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THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW

THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW: Blueprint for Life, Not Just a Curse 📜

1. Introduction: Misunderstanding the Law’s Primary Function

The Law of Moses (Torah), given at Mount Sinai, is often misunderstood as a purely negative, burdensome set of rules intended only to condemn and demonstrate man’s sinfulness. This “sacred cow” of thinking obscures the Law’s primary function as God’s eternal blueprint for righteous living, national prosperity, and human flourishing.

  • The Error: Believing the Law’s only purpose was to point to Christ, making it entirely irrelevant once faith is achieved.
  • The Truth: The Law was given after salvation (Israel was already delivered from Egypt) as the manual for living under God’s Rule. It is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12).
  • Key Concept: The Law reveals the character of the King. The Rule Restored will be founded on the perfect application of this Law, proving its eternal validity.

2. The Mandate: The Five Functions of the Law

The Law serves multiple, complementary functions that prepare both the individual and the nation for the Rule Restored.

Function of the LawDescriptionPrinciple for the Rule Restored
1. The Mirror (Conviction)It reveals sin and shows humanity’s failure to meet God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:20).Absolute Holiness: It proves that Lawlessness exists and that redemption is necessary.
2. The Guide (Instruction)It teaches humanity how to love God and neighbor, serving as the blueprint for godly behavior (Deuteronomy 6:5).Righteous Living: It is the eternal definition of righteousness, setting the standard for the Millennial Reign.
3. The Fence (Restraint)It restrains evil and provides external boundaries for a chaotic world, maintaining civil order (1 Timothy 1:9-10).Order and Peace: It provides the judicial foundation for the perfect peace and stability of the Kingdom.
4. The Covenant (Relationship)It serves as the terms for Israel’s covenant relationship with God, detailing the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience.Fidelity: Obedience to the Rule is the proof of a faithful, loving relationship with the King.
5. The Prophecy (Foreshadow)The ceremonial aspects (sacrifices, Temple) foreshadowed Christ’s atoning work (Hebrews 10:1).Exclusivity of Redemption: It points directly to Christ as the only way to satisfy its requirements.

3. The Divine Intervention: The Law Written on the Heart

The New Covenant does not abolish the moral principles of the Law; rather, it makes obedience possible by providing a divine power source—the Holy Spirit—to live out the Law’s righteous requirements.

  • Christ’s Affirmation: Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it, establishing its full spiritual depth and applying it to the heart (e.g., lust is adultery, anger is murder) (Matthew 5:17, 21-22, 27-28).
  • The New Covenant Promise: God declares: “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts” (Hebrews 8:10). The problem was never the Law; the problem was the human heart.
  • The Rule Restored: The final, perfect enforcement of the Rule Restored is achieved when the King’s standard is perfectly aligned with the hearts of His people through regeneration.

4. Prophetic Echo: The Law in the Final Kingdom

Prophecy confirms that the Law will not be abolished but will be the final, enforced constitution for the entire world during the Millennial Reign and into the eternal state.

  • The Global Standard: Nations will stream to Jerusalem during the Millennium to learn the King’s standard: “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).
  • The Saints’ Identity: The faithful remnant in the End Times is identified as those who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).
  • The Law of the Lord’s Return: The Law is the standard by which all nations will ultimately be judged upon the King’s arrival.

5. Conclusion: Embracing the Law as the King’s Blueprint

The Law is not a curse for the redeemed, but a blessing—the very definition of the righteous life that Christ lived and that the Spirit empowers us to follow.

  • The Call to Readiness: Our Watchfulness and Readiness requires us to reject the sacred cow of lawlessness and to embrace God’s moral standard as the blueprint for our own spiritual lives.
  • Your Action: Live with reverence for the Rule. Study God’s Law to understand the mind of the King. Allow the Spirit to write that Law on your heart, preparing you to live righteously under the perfect Rule Restored.