As emphasised by Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans, that Christ is the end of the law, it then implies that believers of the New Covenant are no longer under the law, but under grace; “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). And Paul also wrote about the law; “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed” (Galatians 3:23).
It all means that the era of people living under the law (the guardian) came to an end after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Combs, (2013:32) further stated that “Under the law” means “Under control”, and this is a vivid description of what the situation was before the advent of the Son of God.
Paul further corroborated in his letter that the law served as guardian for a little child. When the fullness of the time came, the Son came and permanently relieved the law and then recued the believer, preparing him to meet the Father. The only condition attached to this process is to have faith in Jesus, as He is the Sent of the Father. It has to do with timing, as God prepared the Son and sent Him to come and take away the burden and yoke of slavery from mankind; “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4).
It is also noteworthy that Paul mentioned to Timothy in his letter that; “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners…” (1Timothy 1:9). “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). It all means that believers are not to be governed by the law, but by the Spirit of God.
The will and determination of the believer are not enough to help him walk in this path of faith, and even the law is not a capable guardian. It is therefore evidence that the coming of Jesus brought the era of law to an end in the day-to-day journey of faith for a believer. Adeyemi, (2006:448), argued based on the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians (Galatians 5:25), that the entire Mosaic Law is “no longer in operation, but the law of Christ is”. He further stated in his presentation that since those who operate in the Spirit are no longer controlled and burdened by the law, then it can be precisely pushed forward that living and dwelling in the Spirit is a means of abolishing the operation of the Mosaic Law and then the law of Christ is now in force.
According to Johnson, (2004:213), is of the opinion based on the writing of Paul, that the law was “a jailer and a slave-guardian of the nation” of Israel, but when Christ came, the people were set free from the custody. It all implies that the people of God were kept in custody of the law like prisoners, until the advent of the Son of God, and liberation is given, by faith, unto as many as would believe in the name of Jesus as Messiah and Saviour. Believe today and be saved.
Happy New Month!
