THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE LAW.
"We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane," etc. See 1 Tim. 1:8-10. Many people construe this scripture as teaching that righteous people are under no obligation to observe the law of God. Therefore, assuming to be righteous, they hold themselves to be independent of the law's requirements. Now the truly righteous man (having by faith the righteousness of Christ, whose obedience is imputed to the man of faith) is immune from the penalty of the law, not because he is not under its jurisdiction, but because his faith has brought him into harmony with it. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3:31. Dr. Adam Clarke, in his commentary on 1 Tim. 1:9, remarks as follows:— It [the law] was, therefore, not made for the righteous as a restrainer of crimes, and an inflicter of punishments; for the righteous avoid sin ["the transgression of the law," 1 John 3:4], and by living to the glory of God, expose not themselves to its censure. This seems to be the mind of the apostle; he does not say that the law was not made for the righteous man; but ou keitai, it does not lie against a righteous man, because he does not transgress it. But it lies against the wicked, for such, as the apostle mentions, have broken it, and grievously too, and are condemned by it. The word keitai, "lies," refers to the custom of writing laws on boards, and hanging them up in public places, within reach of every man, that they might be read by all; thus all would see against whom the law lay. As the law is truth and righteousness (Ps. 119:142, 172); as Christ is truth and righteousness (John 14:6; 1 John 2:1); as the judgment of God is in righteousness and truth (Ps. 96:13; Rom. 2:5), and as the Gospel reveals the righteousness of God (ch. 1:16-18) it follows that there is an inseparable connection and logical harmony of God, the law, Christ, the Gospel, and the judgment. Therefore the righteous man does not ignore the law of God; for in so doing he could no longer be accounted righteous. The righteousness of Christ consisted in His perfect obedience (John 15:10; Rom. 5:19; Phil. 2:8, 9), and His counsel is, "Follow Me." "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin ["the transgression of the law"] unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." Rom. 6:16.