The Lawful Use of the Law: Realize It Is not Made for the Righteous

Well, what then is the lawful use of the law in this text? Follow his thought from verse 8: "But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully." What is that? Verse 9 explains. First it involves "realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious . . ." etc. He lists fourteen examples of law-breaking (following the outline of the ten commandments, the first three pairs summing up the first table of the Decalogue and the rest summing up the second table).

So the law, Paul says, is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious. This sounds very much like Galatians 3:19. Paul asks, "Why the Law then?" Why was it added 430 years after Abraham was justified by faith? He answers, "It was added because of transgressions." He does not say that it was added because of righteousness. It was added because of these kinds of things we read in this list in 1 Timothy 1:9-10. The law had a special role to play in setting a rigorous, detailed standard of behavior which functioned, Paul said, to hold people imprisoned (Galatians 3:22) or under a guardian or tutor (Galatians 3:24) until Christ came and justification by faith could be focused on him. The law commanded and condemned, and pointed to a Redeemer who was to come. Then Paul says, in Galatians 3:25, "But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

This, it seems to me, is what Paul is saying in 1 Timothy 1:9, the "law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless." In other words, if the law has done its condemning and convicting work to bring you to Christ for justification and transformation, then it is not made for you any more – in that sense. There may be other uses you can make of it, but that's not what this text is about. The main point here is that the law has a convicting, condemning, restraining work to do for unrighteous people.

But for the righteous – for people who have come to Christ for justification and come to Christ for the inner spiritual power to love, this role of the law is past. From now on, the place where we seek the power to love is not the law of commandments but the gospel of Christ.

I think we see this powerfully in verses 10b-11. Notice how Paul sums up all that the law must be against and restrain: "whatever is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." So where does behavior come from that is not "contrary to sound teaching," and is "in accord with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God?" Answer: it comes from that gospel. It comes from the clean heart and the good conscience and the sincere faith that this gospel calls into being. The law does not produce a life of love that accords with the gospel. The gospel produces a life of love that accords with the gospel.

Justification by faith alone apart from works of the law, and sanctification by faith through the power of the Spirit – these produce a life of love that accords with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God. And woe to those who try to fix your personality or your marriage or your children or your finances or your vocation or your church or your mission or your commitment to justice, but do not understand this gospel dynamic, and turn counsel in to new law.

What Then Shall Those Who Are Justified Do with the Law of Moses?

Read it and meditate on it as those who are dead to it as the ground of your justification and the power of your sanctification. Read it and meditate on it as those for whom Christ is your righteousness and Christ is your sanctification. Which means read and mediate on it to know Christ better and to treasure him more. Christ and the Father are one (John 10:30; 14:9). So to know the God of the Old Testament is to know Christ. The more you see his glory and treasure his worth, the more you will be changed into his likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-18), and love the way he loved – which is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).

I say it again. What shall you do with the law – you who are justified by faith alone apart from works of the law? Read it and meditate on it to know more deeply than you have ever known, the justice and mercy of God in Christ, your righteousness and your life. 

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.