on Mount Sinai, that Abraham was not present at Mount Sinai, and that, therefore, there could have been no alteration of the covenant made there by his consent. That, moreover, Abraham’s consent was never asked as to any alteration of the covenant, without which consent the covenant could not have been lawfully changed. And besides that, the covenant stands fast and firm, seeing it was made to Abraham’s seed, as well as to Abraham himself. “This I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Therefore, no inheritance and no salvation ever can be obtained by the law. Now, extremes are the error of ignorance. Generally, when men believe one truth, they carry it so far as to deny another. And very frequently, the assertion of a cardinal truth leads men to generalize on other particulars and so to make falsehoods out of truth. The objection supposed may be worded thus, “You say, O Paul, that the law cannot justify. Surely then the law is good for nothing at all, ‘Wherefore then serveth the law?’ If it will not save a man, what is the good of it? If of itself it will never take a man to heaven, why was it written? Is it not a useless thing?” The apostle might have replied to his opponent with a sneer—he might have said to him, “Oh, fool and slow of heart to understand. Is it proved that a thing is utterly useless because it is not intended for every purpose in the world? Will you say that because iron cannot be eaten, therefore, iron is not useful? And because gold cannot be the food of man, will you, therefore, cast gold away and call it worthless dross? Yet on your foolish supposition you must do so. For because I have said the law cannot save, you have foolishly asked me what is the use of it? and you foolishly suppose God’s law is good for nothing and can be of no value whatever.” This objection is generally brought forward by two sorts of people. First, by mere cavilers who do not like the Gospel and wish to pick all sorts of holes in it. They can tell us what they do not believe, but they do not tell us what they do believe.…