The Law Goes Deep: God's Law in the Life of Grace | Romans 8:4 & Matthew 5:17 (Chapter 8)
If we're saved by grace and sanctified by the Spirit, what's the role of God's law? Romans 8:4 points us to the answer: Christ came so "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk according to the Spirit."
In this session we explore Chapter 8 of Sinclair Ferguson's Devoted to God, unpacking how law and grace work together. These are not ncessarily competing concepts in the Christian life. However, we need to be careful as we define this.
Love and Law Aren't Opposites
Some accused Paul of rejecting God's law (Acts 21:21), but Paul consistently upheld it (Romans 3:31). Love motivates obedience; the law directs love. As Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
Three Ways Jesus Fulfills the Law
Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17), Ferguson identifies three dimensions of how Christ fulfills the law for our sanctification:
Permanent Significance — The law, especially the Ten Commandments, reflects God's own character and his original design for humanity. Its principles endure, shaping us as image bearers being renewed in Christ (Colossians 3:10).
Obedience in Teaching — Jesus lived the law perfectly, not grudgingly but with delight. He also revealed its depth: adultery begins in the heart, murder with a word (Matthew 5:21–28). True righteousness flows from a Spirit-transformed heart, not external performance.
Fulfilling All Dimensions — Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial law through his once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1–4) and the civil law by building a global, multi-ethnic church. The moral law remains, now written on our hearts by the Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33).
Married to Christ, Not the Law
Christians are not under the law as a system of condemnation, but under "the law of Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21) — united to him as a bride to a husband (Romans 7:4). The Spirit empowers what the law directs. As Ralph Erskine beautifully put it: "The gospel gives me feet and hands... it bids me fly, and gives me wings."
This harmony transforms duty into delight.
Takeaway
God's law is not a burden. We need to see it as a guide reflecting his holy character. Our catechism states it well when the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that the law is our guide for grateful living after being redeemed from our sin and misery. we are empowered to live it out through Christ and his Spirit. It is true that we will never achieve perfection in this age, however, we are undergoing a progressive transformation, metamorphosis, toward the heavenly calling God has placed on our lives.