The New City Catechism — Week 15
Question 1 — Since no one can keep the law, what is its purpose?
Answer —That we may know the holy nature and will of God, and the sinful nature and disobedience of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior. The law also teaches and exhorts us to live a life worthy of our Savior.
Often, the Bible is described as a rule book. People look at the Bible and say it is nothing but a long list of rules that people must keep, as we are all part of this reward system where God gives and takes away. It is true that there are many commandments and statues in the Bible—but the Bible isn’t just a book about rules. It is a story about God and his plan for the redemption of all things through his Son Jesus Christ. There are rules, but there is more.
Here at week 15 we are still working through the purpose and work of the law. We’ve established that the Bible teaches that no one can keep the law, so what is its purpose? Week 15 helps to better understand the law and that its purpose comes in many forms.
First we see that it helps us better understand who God is and his nature by what he requires of his people. God is holy and he is holy above all else. He separate and different from all else in creation because he is its source. Where the world might go in one direction, following the desires of the flesh, God is consistently holy. He radiates holiness, righteousness, goodness, and love.
But also, the law is given to show us our sinful nature and the problems of the human heart. The heart is wicked above all else ( Jer. 17.9). We are from birth sinful people that will always choose something else other than God. We lean towards evil and choose disobedience the majority of the time. The law is given as a set of rules to help God’s people stay on track, pursue holiness, and live a life that honors the Creator.
And while the law does all that and tells us about the human condition, it overwhelming point to the fact we need to be saved from our sinful nature. We need a savior, and God in his love freely offered his son to save us. Jesus is the Savior that came and saved us from ourselves and the wrath of God that is to be poured out on sinners in judgment. We see what God does, and how Jesus kept the law, and his great love for us—that is motivation for us to live a life that honors him, because he did what he did not have to do, but did so that we might have a relationship with him.
This week, as you reflect on Q&A 15, understand this—the Bible is not just a book of rules. It is a guide book that leads us right to the cross of Christ. It tells us of our sin within, the darkness that is in us all, but also of the light of the world that came to save us from that darkness and free us from our sinful nature.