The Gospel places every believer on the same level, freely forgiven, and this is apart from the law … so what is the purpose of the law?

In this passage the apostle Paul uses a question to show that the law is not inherently bad. Also some parts of the law were only temporary. The problem comes when we misunderstand the purpose for which God has given it. The law is good, it comes from God, but, because of our indwelling sin, it can never make us right with God … we cannot obey the law perfectly. That is why we must receive the promise by faith in Christ Jesus. In this way we have His perfect right-ness, like wearing a spotless garment, which puts us in a right relationship with God. Forgiven and set free. The remainder of the chapter gives us more information about the purpose of the law. It is described as a ‘guardian’ or a ‘tutor’ to Christ by revealing our sin.

Further into this passage, the apostle Paul uses Abraham as an example of one whose faith was apart from the law. The application of this, in the context of Jewish and Gentile believers, is to show that they both have the same standing before God in their salvation through faith in Christ. They have the same promised inheritance that Jesus died for their sins. This inheritance doesn’t depend on keeping the Law because the Law wasn’t given until 430 years after the promise which was made to Abraham and received by faith.