What does it mean that the law is not of faith (Galatians 3:12)?

Paul does not attempt to prove the enormity of man's guilt, though in Romans this is fully exposed. Instead of comparing mankind by the measure of the Law to expose his state subjectively, Galatians rather summarily makes the matter one of the declarations of the Word of God. For any who accepted the Old Testament (as the Galatians did), the evidence is conclusive, "the just shall live by faith" (Heb.2:4). If we say we live by the Law, we are virtually denying the law, for the whole Old Testament is designated as the law of God.

"Yet the Law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them" (v.12). If a person's works were thoroughly consistent with the Law, he would live by this means (on earth of course, for this is the question here), and would have himself to thank for his life. No faith would be required, for God would not be directly involved. But God had said, "The just shall live by faith." The latter part of verse 12 does not concern the just at all, but "the man who does."

Verse 12. "Now the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." What he affirms of the law is thus conclusively attested by the law. Doing right is one species of perfection; being set right is another. The former was the vain proposal of the law; the latter is the blessed reality of the gospel, when received into the heart by faith. In this verse the apostle concludes the negative side of his argument. He has demonstrated, by the aid of Jewish Scripture, both the contrariety of law to faith, and the intrinsic and decisive superiority of the latter. Life is their common prize, which in the contest faith alone is found to win. The law works wrath, and is a ministry of death; but faith, opening eagerly its ear to God as the preacher and bestower of His own righteousness in Christ, finds life eternal in His words. For His words are a recital also of His acts. The law, which bade men work, is silenced by its own fulfilment in the Lord. What it could not do for man, because of its weakness through the flesh, has been done by Him who gave it by His servant Moses, and has both magnified it and removed it from His people's conscience through the obedience of His Son. What none could do for his brother or himself, that he should give to God a ransom for his soul (Ps. 49:7-8), his judge has wrought out for him in the strange abundance of His gracious love. And the gospel, which the Galatians in their folly were so nearly letting slip, is the glad announcement of these things; the preparation, therefore, for the true believer's entrance into and enjoyment of the endless rest of God.

Moreover, law and faith cannot be blended, being entirely different principles. "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith; but the man that does them shall live in them" (vers. 11, 12). Here we are carried back to Habakkuk 2:4). The prophet in his sorrow over the ruin of His people, and the (to him) mysterious dealings of Jehovah in not hastening deliverance, was told that "the just shall live by his faith." The word is used three times in the New Testament, and each time for a different purpose. If Romans 1 be consulted, it will be seen that the emphasis is on "just"; in Heb. 10 on the word "live"; in Gal. 3 on "faith". The law does not speak thus, but in a precisely opposite way — the man that does shall live. How vain then to try and mix the two principles! and yet this is done from one end of Christendom to the other. It is the exception to find souls that are not under law in one way or another. So little has the Epistle to the Galatians been heeded!

The Jews, who had the law, hardly seem to have realized this. On the contrary they looked upon the law as being the means of their justification. Contented with a very superficial obedience to some of its demands, they were "going about to establish their own righteousness," as Paul puts it in Romans 10:3. In this of course they utterly failed, for in their own Scriptures it had been put on record that, "the just shall live by faith." And faith is not the principle upon which the law is based, but rather that of works. The whole matter briefly summed up stands thus: — By law men come under the curse and die. By faith men are justified and live.

The curse which the law pronounced was a perfectly just sentence. The Jew having been placed under the law, its curse rested upon him, and it had to be righteously borne ere it could be lifted off him. In the death of Christ the curse was borne, and hence the believing Jew is redeemed from beneath it. In the days of Moses, the curse had been specially connected with the one who died as a transgressor by hanging on a tree. Many a one in ancient days, reading Deuteronomy 21:23, may have wondered why the curse was thus linked with death on a tree, as distinguished from death by any other means, such as stoning, or the sword. Now we know. In due season the Redeemer was to bear the curse for others, thus honouring the law, by hanging on a tree. It is another case of how the Scripture foresees!

But we have not to do with what might have been, but with what was, and with what is. They put themselves under law, and to them the consequences were terrible. Their work was portioned out to them by Him who knew exactly what the obligations of man to his Creator were. The demand was in no sense exorbitant. It was just what man must be if he were to be allowed to live upon the earth as the creature of God. And it was of life upon earth it spoke, not of getting to heaven. “Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and My judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them” (Lev. 18:5). Neither did the law speak of faith. The dispensation was one of works, not of faith; as Paul says, “The law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them” (Gal. 3:12). Thus man’s attention was directed to himself and to his works, and to the blessing or curse which resulted from his obedience or transgression. The law did not occupy men with God; He was hidden in the thick darkness.

I say, No; faith is contrasted with law. Promise is distinguished from law. Promise comes first, is confirmed to the Seed — Christ. Law comes in afterwards, by the by — four hundred and thirty years afterwards — and has its application to men on earth until the Seed came. They that were under it were under it till faith came, and then, as redeemed, they take the place of sons with the risen One.

Now what does the chapter say? We have righteousness imputed to Abraham believing, and because of believing the promise. Had this anything to do with law or its fulfilment, or was it the fullest and carefully argued contrast with the law? And we have blessing, note it, the same way. (Ver. 9.) So far from faith having a part in law-fulfilling, it is in the fullest contrast. "As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse," for it curses every one that does not keep it, and none have kept it, Christ excepted. "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident." Now we are told that we are justified by the law being kept, and thus righteousness being imputed to us. We are justified (we are told) only by law; forgiven, cleansed, by blood; but justified by law-keeping. The apostle declares that it is evident we are not, that no one is; it is not by law or law-keeping we are justified. Will it be said that means our doing so? The apostle does not say so. He speaks of the principle upon which it takes place — It is evident that no man is justified by law — and he gives the reason, "It is written, The just shall live by faith." But, then, why cannot the believer have the benefit of law-keeping by faith? Because "the law is not of faith;" the two principles are opposed. The man must keep the law himself to have life by it. Is not this a strange thing to say if we have it by Christ's keeping it? See how it stands. My adversaries say a man can be justified only by law, and he need not do the commandments, but Christ for him, and he get it by faith. The apostle says, that no man is justified by law it is evident, for scripture says the righteous shall live by faith. Well, but we have, says my adversary, the good of law-keeping by faith. You cannot, says the apostle; the law is not of faith. The principle is wholly opposed. "The man that doeth them shall live by them:" he must do them himself to have righteousness by them. It must be his own righteousness. The law is not of faith at all. The law was mighty to curse, but the redemption has come in by Christ's bearing the curse, that the blessing which was by promise — not by law at all — should come upon us, and we receive the Spirit, which does not come by works of law. God gave the blessing to Abraham by promise, and if it be of the law, it is not by promise at all; but by law is not the way in which God has given the inheritance. I pray you, reader, to mark all this distinctly.

The subject of the law — which in Romans 1 was only touched upon as something quite incidental, to receive full light in Chapter 7 — is in the Epistle to the Galatians dealt with in great detail. It is shown in Galatians 3:10 that all who stand on the basis of the law are under the curse, as declared in Deuteronomy 27:26. For Israel, the nations under the law, there was only an Ebal (curse) and it was deprived of Gerizim (blessing). After this, the apostle quoted Habakkuk. He wrote: “that by law no one is justified with God is evident, because “the just shall live on the principle of faith.” Here, then, faith is put in the forefront, and Paul did not stop there, although he did not lose sight of its link with righteousness or with life. He put faith in juxtaposition with the law, which could neither give the one nor the other. Next, he proved that the law is not on the basis of faith because the law pointed to works as the means of receiving life or righteousness (Lev. 18:5; Rom. 10:5). Finally, he showed how the setting free from the law had been brought about: “Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, (for it is written, Cursed is every one hanged upon a tree)” (Gal. 3:13).

(Vv. 11, 12.) Such is the testimony of Moses, the law-giver. But what do the prophets say? Their witness is equally plain, for Habakkuk states, "The just shall live by faith" (Hab. 2:4). Now it is evident that the law is not of faith, for it says, "The man that does them shall live in them" (Lev. 18:5).

It is just the same principle in Gal. 3 "They that be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse." No man is justified by the law; not merely he is not justified by his own keeping the law, but not in virtue of law at all. To be justified, to live, is by faith. "And the law is not of faith:" they are opposite principles. If not so, what an admirable opening to have told us that Christ kept the law for us, and that His doing it is our life and title to eternal blessedness in heaven! For His legal observance is, according to some, the way, the truth, and the life, the ground necessary to imputing righteousness. But not so. Scripture excludes the idea, insisting that no one is justified by law, and that the law is not of faith; whereas these men say that, though it be nothing for pardon, it is all for righteousness. Had we been Jews, Christ has bought us out of the curse of the law [not a word about fulfilling it for us] that we might receive the promise by faith. Hence the apostle proves that the promise was independent of the law, and hundreds of years before. The blessing of Abraham, the inheritance, is not by law, but by promise. It is a question, therefore, of the immutability of the promise, not of the law, whatever cavillers may say. The law was a wholly distinct institution, added because of transgressions (in express contrast with our righteousness), till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. Is there inconsistency, then, between the law and the promises of God? There would be, if either life or righteousness were by law. But not so. The Scripture has shut up all (τὰ πάντα) under sin [not transgression merely], that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Dead silence as to His keeping the law for us! What we are told is, that, before faith came, we [the Jewish believers, not the "ye"] were guarded under law, shut up unto the faith about to be revealed. So that the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ [not a hint of being kept by Him for us], that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and heirs according to the promise, not the law. In Gal. 4:4 we do hear that God sent forth His Son, made of woman, made under law. Surely here, if anywhere, one might expect to learn, if it were true, that, so come, He was here keeping the law for us representatively. Not the most distant hint of it! On the contrary, He was sent to redeem, or buy off, those under law [the Jews], that we might receive sonship. Nor this only. "But because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So thou art no longer a bondman, but a son." It is an elaborate argument to exclude law on every side, — law as a principle, — from life, promises, righteousness, and special relationship. When Christ is introduced in this connection, it is solely as redeeming those under the law from its curse, and never as obeying it for their justification.

*It is just the same principle in Gal. 3 "They that be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse" No man is justified by the law; not merely that he is not justified by his own keeping the law, but not in virtue of law at all. To be justified, to live, is by faith. "And the law is not of faith:" they are opposite principles. If otherwise, what an admirable opening to have told us that Christ kept the law for us, and that His doing it is our life and title to eternal blessedness in heaven! For His legal observance is, according to some, the way, the truth, and the life, the ground necessary to imputing righteousness. But not so: scripture excludes the idea, insisting that no man is justified by law, and that the law is not of faith; whereas the system says that, though it be nothing for pardon, it is all for righteousness. Had we been Jews, Christ has bought us out of the curse of the law [not a word about fulfilling it for us], that we might receive the promise by faith. Hence the apostle proves that the promise was independent of the law, and hundreds of years before. The blessing of Abraham, the inheritance, is not by law, but by promise. It is a question therefore of the immutability of the promise, not of the law, whatever cavillers may say. The law was a wholly distinct institution, added because of transgressions (in express contrast with our righteousness), till the Seed should come to Whom the promise was made. Is there inconsistency then between the law and the promises of God? There would be, if either life or righteousness were by law. But not so; the scripture has shut up all (ta panta) under sin [not transgression merely], that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Dead silence as to His keeping the law for us! What we are told is, that, before faith came, we [the Jewish believers, not the "ye"] were guarded under law, shut up to the faith about to be revealed. So that the law was our schoolmaster to Christ [not a hint of being kept by Him for us], that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and heirs according to the promise, not the law. In Gal. 4:4 we do hear that God sent forth His Son, made of woman, made under law. Surely here, if anywhere, one might expect to learn, if it were true, that, where so come, He was keeping the law for us representatively. Not the most distant hint of it! On the contrary, He was sent to redeem, or buy off those under law [the Jews], that we might receive sonship. Nor this only: "But because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So thou art no longer a bondman, but a son." It is an elaborate argument to exclude law on every side — law as a principle — from life, promises, righteousness, and special relationship. When Christ is introduced in this connection, it is solely as redeeming those under the law from its curse, and never as obeying it for their justification.