Using Law Lawfully

But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious.... (1 Timothy 1:8-9)

I am a little puzzled by the way this is expressed. It seems on the surface to be circular reasoning, though I am sure it has a much deeper importance and reservoir of truth than that. But I have heard enough abuse of this text from both sides to make me want to listen for a bit as to what God has to say about the real meaning of this passage.

In my study in Romans I remember Paul spending quite a bit of time and effort trying to explain a Christian's proper relationship to the Law. In all of his writings Paul always affirms that the Law is good. And yet the way he words things sometimes has given rise to many people believing that the Law is not really that good and can be ignored in the light of Calvary. Claiming that the Law was done away with at the cross, they embrace a religion that seems to be not much more than magic where they have people repeat certain phrases and then assure them that they have secured for themselves a place in paradise. As a result of such teachings and beliefs, many have minimized the place of the Law of God and have introduced all sorts of speculation and confusion that have caused many to lose their way to God.

On the other side, some people have emphasized the Law and tried to teach it so forcefully that they quickly lose sight of the real plan of salvation and the real meaning of the gospel. They consciously or unconsciously promote keeping the Law as a means of convincing God that they are ready to enter into heaven and receive His rewards for their good works of Law-keeping. This is more likely the group that Paul was referring to in this passage.

While I cannot subscribe to such teachings, I am presently unsure of just what this phrase means, if one uses it lawfully. That almost sounds redundant to me. How could one really use a law unlawfully?

Then there is the next phrase that equally is almost as puzzling, the law is not made for a righteous person. This is the phrase that has confused millions over the years and has been misapplied to the devastation of many people's experience. But to simply try to assert the opposite of what people falsely teach is not necessarily to teach the truth either. Instead of basing our beliefs on the apparent opposite of what others teach that we believe is wrong, it is far more important to go to the source, consider the context and ask the Spirit of the Author to explain it to us better.

Father, please explain this to me. I am sitting here with an open mind and heart to receive whatever You are wanting to teach me. You are faithful and good and the Law is a description of Your character of perfect love. Please reveal to me what You intended for me to know when this was written by Paul.

I notice that Paul gives a qualifying statement a few verses before this explaining what is the goal of the kind of teaching that he used with people. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (v. 5) Does this imply that a person doesn't need the Law but only needs to just have love as the hippies of the 60's used to talk about so much? I do not want to downplay Paul's words here in the slightest. He is very clear that the focal point for the result of his teaching is the fruit of love. This fruit of love, according to this verse, will be rooted or based on three things: a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith.

This sounds to me very much like a description of a righteous person. So what relationship does a righteous person have to a Law that, according to this text, is not made for them? Are they to use it as a club to make all the other people that are listed in the next two verses feel guilty, shamed or frightened? Is that really how love exhibits itself? That is certainly how many people perceive God as relating to sinners, but is that really true or just our assumed perceptions about Him?

I see in the context of the larger passage here evidence of a tension between the teachings of certain men (v. 3) as compared to the instruction of Paul and those he was mentoring like Timothy. It seems apparent to me that Paul is trying to discriminate between the goal of his teaching and the implied goal of others whom he feels are improperly using the Law. For in verse seven he describes them as wanting to be teachers of the Law. But I want to be very careful not to bring in my own assumptions and preconceived ideas into the text as much as possible. I want to remain open to insights that are currently out of my radar range at the present. I want every conclusion that I find to be rooted in the text so that it can be solid and verifiable and connected to the power of God inherent in His Word.

Part of the reason I feel a need to understand this more clearly is that I do not want to be found to be a teacher that does not understand either what I am saying or the matters about which I make confident assertions as described in verse seven. But on the other hand, I don't believe that this means that a person should never make confident assertions. What it does seem to say is that confident assertions need to be rooted securely in proper understandings and application of the Law, and even more importantly coming from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith.

If the goal of my teaching is not love induced in the lives of others as well as my own, then I am more likely to find myself among those who are speculating and engaged in fruitless discussion as described in the context here.

I am not going to attempt to close this off with a nice, pat conclusion at this point. This is far too big for me to force it into a nice writer's ending and I want to remain open to further thoughts from God on this. I know He can be trusted to keep sharing His truth with me from His Word because He has been doing it for some time now. So I don't have to be afraid of what others may think about me for leaving this hanging for the time being. As I learn more and will take time to share more.