The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient.
1 Timothy 1:9

What is the proper use of the law for a Christian believer? The way you answer this question will shape the character of your life, your home, and your church. Here are two proper ways to use the law.

1. The law restrains rebels from evil
“Lawless and disobedient” (1:9) is what we are by nature. The law restrains rebels by threatening punishment. Good laws act as a deterrent.

If you are a parent, think about your home. When your daughter is born, she brings joy and delight. She is also a little rebel bent on crowning herself as lord. You need rules with punishments to restrain her from evil.

That’s why we need some laws in the church. Why can’t we say, “The only rule here is that we love one another”? There’s too much sin in all of us for that to work.

2. The law leads sinners to Christ
“The law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now… we are no longer under a guardian” (Gal. 3:24-25). Our instinct is to think we deserve heaven. But God uses the law to wake us up to reality: “God owes me nothing. What I deserve is hell.”

The law was “our guardian” (3:24), a teacher to get you to Christ. This is God’s purpose. You need to know that, because when the law convicts you of sin, Satan sees an opportunity. “You see that you are a sinner,” he says. “You’re right. And there is no hope for you.”

The proper use of the law is to lead you to Christ. Do you see the mercy and grace of God to you in Christ? Let the law lead you to Christ.

Have you come to Christ? Let the law lead you to Christ.