What Is the Law in the Bible?
Quick Summary
The law in the Bible refers to God’s revealed will: commands, instructions, and guidance for how people should live in covenant relationship with him and with one another. It reveals God’s character, exposes sin, and points humanity toward the need for grace. The law was given through Moses but fulfilled and deepened in Jesus Christ, who brings its purpose to completion.
Introduction
Few words in Scripture carry as much weight or as much misunderstanding as the word law. Some hear it and think of rules and restrictions; others think of the Ten Commandments carved in stone. Still others contrast law with grace, as if the two were opposites. But in Scripture, the law is not merely a code but it is a revelation of God’s heart and holiness.
The law teaches what it means to love God and neighbor. It shows the order of creation and the moral fabric of the world. It also reveals our inability to meet that standard perfectly, driving us to seek mercy. To understand the law rightly is to understand both our need and God’s grace.
The Meaning of the Law in Scripture
The Hebrew word for law, torah, means “instruction” or “teaching.” It refers not only to legal commands but to God’s entire instruction for living faithfully. In Greek, the word nomos carries the same idea—an ordering of life according to divine will.
In the Old Testament, the law primarily refers to the revelation given through Moses, including the Ten Commandments and the detailed instructions in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Torah was God’s covenant gift to Israel, shaping them as a holy nation and a light to the nations (Deuteronomy 4:5–8).
For Israel, the law was not a burden but a blessing. The psalmist could sing, “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long” (Psalm 119:97). The law was life-giving because it revealed the will of the living God.
The Three Aspects of the Law
Throughout Christian history, theologians have distinguished three aspects of the Mosaic law: moral, civil, and ceremonial. These are not separate laws but different expressions of the one law’s intent.
Moral Law
The moral law reflects God’s unchanging nature and applies to all people in all times. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17) form its core, summarizing love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40). It teaches that worship, honesty, fidelity, justice, and mercy are the ways of life.
Civil Law
The civil law governed Israel’s national and social life—its courts, property laws, and community order. These laws reflected divine justice applied to a specific culture and time. While they no longer bind believers under the new covenant, they reveal principles of fairness, compassion, and social responsibility.
Ceremonial Law
The ceremonial law ordered Israel’s worship—its sacrifices, rituals, dietary laws, and purity codes. These pointed forward to Christ, the true Lamb of God. When Jesus fulfilled these shadows, the ceremonial system reached its goal (Hebrews 10:1–10).
The Purpose of the Law
The law serves several purposes in Scripture:
To reveal God’s holiness and character. The law reflects who God is—just, merciful, pure, and faithful. It shows what it means to live in harmony with his nature.
To reveal human sin. The law functions as a mirror, exposing what is wrong within us. “Through the law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
To restrain evil. The law provides moral boundaries that preserve justice and protect communities.
To guide the redeemed. For those who belong to God, the law is not condemnation but instruction. It directs believers toward the good.
These purposes lead to one truth: the law shows our need for a Savior. As Paul wrote, “The law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).
Martin Luther wrote The Freedom of a Christian in which he distinguishes law and gospel. He shows how the law reveals sin and the gospel sets the conscience free.
C.F. W. Walther wrote The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, which is a Lutheran classic. It is a series of lectures written for pastors, teaching them how to preach both law and gospel faithfully.
The Law and the Gospel
The law and the gospel are not enemies but partners. The law reveals the problem; the gospel reveals the solution. The law declares what is right; the gospel declares that Christ has made us right. The law exposes sin; the gospel forgives it.
Paul describes this relationship in Romans 8:3–4: “What the law could not do, weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son… so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
The gospel does not abolish the law but fulfills its deepest intent. The moral demands of the law are not erased but written on the heart through the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 2:15).
Jesus and the Law
Jesus’ relationship to the law is summed up in his own words: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). He fulfilled the law by living in perfect obedience, revealing its true meaning, and accomplishing its purpose through his death and resurrection.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus deepens the law’s reach—not only forbidding murder but anger, not only adultery but lust, not only false oaths but divided hearts. He shows that the law was always about more than behavior—it was about the transformation of the heart.
By fulfilling the law, Jesus makes possible a new kind of obedience—one born from love rather than fear. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
The Law and the Christian Life
Believers are not under the law as a means of earning righteousness, but neither are they without law altogether. Paul writes, “I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law” (1 Corinthians 9:21). The Spirit enables obedience that flows from grace, not guilt.
Christian freedom does not mean lawlessness; it means being freed from condemnation to live in joyful obedience. The Spirit’s fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control—fulfill the law’s intent (Galatians 5:22–23).
The law remains a moral compass for life, showing what it means to love God and neighbor. It is no longer a ladder to climb toward acceptance but a pathway to walk in gratitude.
Meaning for Today
In a culture suspicious of rules and authority, the biblical law reminds us that freedom without boundaries is chaos. God’s law was never meant to restrict life but to sustain it. It reveals a world ordered by love, justice, and mercy.
The law humbles us, showing that our righteousness cannot come from ourselves. Yet it also lifts us, guiding us toward the life God intends. In Christ, we see the law fulfilled and grace revealed. To live by faith is to live in harmony with the God whose law is perfect, reviving the soul (Psalm 19:7).
FAQ
What does the word “law” mean in the Bible?
It means God’s revealed instruction for how people are to live in right relationship with him and with others.
Are Christians still under the law?
Not under its condemnation. Believers live under grace, but the moral truth of the law still guides the Christian life.
What is the difference between law and gospel?
The law shows what God requires and exposes sin; the gospel reveals what God provides through Christ’s grace.
Did Jesus abolish the law?
No. Jesus fulfilled the law by embodying its purpose and enabling believers to live according to its spirit through the Holy Spirit.
Why is the law important today?
It reveals God’s character, teaches righteousness, and points us to our need for grace, shaping how we love God and neighbor.
