The law has many functions in the Bible. Protestants have historically noted three primary functions of the law. First, it prepares us for the gospel because it shows us that we are sinners who need a Savior (Rom. 7:7). Second, the law reveals God’s character, showing us what he values and what pleases him. And third, the law orders the lives of God’s people.

This third purpose of the law teaches us at least three more things about the law. First, in the law, the Lord makes it clear that his word is what governs the life of his people. These laws are from God, given to Moses to give to the people of Israel. The laws do not cover everything, but their very existence means that God’s people start with God’s word as they think through every situation.

The law teaches us that God’s people are governed by God’s word. But this does not mean that God’s word will cover every possible situation or issue that we face. We must therefore work hard to base our decisions and convictions on things that are actually in the Bible. In other words, only God’s word can bind the conscience, meaning only God can tell us what we must do to be faithful to him.

God’s people have his Word, his Spirit, and his Church to help us think through the thousands of issues we face that are not clearly outlined in God’s word, things like who we should marry, what job we should take, which church we should join, which politician we should vote for, how we should educate our children, how we should think about the sabbath, how much money we should give to the church, or how much time on a screen is good for us.

The law gives us principles to apply to every situation but the application of those principles will vary from person to person. By not being exhaustive, the law promotes and protects our freedom to disagree on how it can be applied.

Second, the law shows us that the Lord cares about every aspect of our lives. There is nothing outside the boundaries of God’s rule over his people. The Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17) and the rules that follow (chs. 21-23) show us that all of life is God’s arena.

God’s people do not pack their religion safely away on Sunday and then move out into the world to live however they want. The Lord wants access to every area of his people’s lives and he demands obedience to his word in matters as diverse as worship (20:22-26) and public safety (21:28-36).

Third, the law shows us that God wants his people to be distinct. Many of these laws correspond to laws in other ancient law codes, but a crucial difference is that in Israel there’s no distinction between crime and sin. A crime was a sin because the crime was breaking the law of the Lord.

The Lord desires his people to be different, to be distinct, to be holy as our God is holy.  We must, however, make sure that our distinctiveness arises from his word and not our cultural preferences. As Old Testament scholar Alec Motyer says, “Christians of older generations will still recall today the reactive distinctiveness which passed for ‘separation from the world’ when they were young. If it was customary in the world around, it was forbidden to Christians – and for no other reason! Generations of Christians were deprived of the pleasures and benefits of the arts, for example, because they were considered the province of ‘the world.’ But this sort of isolationist difference is not what the Bible looks for. We are called, rather, to ransack Scripture to discover the distinctive features of a godly lifestyle and to follow through with a discipline of obedience to the word of God.”

The law of the Lord shows us that God’s word governs the life of God’s people, that God cares about every aspect of our lives, and that God wants his people to be distinct. May we, with Paul, say, “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12).

Growing to Love the Law of the Lord, With You,

Pastor John