The Law Misunderstood

This article was guest authored by: 

There are three basic misconceptions that most people entertain about the law of God and its Ten Commandments.

  1. Most people have a vague notion that the law always was in existence and that it must have been given to the first man, Adam, or soon after.

Actually, God gave the law to Moses for Israel only, about 1,500 B.C. This was after about 2,500 years of human history had elapsed (John 1:17). So mankind lived on earth for about 2,500 years without the law or the Ten Commandments.

  1. Most people suppose that “the Law,” containing all 613 Mosaic Laws, and the “Ten Commandments” were given to mankind in general, while, in fact, it was given to Israel alone (Deuteronomy 5:2-3).
  2. Most people suppose that “the Law” and the “Ten Commandments” were given to help us to do what is right. Even some clergymen ignorantly teach this, although the Bible clearly teaches that these Laws were given principally to show us that we are guilty sinners.

It’s true that “the Law,” while given to Israel, also shows the Gentile also that he is a sinner. This is why Romans 3:19 says:

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under ‘the law;’ (so) that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL the world may be brought in guilty before God.”

But most important of all; few people realize that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins ‘to deliver us from the just condemnation of the law.’ This is taught in the following Scriptures:

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us…” (Gal.3:13).

“For God hath made Him to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor.5:21).

“… ye are NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE” (Rom.6:14b).