Every instrument has its purpose. Just as a key is used for opening a lock or a knife is used for cutting, so the law is used to define sin. Had it not been for God’s law, there would be no absolute method of knowing what actions were acceptable or unacceptable to Him. And though sin cannot exist without the law, Paul makes it clear that the law is not a willing partner with sin:
Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure (Rom. 7:13, NRSV).
In what ways do the above texts help to shed light on 1 Corinthians 15:54-58?
If read in isolation, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 would appear to promote a negative view of God’s law. Paul’s point, however, is that the law empowers sin only because it defines what sin is. And, of course, the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Had it not been for the law, there would be no death because it would be impossible to define sin. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul’s purpose is not to demonize the law but to demonstrate how, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, all who believe can experience victory over death, a death which comes because of violation of the law.
When was the last time that someone sinned against you, that is, the last time that someone violated God’s law in a way that hurt you? How does such an experience help us to understand why the idea that states that God’s law was abolished after the Cross is so wrong?