" Whosoever commits sin also commits lawlessness: and sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3: 4) Sin is breaking God's law. Whether it is wilful or by neglect, everything that falls short of His righteous, holy standard is sin. All that deviates from His perfect way is sin. That is why Cain was not accepted, because he chose to go another way other than what Yahweh had decreed. Not being subject to His Law, is lawlessness and is the original sin of being independent from God. In other words, you have committed a sin when you break any one or more of Yahweh's commandments. See 1 Timothy 1: 9; 1 John 3:10-12

THE BONDAGE OF THE LAW

"Even so we, when we were children, (under the instruction of the Law) were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, the we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4: 3-5)

When we were spiritual children under the tutelage of the Law we were in bondage to the principles of the system of this world. Yeshua redeemed us from the bondage and control of the operation of the fundamental principles of life in this world. This includes all the basic human instincts, self-preservation, self-motivation, appetites of the flesh, procreation etc.. Having been adopted into the spiritual family of God, we come under the influence of spiritual motivations in our lives. The bondage was to our natural appetites, the cycle of natural instincts. Now we have begun to enter into the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Romans 8:21)

"For the creation was subjected to futility ("as failing of the results designed, because of sin" - Vine ) .....

Because the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God" (Romans 8:21) The Law itself is not bondage, It becomes bondage to us because the keeping of it becomes a yoke of servitude contrary to our own nature. Our performance of it either becomes legalistic, or we rebel and follow our own desires. We therefore are in bondage, i.e. slavery to sin, we serve sin instead of serving righteousness. See Hebrews 2:15; Romans 6:13-20

... ... "for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage" (2 Peter 2:19)

Yeshua kept the law and it was not bondage to Him, He delighted to keep the Father's precepts.

Paul also said, "I delight in the law after my inward man" (Romans 7:22) and David, "I delight to do Your will, O my God" (Psalm 40: 8)

The problem is not the law, but us - our sinful nature. The law exposes our sin without which we are not conscious of it as sin. We measure ourselves by ourselves, or by others, whereas the law reveals His standard which is contrary to our fallen nature, and convicts us of our shortcomings.

The Law - the covenant of Mt. Sinai "gives birth to bondage " (NKJ) because of what it generates in us, "but the Jerusalem which is above is free" - it is freed from corruption and is in the liberty of the Spirit - by the Spirit of life which is in Yeshua the Messiah. See Galatians 4:24-26; Romans 8: 2

"For where the Spirit of Yahweh is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Obeying His Word which is His Law, brings liberty whereas sin brings us into bondage.

"Then said Yeshua to those Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31)

The truth is His Word - His Torah - the principles of His Law. That is what sets us free! See John 17:17

"I will walk at liberty for I seek Your precepts" (Psalm 119:45) Paul said - "the Law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good" (Romans 7:12)

"for we know that the Law is spiritual -but I am carnal sold under sin" (Romans 7:14)

The problem then is not the law, but sinful man. The Law is spiritual, but man is carnal, controlled by fleshly desires, under the domination of sin, and therefore violates Yahweh God's holy Law.

The fault in the old covenant was found with the people whose hearts were hard, disobedient and without faith.

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says, "Behold the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the House of Judah .. .. " (Hebrews 8:7-8)

It was the heart condition of the people which proved the covenant to be inadequate and ineffective, not the covenant itself. To say that Yahweh God's covenant in itself was at fault, is to charge God with sin.

The fault with the old covenant was it's powerlessness to deal with the nature of man. The law is perfect, holy, just, good and spiritual in nature, but it cannot change us. Knowing what the law decrees as righteous, does not enable us to be righteous. The natural man needs a new nature to be able to obey God's law which Yeshua provided by the impartation of His Spirit/life into us, to give us the power to live the law. That is, to live the life of Yeshua the Messiah who is the embodiment of the Law.

THE LAW IS OUR SCHOOLMASTER

The Law is, after all, the standard of God's righteous nature in which man was created before he fell into sin. The Law is therefore the standard of holiness which was revealed in Yeshua the Messiah, the Word made flesh

The Law is not done away with, as it is the means whereby sin is exposed and our need of a Saviour becomes apparent, because we cannot by our own "works" (efforts), keep God's holy standard of righteousness, which is what the Law outlines. The Law is God's eternal standard of righteousness, so how can it be done away with? It sets the standard and convicts of sin through the Holy Spirit, to bring men to Messiah (Galatians 3:24)

THE JEWS HAD THE MINISTRY OF THE TORAH (the schoolmaster) - which was the Pentateuch - the five books of Moses. The Holy Spirit came upon vessels at Pentecost that were filled with the Word -- thoroughly taught in the Law of God, from father to son for generations. When Yeshua had said to His disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them, it was on the basis that they were already filled with the Word (1 John 2:27; John 14:26; 16:13)

The Gentiles coming into the Assembly were ignorant of the Torah, the Law of Yahweh God, and so needed to be taught the ways of God through the preaching of the Word (Acts 15:21). When the issue of what was required of the Gentile converts was taken to the apostles in Jerusalem, they did not lay upon them many pre-requisites. They decided to only decree what was necessary for the mixed community to fellowship together, on the understanding that they would hear Moses/Torah each Sabbath as they went to the synagogue and would learn what was required of them from the preaching of the Law. They needed instruction from the scriptures, as well as the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, to instruct them in the ways of righteousness.

THE LAW IS ENGRAVED ON THE HEART OF THE NEW MAN BY THE SPIRIT

-- 2 Corinthians 3:3

But, we still need the written Word for instruction - 2 Timothy 3:16 We are no longer under the Schoolmaster, but we still need the knowledge which the Schoolmaster gave us. When Paul outlined the use of scripture to Timothy, it was the O.T. scripture - i.e. Torah readings. They had no other resource other than the scriptures which we now call the old covenant section of the Bible.

The faith which is necessary to bring us into an initial righteous standing with God (Romans 4:7-8), is not sufficient to establish a walk in the ways of righteousness, only a knowledge of God's righteous requirements can do that from His law. Therefore faith is not a substitute nor does it make void the law of God.

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: rather, we establish the law." (Romans 3:31)

"For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Romans 2:13)

THE LAW IS NOT DONE AWAY!!!