What the Bible Says about Justification, pt. 3

THE ROLE OF THE LAW IN JUSTIFICATION
That the Law cannot justify a man before God is clearly evident in the scriptures. To understand this we must look at the purpose of the Law. In Romans 3:19-20 Paul outlines the purpose of the Law: "Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law came the knowledge of sin.”

Paul says, that the law puts an end to boasting - "…that every mouth may be stopped..." The law declares God's righteous standard which man in his own efforts can never attain. The curse of the law was that it could not be kept (Galatians 3:10), and yet man was still held accountable for attaining its standard, something that he could not do. The purpose of the law was to make known our sin - "…for by the law came the knowledge of sin" - and to demonstrate to us our need for justification - something that the law could not do - "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight." (Also see Galatians 2:16).

Paul goes on to say, in Galatians 3:11, "…that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, the just shall live by faith." Here he establishes forever the principle of justification by faith.

And finally, in Galatians 3:24-25, he declares "Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." The Greek word used here for schoolmaster is paidagogos (pahee-dag-o-gos', an instructor, a tutor i.e. a guardian and guide of boys). Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.

And in Galatians 4 Paul compares those under the law as children who are immature and require guardians until maturity. He goes on to say, "But, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." And now as sons, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. "And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39).