For later study

Related questions:

How do we reconcile this verse with Jesus’ statements in:
♦ Matthew 5:18, “until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”, and
♦ Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Lev 19:2, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”)

Do the Ten Commandments and other Law in the Old Testament still hold? (such as commands against murder and stealing)

How do we protect children and others in church from predators if the Law no longer applies?

Should our caring for people make us even more zealous for the Law?

Meaning of the verse

At first glance, this verse appears to say we are no longer bound by Law, and are free to act according to our individual guidance by the Spirit. But ironically, to keep to that meaning requires a superficial, “legalistic” interpretation of the verse, so let’s dig a little deeper.
The complete freedom view appeared in the movie, “Oh Brother, where are thou?”, where one of the escapees from prison thought he wouldn’t have to keep running from the police after he had been baptized – but he soon found that wasn’t true.
I found the opposite attitude in a young, newly qualified pastor, who dismissed the idea of being guided by the Spirit. He seemed to have been told in his studies that in practice it just meant doing what you feel like. Perhaps his lecturer had found too many instances of that.

Meaning of the Law

The term Law in the bible can be confusing, as it can refer to many things:

Ten Commandments – as a summary of what we call the “moral law”;

Civil & Criminal Law – there are many chapters in the Old Testament with commands for social behaviour. Some are timeless in nature (mainly criminal), but I think some others (civil) apply to a particular time and place. But the unchanging truth they convey is about the nature of God and his continuing guidance for us in various ways throughout all time.

Ceremonial and worship Law – is similar to civil law. The need for reverence before God and joyful thanksgiving is timeless, but the commands relating to sacrificial practices were in preparation for Jesus, and have now been fulfilled in Him.

The first five books of the bible – Genesis to Deuteronomy (Pentateuch) attributed to Moses, were the entire scripture for much of Israel’s history. So the verses from Psalms which praise the Law may refer to all of scripture, which we may take as applying to the whole bible, in praise of all of God’s revelation to us.

Regulations and traditions – There were a huge number of these, constructed by Jewish leaders to amplify what was in scripture. The minute detail covered by these regulations, and the way they were applied by the Pharisees, showed this had become something being worshipped for its own sake. Jesus condemned this, as the regulations had become a barrier between God and mankind, as well as a burden which ordinary people were unable to carry.

Purpose of the Law

So, the various types of law had different purposes.

The civil and criminal law stops mankind from descending into chaos, and what was given in the bible formed an important base to grow and adapt to different times and cultures.

Some of Paul’s letters are concerned with keeping the church in line with right teaching and doctrine, and in others he commands certain practices to overcome problems which had arisen in the church. Paul also warns that fallen mankind will produce individuals who would mislead believers. His letters show that a caring church needs to maintain and apply appropriate rules and standards, both to protect people from evil-doers, and maintain an environment to encourage growth in faith. A church where I saw those appropriate rules were not being applied has now closed down.

Many people still view abiding by the moral law or Ten Commandments as the way to be restored to God, and the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:17 thought in terms of the Law when he asked “what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

But in Romans, Paul explains the purpose of the (moral) Law was never to save us, as no one can fully obey it. It was given to make us aware of our sin, and lead us to humility, remorse, repentance, and a hunger to receive the salvation offered freely to us through Jesus.
Romans 3:20 reads, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
And Romans 8:3, “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.”

Personal application

Since Paul freely offers many rules or commands in his letters, I see our verse as being concerned with our relation to God, and what Jesus has accomplished for us.
“We have been delivered from the law” means that we have been released from the impossible demands of perfect obedience to God’s commands or Law, which was seen as the means of being restored to God.
“We should serve in the newness of the Spirit” means that through the Holy Spirit, God is present with us and within us, and it is through the Spirit that the victory won by Jesus on the cross is our only way of being restored to God.”

The major categories of Law we are looking at are those that concern our relation to God, and those concerned with our relations with people. Abiding by Law could never restore us to God, and we are called to follow Him as His Spirit lives in us. All Law concerning our relations with people holds fast, but even that is taken to a new level as we are guided by the Spirit.

This delivery from the Law is not freedom to do as we please. Mankind likes to revert to the Law, as it is tangible and limited in its restrictions on us. But the requirements of being guided by the Spirit are unlimited, we can find ourselves being called on to do things beyond our imagination, and this may involve sacrificing our own interests. The word “sanctification” sounds like another theological term, but it simply refers to what the Holy Spirit is doing in us as we put our self-will aside and follow Jesus’ will for us, of how we are being transformed.

I like to think of the Law as being like the guideposts on the side of the road. If you go beyond the guideposts, you know you are off the road and in trouble. But keeping within the guideposts will not make you a good driver, and it won’t save you from fatal crashes. The Law won’t make us a “good person” who is reconciled to God, as salvation is a only received as a gift through Jesus. But the Law shows us how we have fallen of the road, and how badly we need that gift.