The Purpose of the Law

We are soon going to be studying the law of God in our Sunday School class.  Whenever I do this it is good to remind myself of the purpose of the law according to the New Testament.  For this we turn to Galatians chapter 3.  I want to focus today on a single verse from this text.  Please note with me Galatians 3:22.

"But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise of God by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

My mom used to tell me to stop telling my brother to shut up, but that is precisely what the Bible says that the law does.  The law shuts me up.  The law reminds me that I have no ability to keep it on my own.  It tells me that I am not good enough and need the love of Christ and the work of Christ to keep me in the favor of God.   The law shuts me up.

Here is the simple reminder that we all need.  We are all failures under the law of God.  No one can keep it perfectly.  No one.  Not a single one of us.  And that is precisely its purpose.  To keep us quiet.  To remind us of our need.  May God use His word to consistently and constantly remind us of our need for Him.