Paul explains the purpose of God's Law
19 So why did God give his Law to his people after his promise to Abraham? He gave his Law to show them which things are wrong. It would have authority until Abraham's special descendant would come. This was the descendant that God had promised to bless. God used angels to give his Law to his people. It was Moses who received the Law from God. Moses then took it to God's people. 20 But God himself gave his promise to Abraham. It was not necessary to have somebody between them, like Moses.
21 So does God's Law work against God's promises? No, certainly that is not true! It is not possible for the rules of any law to give us life with God. If that were possible, then God would have accepted us as right if we obeyed those rules. 22 But the Bible says that sin has power over everyone. Nobody can be free from that. This means that we can only receive what God has promised when we trust Jesus Christ. God gives his promise to those who believe.
23 Before God showed us the way of faith, the Law had authority over us. God's Law kept us safe, until God showed us that we must believe in Christ. 24 God's Law was like our guide. It kept us safe until Christ came. Then God could accept us as right because we trusted Christ. 25 But the way of faith in Christ has now come. So we do not need God's Law to keep us safe any longer.
26 All of you are God's children because you believe in Christ Jesus. 27 They baptized you as believers in Christ. This means that you have put on Christ, like someone who puts on new clothes. 28 It does not matter whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. It does not matter whether you are a slave or a free person. It does not matter whether you are a man or a woman. You all belong together because you all belong to Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham. Because of that, you will receive all the good things that God promised to Abraham.
