Why the Law?

Why the Law?

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – 8/30/2026

Galatians 3:15-22

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians in the third chapter with special emphasis on verses twenty-one and twenty-two which read as follows:

“Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

    There are sequences in the lectionary that make me pause and wonder whether someone intentionally planned it that way or if it is just a happenstance of history, the providence of God beyond human knowing, that arranged it to be so. Let me be less cryptic: the last two weeks give us a building set of teachings that lead us to this week. Two weeks ago we dealt with the issue of identity, how it is rooted in Christ, and how we are tempted to chuck that aside for identities we try and manufacture on our own. Last week we heard about the clear distinction of the Law and the Gospel, how we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, and how the Law, though it is good, does not have the power to save us. And this week, that point is driven home. The final nail, as it were, is driven through human ambition before God. That nail is the holy Law of God. But even more, it emphasizes that even though we are unable to help ourselves in sin, we do have a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, who comes not by works, but as a gift.

Why the Law?

    This brings up an important question that sometimes seems hard to address: if the Law does not save us and cannot save us because we are sinners, why did God give it at all? To put it another way, if the Law does not enable us to become holy, righteous, or help us save ourselves, why do we care what it says?

    St. Paul answers this question in our reading from the letter to the Galatians. The Law,

he says, was added because of transgressions. It held humanity captive under a guardianship until such time as the singular, promised Offspring would come.

   It has been alleged that it is cruel on the part of God to add a Law to condemn sin. After all, or so the logic goes, if there is no Law, then there can be no punishment, no condemnation, even no sin. This view has certainly captivated some in our day and age. It holds that the Law of God is an unnecessary intrusion into the world. Further, some even hold that the Law itself is the problem, rather than sin.

       To all of this St. Paul would have us know that the Law is not the problem. It is good for us to have rules to follow, structure to live by, and, most importantly, a way to diagnose our sin problems. Besides, without the Law there were still consequences for sin. Death was in the world long before Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mt. Sinai and, as St. Paul says elsewhere, death is the wage due for sin.[2] 

      So, the Law did not come to arbitrarily impose a punishment, rather, it serves to clarify the problem, to show us the depth of our sin, to reveal our need for saving. Without it, we would be lost, not knowing the reason this world is full of suffering and death. With it, we are driven to look for some solution to these ills. The Law is a doctor, one that diagnoses what ails us.

     But here is where things can go wrong. The theologians write about something called the opinio legis, the opinion of the Law, which is the inborn assumption that we can use God’s commands to climb a ladder of righteousness and holiness.

     To this St. Paul says it is impossible. He writes, “Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.”[3] The Law of God was never given to us sinners for righteousness; its purpose has always been to force us to realize that righteousness comes by another way, namely that of a promise fulfilled in and by Christ Jesus the Lord.

The Promise

In other words, dear friends, you are righteous, redeemed, holy, saved, and given everlasting life by the fulfillment of centuries of promises. Here St. Paul is speaking of a promise given to Abraham, but it was not only given to him. It was first delivered to Adam and Eve and repeated over the centuries. This was so that the people of God would know that their hope, their salvation, the very basis of their lives would come from Christ Jesus the Lord. He is the singular offspring foretold to Abraham. He is the one Who comes to set us free from slavery under the Law.

    And this, dear saints of the Lord, means something very important. You are free in Christ from having to prove your worth, earn your place, or justify yourself. You do not have to run in the rat race that so many do, trying to show that you matter, that you have value, that you have standing. You do not have to try and impress the neighbors or care about what others say. You are free from such things.

   The Law was given to cut off all such attempts at self-justification. The Law is good; it reveals to us God’s will. However, it does not give us the power to accomplish what God commands. Instead, that comes by Christ and His victory over sin and death. And so, you don’t have to worry about your eternal fate, your place before God, or what your status is in eternity. These rest securely in the fulfilled promise of Christ Jesus, the Lord.

      Because your hope is found in Christ, your entire way of relating to this world has changed forever. The world, its powers and principalities, its ways, and its games do not define you or characterize your life. No, you are rooted, built on Another. The strong foundation, built without hands, Jesus Christ the Lord.

    So, dear friends, we certainly must be on guard against that old human tendency to work our way into righteousness by our own hands. But even more, you must know the mercy of God, the power of His promise fulfilled, and the joy and freedom that come with knowing that you are secure in Christ, both in this world and for the next. You do not need to become worthy of God’s mercy. You do not have to earn His favor. You do not need to prove your holiness or righteousness. Christ has come. The promise is fulfilled. His righteousness is yours by faith. And now, you are free.

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Galatians 3:21-22 English Standard Version. All further quotations from the Holy Scriptures are from the ESV.

[2] Romans 6:23

[3] Galatians 3: 21