The purpose of the Law, for the lost, and for the saved

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

God spoke and what did He say? He not only spoke, He thundered the Ten Commandments. But before talking about the Ten Commandments specifically, don’t miss God’s preamble.

Before issuing the Commandments, the preamble reminded the people of God’s grace in delivering them out of bondage in Egypt. This is important—really important because it is a reminder—clear back then, that obedience to God’s commands are not a means to gain God’s approval. Instead, obedience to God’s commands are a grateful response to having already received God’s gracious deliverance.

In Israel’s case, the deliverance was from bondage to slavery in Egypt (which was a terrible, but temporal problem). In our case, it is deliverance from bondage and condemnation of sin (which is an eternal problem).

For non-believers, God’s commandments condemn all because we all sin. The condemnation of the law is intended to drive all who are hopelessly lost to Christ for saving grace.

For believers, God’s commandments are how to live in light of God’s saving grace, through faith in Christ!

Let we who trust in Christ never dismiss God’s commandments because “we’re saved by grace, not by keeping the law!” No one has ever been saved by keeping the law, but those who are saved by grace are instructed by the law what living in grateful obedience looks like.