The Law That Leads Us to Christ

 

The Law That Leads Us to Christ

Text: Romans 3:20–24; Romans 10:4

In Romans 3:20–24 Paul writes, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known… This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

This passage raises an important question: if the Ten Commandments and the law cannot save us, then what role do they play in our lives today? And when Paul says in Romans 10:4 that “Christ is the end of the law,” what does that mean?

The Law Reveals Our Need
Paul is very clear: the law was never meant to be a ladder by which we climb into heaven. Instead, it is like a mirror. In Romans 3:20 he says the law makes us “conscious of sin.”

When we look into God’s commandments, we see His holiness—and at the same time, our failures. The law exposes our brokenness, showing us that we fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). But this revelation is a gift, not a curse. Because until we know our need, we will never reach out for the Savior.

The Law as a Guide for Living
Although the law cannot save, it still has a purpose in the life of the believer. Think of it as a fence around a pasture. The fence does not give life to the sheep, but it protects them. In the same way, God’s commandments give us boundaries so that we might live in freedom, not slavery to sin.

Jesus Himself affirmed the moral law when He summarized it as love for God and love for neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40). The Ten Commandments show us what that love looks like in practice: honoring parents, valuing life, guarding purity, telling the truth, respecting others’ property, and worshiping God alone.

Christ the “End” of the Law
But Paul goes further in Romans 10:4: “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

The word end here does not mean destruction, as though the law no longer matters. Instead, it means goal, purpose, or fulfillment. Christ is the destination to which the law has always pointed. The law prepared the way by showing humanity its need for righteousness. Christ fulfills that need by being our righteousness.

The Law Points to Jesus
Every time the law convicts us, it drives us back to Christ. The commandments whisper, “You cannot do this on your own.” But Jesus answers, “I have fulfilled it for you.”

Through His perfect life, Jesus obeyed the law in our place. Through His death and resurrection, He bore the penalty for our disobedience. And now, by faith, His righteousness is credited to us (Romans 3:24).

So the law continues to function as a signpost. It points beyond itself to the Savior. It reminds us that salvation is not in rules, but in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The LAW for US Today
Romans 3 and 10 together teach us that the law is not abolished, but completed in Christ. The Ten Commandments still guide our lives, but they cannot save us. They show us our need, they set boundaries for living, and above all, they lead us to Jesus—the One who is both the end and fulfillment of the law.

So let us not despair when the law shows us our failures. Let us rejoice that it points us to the One who never failed, who kept the law perfectly, and who now offers us grace freely.

As Paul declares: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).

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