Does faith make the law useless? Not at all! We agree with the law.

这样，我们因信废了律法吗？断乎不是！更是坚固律法。

这样，我们藉着信废了律法吗？绝对不是！更是巩固律法。

这样，我们藉着信废了律法吗？绝对不是！更是巩固律法。

这么说来，我们是借着信心废掉上帝的律法吗？当然不是！我们反倒是巩固律法。

这样说来，我们以信废掉了律法吗？绝对不是，倒是巩固了律法。

那么，我们是藉着信废掉律法吗？绝对不是！反而确立了律法。

這樣，我們因信廢了律法嗎？斷乎不是！更是堅固律法。

這樣，我們藉着信廢了律法嗎？絕對不是！更是鞏固律法。

這樣，我們藉着信廢了律法嗎？絕對不是！更是鞏固律法。

這麼說來，我們是藉著信心廢掉上帝的律法嗎？當然不是！我們反倒是鞏固律法。

這樣說來，我們以信廢掉了律法嗎？絕對不是，倒是鞏固了律法。

這樣，我們是憑着信廢掉律法麼？斷乎不是；我們倒是叫律法立定呢。

那麼，我們是藉著信廢掉律法嗎？絕對不是！反而確立了律法。

然則我儕以信廢律乎、曰、非也、乃堅律耳、

然則以信廢法乎、曰、否、更守法焉、

然則我儕因信廢律法乎、非也、乃堅定律法、

然則吾人以信德而廢律法乎？是又不然！此正吾人所以成全律法耳。

Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.

Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

“ Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do this. Instead, I have come to fulfill what is written.

Jesus does for us everything the holy law requires. The power of sin should no longer control the way we live. The Holy Spirit should control the way we live.

What should we say then? That the law is sinful? Not at all! Yet I wouldn’t have known what sin was unless the law had told me. The law says,“ Do not want what belongs to other people.”( Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21) If the law hadn’t said that, I would not have known what it was like to want what belongs to others.But the commandment gave sin an opportunity. Sin caused me to want all kinds of things that belong to others. A person can’t sin by breaking a law if that law doesn’t exist.Before I knew about the law, I was alive. But then the commandment came. Sin came to life, and I died.I found that the commandment that was supposed to bring life actually brought death.When the commandment gave sin the opportunity, sin tricked me. It used the commandment to put me to death.So the law is holy. The commandment also is holy and right and good.Did what is good cause me to die? Not at all! Sin had to be recognized for what it really is. So it used what is good to bring about my death. Because of the commandment, sin became totally sinful.We know that the law is holy. But I am not. I have been sold to be a slave of sin.

I do not get rid of the grace of God. What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!

Pay everything you owe. But you can never pay back all the love you owe one another. Whoever loves other people has done everything the law requires.Here are some commandments to think about.“ Do not commit adultery.”“ Do not commit murder.”“ Do not steal.”“ Do not want what belongs to others.”( Exodus 20:13–15, 17; Deuteronomy 5:17–19, 21) These and all other commands are included in one command. Here’s what it is.“ Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”( Leviticus 19:18)Love does not harm its neighbor. So love does everything the law requires.

Lord, it’s time for you to act. People are breaking your law.

Do those who depend on the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would mean nothing. God’s promise would be worthless.

Here is what I mean. The law came 430 years after the promise. But the law does not get rid of God’s covenant and promise. The covenant had already been made by God. So the law does not do away with the promise.The great gift that God has for us does not depend on the law. If it did, it would no longer depend on the promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a free gift through a promise.Then why was the law given at all? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was given through angels, and a go- between was put in charge of it.

To those who don’t have the law I became like one who doesn’t have the law. I did this even though I am not free from God’s law. I am under Christ’s law. Now I can win those who don’t have the law.

Christ has fulfilled everything the law was meant to do. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.

Deep inside me I find joy in God’s law.

By the law, I died as far as the law is concerned. I died so that I might live for God.

Jesus replied,“ Let it be this way for now. It is right for us to do this. It carries out God’s holy plan.” Then John agreed.

The Holy Spirit also speaks to us about this. First he says,“ This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts. I will write my laws on their minds.”( Jeremiah 31:33)

The Lord wanted his people to see how great and glorious his law is. He wanted to show them that he always does what is right.

Here is what I tell you. You must be more godly than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. If you are not, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

So they do not need to honor their father or mother with their gift. You make the word of God useless in order to follow your own teachings.

Not at all! God is true, even if every human being is a liar. It is written,“ You are right when you sentence me. You are fair when you judge me.”( Psalm 51:4)

I give thanks to God who saves me. He saves me through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law. But sin controls my desires. So I am a slave to the law of sin.

“‘ “How can you people say,‘ We are wise. We have the law of the Lord’? Actually, the teachers of the law have told lies about it. Their pens have not written what is true.Those who think they are wise will be put to shame. They will become terrified. They will be trapped. They have not accepted my message. So what kind of wisdom do they have?

My God, I have come to do what you want. Your law is in my heart.”

The royal law is found in Scripture. It says,“ Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”( Leviticus 19:18) If you really keep this law, you are doing what is right.But you sin if you don’t treat everyone the same. The law judges you because you have broken it.Suppose you keep the whole law but trip over just one part of it. Then you are guilty of breaking all of it.God said,“ Do not commit adultery.”( Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18) He also said,“ Do not commit murder.”( Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17) Suppose you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder. Then you have broken the law.Speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.The result of sin’s control in our lives is clear. It includes sexual sins, impure acts and wild living.It includes worshiping statues of gods and worshiping evil powers. It also includes hatred and fighting, jealousy and fits of anger. Sinful desire is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups.It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like this will not receive God’s kingdom.But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithfuland gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind.

“ This is the covenant I will make with Israel after that time,” announces the Lord.“ I will put my law in their minds. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God. And they will be my people.They will not need to teach their neighbor anymore. And they will not need to teach one another anymore. They will not need to say,‘ Know the Lord.’ That’s because everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me,” announces the Lord.“ I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore.”