19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. 21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. – Galatians 3:19-21
Part of the reason the law was given was to restrain the transgression of men through clearly revealing God’s holy standard. God had to give us His standard so we would not destroy ourselves before the Messiah came. But the law is also added because of transgressions in another way; the law also excites man’s innate rebellion through revealing a standard, showing us more clearly our need for salvation in Jesus (Romans 7:5-8).
This passage reminds me a little bit of star wars. In the fictional world of star wars, there is a powerful spirit entity called “the force.” The force is balanced by good and evil. Jedi’s are the characters who manipulate the force to their own personal will. The force will automatically balance itself. For example, when an evil person uses the force there is always a good person using the same force. This may be a terrible description, and if you are a star wars fan, I am sorry if I botched it. But nonetheless, the force has balance to it. God uses balance such as this in many aspects of nature. The life cycle is the best example. With the death of an animal comes life for the soil/insects. Or, how about the balance of day and night? There is always day and always night (even if in some parts such as Alaska night is only 2 hours).
We also see balance in the relationship of Law vs. Grace. This mornings passage reiterates that God provided us the law so that we may see his grace. The law is a type of illuminator. The law shows us where the darkest parts of our minds and souls are. This law therefore is important to know. It is important to be balanced in the review of our own life. Too much grace, and we forget how sinful we are. Too much law, and we forget God’s grace. Ask the Lord this morning to provide this balance to your life.