THE CURSE OF THE LAW

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 7, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 10.

"THE CURSE OF THE LAW."

PROFESSED Christians who are anxious to rid themselves of obligation to observe the law of God, which the Spirit tells us is "holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7 : 12), should be impressed with the fact that it is the "carnal mind"—the natural heart—that is "not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8 : 7. "The law is spiritual," therefore only a spiritual mind can be brought into subjection to it. For "they that are in the flesh [subject to the inclinations of the flesh] can not please God." Verse 8. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Verse 6.

The class of professed Christians above noted are wont to confound the "curse of the law" with the law itself. By this means they utterly pervert the sense of Gal. 3 : 13, which says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Now what the unrepentant sinner will suffer will be the penalty of the law, and it is from this penalty that Christ redeems those who accept the substitution of His death, and yield allegiance to Him. The "curse of the law" is simply the penalty of the law. So the suffering of the penalty of a law does not affect the law in any way only to honor it.

Suppose a criminal is sentenced to life imprisonment, or to death on the gallows; that punishment is the penalty of the law. His remedy lies in being pardoned by the chief executive of the state the law of which is violated. But the pardon only relieves him of the penalty of the law; it does not take away the law. Should this pardoned criminal again trespass, he will find that the law is still in force.

The transgression of the law of God is sin, and "the wages of sin is death." Jesus Christ "tasted death for every man," so that every one who confesses and forsakes his sin may have life. It is death that is the curse of the law; and Christ redeems the penitent sinner from the curse. But He does not redeem him from the law. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." The law is not a curse, for it was "ordained unto life." God never ordained a curse. The curse is the consequence of sin; violation of the law brings it on as a natural result. "The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."

It was prophesied of Christ that He would "magnify the law, and make it honorable" (Isa. 42 : 21), and this He did both in His life and in His death. The highest honor He could bestow upon the law—that which more than anything else emphasized its perfect immutability—was His self-sacrifice in taking upon Himself the penalty in behalf of sinners. If it were possible to ignore the law's claims, or to set aside the law itself, sinners could have been set free without His death. The simple repeal of the law would have accomplished that object. But God's government is an eternal institution, and His law is the standard of its administration. All His commandments are righteousness (Ps. 119 : 172), and His declaration is, "My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished." Isa. 51 : 6. "Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. 12 : 13.