Verse 19 ends in this way: "It being ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator." The "it" here refers to the law mentioned above. The law was not only added because of transgressions, but was also ordained by a mediator. There are these two features to the law: it was added because of transgressions, and it was ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. Why was the law ordained through the hand of a mediator? Verse 20 explains: "But a mediator is not a mediator for one." Have you ever been an intermediary or a go-between? An intermediary acts on behalf of two parties. Why does the law have a mediator? It is because with the law there is the side of God and the side of man. Man has to do certain things for God before God will do certain things for man. When parties A and B draft a contract, the contract states what A must do and what B will do in return and vice versa. A mediator will then serve as a witness between the two parties. The law states what God's responsibility to man is and what man's responsibility to God is. If either side fails, the whole matter falls through.

Hallelujah! What follows in verse 20 is wonderful: "But God is one." But God is one! The law implies two sides. If either side has problems, the whole matter falls through. In giving the law, God said that we should do this and that we should do that. If we fail to do them, the whole matter will fall through. But in making the promise, "God is one," regardless of how we are. In promise and in grace, there is no mention of our side, only of God's side. As long as there is no problem on God's side, there will be no problem at all. The question today is whether God can save Abraham and whether He can preserve him. The question is not how we are. In the promise, there is nothing that involves us, nothing that depends on how we are.

The principle of the law can be compared to buying books from our gospel bookroom. If I spend $1.60, I can purchase one copy of The Spiritual Man. If I give the brothers there the money, they will give me the book. If they have the book but I do not have the money, the transaction will not be made. Nor will the transaction be made if I have the money but they do not have the book. If one side has a problem, the deal falls through. Therefore, the law is of two sides. If one side fails, the whole matter falls through. But what about the promise? The promise is like our magazine The Christian; one does not have to pay for it because it is free. The law is: if you do something for me, I will do something for you in return. If you do certain things, you will get something back; if you cannot do them, you will not get anything. Hence, the law is of two sides. By making a promise, God gives us the grace regardless of whether we do well or not. It has nothing to do with us; how we are is not a problem at all. Thank God that promise is of one side only. All that is needed is one side.

Verse 21 says, "Is then the law against the promises of God? Absolutely not!" Those with little knowledge may say that the law contradicts grace. It is right to say that law and promise are two completely different things, but there is no contradiction at all; the law is merely the servant of the promise. It is something used by God and something inserted by God. Law and promise may appear contradictory in nature, but in God's hand they are not contradictory at all. The law was used by God to fulfill His purpose. Without the law, God's promise would not have been fulfilled. Please remember that God uses the law to fulfill this goal. Hence, law and promise do not contradict each other at all.

Paul concludes in this way: "For if a law had been given which was able to give life, righteousness would have indeed been of law" (v. 21). If a man could obtain righteousness by the law, he could have life through the law. However man cannot do this. Therefore, "the Scripture has shut up all under sin" (v. 22a). What did God use to shut us all up? He used the law. Whoever is shut up by the law has to admit that he is a sinner. God shuts up all under sin "in order that the promise out of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (v. 22b). Hallelujah! The law of God is something God uses to save us. It is not something God uses to condemn us. The law is absolutely something used by God. Tonight every one of us here has been shut up. Every one of us is a sinner. God has used the law to show us that we are sinners so that He may save us.