5 Reasons Why God Giving The Law Was A Gracious Ministry

When God gave the Law to Israel under the Old Covenant, it was a gracious ministry to His people in several ways:

1.​It revealed the exceeding sinfulness of man’s depraved heart (Rom 3:19–20). Of course, guilt was still a reality in fallen man (Rom 5:13–14) even before anyone was aware of the Law’s moral high ground, but its arrival in Israel exposed just how dark and dead our corruption is (Rom 7:13).

2.​It revealed sin’s aggressive, enslaving nature (Rom 7:8–13). Paul said it is the corruption within us, not the Law, which rails at God’s holy standard (John 3:20) only to bring further condemnation against the sinner (Rom 7:8–13).

3.​It was given as a custodian/teacher to bring its subjects to the end of themselves that they might see their need for a Savior (Gal 3:24).

4.​It restrained outward anarchy to protect the moral, social, and religious institutions of Israel.

5.​It hemmed the nation in with promises of blessings and cursings to keep them from running violently away from its unbending standard (Lev 26; Deut 28).

Adapted from Free to Be Holy: The Liberating Grace of Walking by Faith by Jerry Wragg and Paul Shirley