Delivered From the Law

Delivered From the Law

"We are delivered from the law, not by its abrogation, but by its execution through Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree." - Charles Hodge

"We are delivered from the law": This means that believers are no longer under the condemning power or penalty of God’s law. The law, which demands perfect obedience and pronounces judgment on sinners (Galatians 3:10), no longer holds its curse over those who are in Christ.

"Not by its abrogation": This clarifies that the law is not nullified, repealed, or dismissed. God did not simply set aside His righteous demands or ignore His holy standard. The law remains a reflection of His perfect character and justice (Romans 7:12).

"But by its execution through Christ": Instead of abolishing the law, God fulfilled its demands in Christ. Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the law (Matthew 5:17) and satisfied its requirements on behalf of sinners. Additionally, Christ bore the penalty of the law for our transgressions, taking upon Himself the judgment that the law demands for sin (Isaiah 53:5-6).

"Who bore our sins in His own body on the tree": This refers to Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). The "tree" is a reference to the cross, where Jesus carried the sins of His people. He endured the curse and wrath of God that was rightfully ours, satisfying divine justice completely (Galatians 3:13).

In short, believers are freed from the law’s condemnation, not because God ignored or dismissed the law, but because Christ perfectly obeyed it and fully endured its penalty in our place. His life and death uphold the law’s justice while making salvation by grace possible. In Christ, the law’s demands are met, and its curse is removed, allowing us to stand justified before God.