That law’s commandment is “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”; the law’s penalty is “when you eat of it you will surely die.” This is the law Paul was referring to in Romans 8:2 – “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Because a man is unrighteous before God from his own sins (Genesis 4:7; Isaiah 64:6), he is unrighteous whether he’s a Jew under the Law of Moses or a Gentile not under the Law. Either way, a man is still spiritually dead to God (Ephesians 2:13-15) because of Adam's sin (Genesis 3:6a-7).

The Law of Moses contained not just the 10 commandments, but hundreds of other commandments. In all of its glory, the Law excels at revealing man’s sinfulness (Romans 7:7), but it is powerless to give anyone life (Galatians 3:21). Yet, if not by the Law, how could anyone gain life? Well, God answered this question a long time ago, when He used Moses to speak to Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land:

So instead of choosing the Lord as their life, Israel chose the Law with its blessings and curses. They exchanged living in a relationship with God for living under a contract with Him. Because they could not keep the Law with its commandments and penalties, it became a source of hostility between Israel and God. The Law did not bring them closer; it drove them further apart.

Israel had to live with their choice until a redeemer came forward who could buy them out of their Old Covenant obligations to God under the Law. Their relationship with Him could not be restored until the Redeemer of Israel (Psalm 19:14) and Savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14) was born – Jesus Christ.

Pages: 1 2 3 4