| Galatians 3:11-12 – “No man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.”
A Heavenly Treasure by David Rich, August 7, 2026
In case you missed my last Heavenly Treasure, I am recapping each of 7 truths in my book, “7 Biblical Truths You Won’t Hear in Church, BUT Might Change Your Life!” This book was written in 2007, and was not only inspired by Glenna, but she was also my personal consultant through every chapter. In that book, I highlighted 7 biblical truths that doesn’t get much airtime in today’s modern church but are pivotal to a believer’s grace and sovereignty journey. Each truth builds on the one before and some may be harder to digest than others. My aim is not to shock you, although Glenna was known to wield a “truth hammer” at times, but rather to drive you deeper into Scripture to peel the onion yourself.
We are on Truth #3, “The 10 Commandments were NOT given to be kept!”
This might be a real eye raiser for some. After all, the 10 Commandments are God’s straight from God. They are His sacred laws, so let me be clear, they are wonderful rules to follow and should be taught in every corner of the world. They serve a purpose and govern our earthly existence. However, God didn’t give them to us because HE thought we could keep them. He gave them to us because WE thought we could keep them.
There is one, and only one, purpose for the 10 Commandments…to drive us to Jesus.
The law is like a signpost pointing us to Jesus. Paul states this as clearly as one could in Galatians 3:24, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” It was meant to highlight sin and show us that we can’t keep the law on our own. The law was meant to humble us and show us that we need a savior and that Christ fulfilled the law for us.
Don’t take it from me. Read Matthew 5, starting with verse 17. Jesus tells us that He came to fulfill the law for us because we CANNOT fulfill the law on our own. Verses 21-30 show us this very clearly. Jesus states, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgement.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement.” He continues to include ugly things we may say by teaching “Whoever says ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” Then in verse 27, He says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has ALREADY committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Stop and think what Jesus is saying. I can’t speak for you, but I get angry with someone almost every day, and while I might not get noticeably angry, I think to myself somebody is fool dozens of times each week. And I notice a pretty woman just as often. Jesus is telling us that keeping the law is more than just deeds. To fully satisfy the law, it must be kept in THOUGHT, WORD, and DEED!! We cannot do that. We are deeply flawed creatures. The law has no saving power. Only judgement. Live by the law, die by the law. (Galatians 3:10-14). We need help. We need a savior. We need Jesus.
Think about it. The law was a direct consequence of original sin. Eve didn’t eat a forbidden fruit from an evil tree. She ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good AND Evil. Until that knowledge entered the world, no one knew right or wrong. There was no need for the law because there was no sin. The law taught us what sin was, and that sin leads to death. In 2 Corinthians 3:7, Paul even calls the 10 Commandments “the ministry of death,” and in Romans 5:20 he writes, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Hallelujah for that.
So, if you’re still a bit skeptical, look at what Paul writes in Galatians 2:21. “If righteousness could be gained by the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Paul was a teacher like Glenna, and she passed that trait on to me, by often wielding a hammer to get the point across. The law was not given to us to be kept. It is impossible to keep. If it was, there would be no need for the cross.
Now, I know what you might be thinking, and NO, I am not suggesting the 10 Commandments are not good rules to live by. I stated earlier that they are. Murder will surely land you behind bars here on earth. Adultery will wreck a marriage. The work of the cross won’t save you from the consequences of your sin this side of heaven, so yes, they are worthy, righteous laws. I am only suggesting keeping the law was never part of God’s plan. He wasn’t setting us up for failure. He was setting the table for the cross.
Jesus was, is, and always will be the only part of God’s plan that will save you.
Prayer:
Father, we come to you today as flawed creatures. We recognize our sin every day in things we say, things we think, and things we do. Thankfully and mercifully, you gave us Jesus. So, we come to you today, face down in the shags of the carpet thanking you that our debts have been paid. Not of anything we did or could have done. It is all through the amazing work of the cross. Through your amazing grace. The law has been fulfilled for us. It is truly a gift. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. In His holy name we pray,
AMEN
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