The Law in Christ | Galatians 3:24, 25

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24, 25).
 
These two verses are the conclusion of the argument in verses 21-23. Accordingly they are introduced by “Wherefore.” “Wherefore” signifies “for which cause or reason; in consequence of which; consequently.” It is easy to see that these two verses are the consequence of the preceding ones.
 
Notice verse 23: the law is not against the promises of God; but, instead, is an aid in attaining unto the promises. And we know that all the promises of God are in Christ. Then, since the law is an aid in attaining unto the promises, and all the promises are in Christ, evidently the law is an aid in men’s attaining unto Christ.
 
Next, notice verse 22: “The scripture hath concluded [shut up] all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Plainly, then, the law is a means of bringing men to Christ and to the promises by faith in him.
 
Next, notice verse 23: “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” As we were “shut up unto the faith,” and “were kept under the law, shut up,”—it was the law that shut us up, and it shut us up unto the faith, —plainly the law brought men to faith. But faith is always Christ, and Christ is always faith, for he is “the author and finisher of faith.” And since the law brought men to faith and Christ is the substance of all faith, in the nature of things the law brought men to Christ. And so, verse 24 states the fact, as the consequence of all this: “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
 
But the great question with most persons is, “What law is that?” It is a fair enough question, because, since whatever law it is, it brings men to Christ: and if men take the wrong law, it will not bring them to Christ.
 
But it can easily be known what law it is. Read again the text: “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster”—we are no longer under the law. Now, what is it to be under the law? —It is to be under the dominion of sin; for it is written: “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law” (Rom. 6:14). Then, whoever is under the law, is under the dominion of sin, and this because “sin is the transgression of the law.” And what law is it? —It is the moral law—the law which says: “You shall not covet”; for it is written: “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet” (Rom. 7:7). And this is the very thought that is before us in Gal. 3:23, 25, and in the verses preceding, of which verses 24, 25, are only the conclusion.
 
Verse 22 says: “The scripture hath concluded [shut up] all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe”; and verse 23 says: “We were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” There can be no manner of question that these expressions “under sin” and “under the law” are identical in meaning, and therefore it is plain that to be “under the law” is to be “under sin.” And being “under sin,” being “shut up under sin,” and thus “kept under the law, shut up unto the faith,” it is certain that it is the law by which is the knowledge of sin, —the law which says, “You shall not covet.” —which is the schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. And this is the more evident by the fact that after faith is come, after we are justified by faith, we are no longer under the law; we are no longer under the dominion of sin; we are no longer shut up; because we have attained unto the very thing, which is the object of the law, which is Christ. For “Christ is the end [the object, the aim, the purpose] of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).
 
Notice again: for what purpose is it that men are brought to Christ? —“That we might be justified by faith”. This is the same as the preceding verses: “We were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith.” “The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Plainly, therefore, whatever law it is, it is a law that brings men to faith.
 
Now, it is not true, and it never was true, that the ceremonial law of sacrifices and offerings ever brought anybody to faith. It was faith that brought them to that law. “By faith Abel offered unto God . . . sacrifice.” Did the sacrifice, or the offering of it, bring Abel to faith? —No. Faith brought Abel to the sacrifice. That sacrifice was a lamb, and, in Abel’s faith, it was Christ. And by the faith of Christ, in which he offered that sacrifice, “he obtained witness that he was righteous.” Thus he attained to righteousness by faith; to justification by faith. Thus faith brought him to that ceremonial law of sacrifices and offerings.
 
But what brought him to the faith that brought him to the law of sacrifices and offerings? —The knowledge of sin brought him to the faith. And what brought him to the knowledge of sin? —The moral law, to be sure—the law that says: “You shall not covet”—the law by which alone is the knowledge of sin.

 Cain brought an offering, but it was not brought in faith, and therefore was not accepted; and consequently sin still lay at his door. Gen. 4:7. Cain had no faith in Christ, and therefore his offering was of no avail. And even though an offering was made of a lamb, if there was no faith in Christ in him who offered it, it would not avail. The faith must be there before he brings his offering at all, or else it is of no avail.

 Thus, by every consideration, it is certain that, instead of the ceremonial law of sacrifices and offerings bringing men to the faith, it was faith that always brought men to the sacrifices and offerings. And it must be faith that would do that, or else, the sacrifice and the offering was nothing.
 
[Advent Review and Sabbath Herald | April 17, 1900]