Christ Redeemed Us from Law?

by Terry Wane Benton

A brother argued to me that Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from law.” Actually, the verse says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, and the context tells us that it was the Law of Moses (Galatians 3:19). But He did not redeem us from His righteous standards so that we could be free to live unrighteously and disobediently.

He did not redeem us from His own yoke through which we learn from Him to be like His totally obedient example (Matthew 11:28). He redeemed us from a system of law only, so that we could take His yoke and obey God from the heart with the blessing of forgiveness of sins when we mess up and repent.

I am thankful that I am not under the Law of Moses. I am thankful not to be under the curse of that law, and I am thankful that Jesus redeemed me. But, I would be deceiving myself and others if I taught that Jesus redeemed me from being responsible to any law.

If sin exists at all, it is because I am responsible for God’s ongoing law. Thus, Jesus did not redeem me from being responsible to His law. He redeemed me from the curse of the Law. He provided forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. Thus, I have provisions that aid me when I fail. I can start over as many times as I need to through Jesus’ blood.