Do we still need God’s law—even if we’re saved? In other words, do those who’ve been justified by faith alone, declared righteous before God through Christ’s finished work, and sealed by the Holy Spirit still need the law? It’s a question that has puzzled Christians for centuries and continues to create confusion today.

Some believers worry any emphasis on God’s commandments may slide us back into legalism. Others swing toward antinomianism (the view that Christians are free from moral law)—doesn’t grace cover everything, they ask. Let’s consider why the Reformed tradition offers a more nuanced answer through what theologians call “the three uses of the law.”

 

THREE USES OF THE LAW: THE CLASSICAL FRAMEWORK

Protestant Reformers identified three distinct ways God’s moral law functions in the world. Understanding these helps us see why the law remains both relevant and beneficial for Christians, even though we’re no longer under its condemnation.

The First Use: Restraining Evil in Society God’s law serves as a restraining force in human society, curbing the worst expressions of sin and maintaining basic order. This “civil use” operates through human conscience, social pressure, and governmental authority.

Paul makes this clear in Romans 13:1-7, explaining that governing authorities are “God’s servants” who “bear the sword” to punish wrongdoing. Even imperfect human laws often reflect God’s moral order—prohibiting murder, theft, and fraud while promoting justice and care for the vulnerable.

This use applies to everyone, saved and unsaved alike. Christians benefit from living in ordered societies where basic moral standards are upheld. We also participate in this use when we vote, serve in government, or advocate for just laws that reflect God’s character.

The first use reminds us God cares about justice and order in this present world, not just in eternity.

The Second Use: Revealing Sin and Driving Us to Christ The law’s second function is to serve as a mirror, showing us our moral bankruptcy and our desperate need for a Saviour. This “pedagogical use” (from the Greek word for teacher or tutor) convicts us of sin and drives us to seek mercy.

Paul describes this powerfully in Romans 3:19-20: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”

In Galatians 3:24, Paul calls the law our “guardian” (or “schoolmaster” in older translations) that leads us to Christ. Like a strict tutor in ancient households, the law shows us we cannot measure up to God’s perfect standard on our own.

But does this use end at conversion? Not entirely. Even as believers, we benefit from the law’s ongoing work of humbling us, reminding us of our continued dependence on Christ’s righteousness, and keeping us grateful for the grace we’ve received.

The Third Use: Guiding Grateful Obedience Many Christians get nervous with the third use, though it is actually the most beautiful. For those united to Christ by faith, God’s law becomes a guide for grateful obedience—showing us how to live in ways that please our heavenly Father and reflect His character.

The psalmist captures this perfectly: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). Notice the tone—not drudgery, but delight. “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97).

This isn’t about earning salvation or maintaining our standing with God. That’s already settled through Christ’s work. Instead, it’s about sanctification—the lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus.

John explains the motivation behind this obedience: “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). And again: “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

For the regenerate heart, God’s law isn’t a burden but a blessing—a roadmap for flourishing life.

 

THREE USES OF THE LAW: ADDRESSING COMMON CONCERNS

“Doesn’t Grace Abolish the Law?”

Jesus Himself answered this concern: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17). Christ perfectly fulfilled the law’s demands on our behalf, but this doesn’t make the law irrelevant.

Paul asks rhetorically, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31). Grace doesn’t eliminate our need for moral guidance; it transforms our relationship to that guidance from fearful obligation to grateful response.

“Won’t This Lead to Legalism?”

The key difference lies in motivation and source of acceptance. Legalism seeks to earn God’s favour through rule-keeping. But Christians obey from a heart already transformed by grace, not to gain acceptance but because we’ve already been accepted.

Paul clarifies: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). We’re no longer under the law’s condemnation, but we’re still blessed by its guidance.

“What About the New Covenant?”

The New Covenant doesn’t eliminate God’s moral standards—it writes them on our hearts. Jeremiah 31:33 promises: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” The Holy Spirit works within believers to create genuine desire for obedience.

This is why Paul can say that God condemned sin in the flesh “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4).

 

THREE USES OF THE LAW: THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

• For Personal Growth: We use Scripture as a mirror for self-examination, not self-justification. When God’s law reveals areas where we fall short, we let it drive us back to the cross rather than into despair. We let it guide our pursuit of Christ-like character.
• For Christian Community: Biblical standards provide the framework for church discipline, mutual accountability, and discipleship. We help one another grow in holiness by lovingly applying God’s Word to our lives together.
• For Cultural Engagement: Christians can advocate for laws and policies that reflect God’s moral order while recognising civil law cannot transform hearts. We engage the culture not to establish a theocracy, but to promote human flourishing according to God’s design.

 

THE HEART BEHIND OBEDIENCE

What makes Christian obedience different from mere moralism is the heart behind it. We don’t obey to earn God’s love—we obey because we’ve already received it. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

The Apostle Paul captures this beautifully: “Christ’s love compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). It’s not external pressure but internal transformation that motivates genuine Christian living.

God’s moral boundaries aren’t restrictive fences but protective guidelines. Like guardrails on a mountain road, they keep us safe while we enjoy the journey. His commandments actually liberate us to become who we were created to be.

 

THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL: PERFECT HARMONY

So do the saved still need the three uses of the law? Absolutely. We benefit from order in the society (the first use). We need ongoing reminders of our dependence on grace (the second use). And we require guidance for grateful obedience as we pursue sanctification (the third use).

The law cannot save us—only Christ can do that. But the law serves the God who did save us, and it continues to serve us in our journey toward Christlikeness.

Rather than seeing law and gospel as opponents, we embrace them as dance partners. The gospel rescues us from the law’s condemnation while freeing us to delight in the law’s guidance. Grace doesn’t eliminate the law; it fulfils the law’s ultimate purpose by creating hearts that want to obey.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, 4).

So the saved don’t need the law for justification—but we absolutely need it for sanctification, society, and the ongoing reminder of amazing grace.

 

THREE USES OF THE LAW: RELATED FAQs

Do contemporary Reformed scholars still hold to the traditional three uses framework? Yes, leading Reformed theologians like John Frame, Michael Horton, and Kevin DeYoung strongly affirm the three uses while offering fresh applications. Frame emphasises how all three uses work simultaneously in the Christian experience, while Horton connects the third use specifically to union with Christ. Some scholars like Sinclair Ferguson prefer speaking of the law’s “three aspects” rather than “uses” to show they’re not sequential but concurrent functions.

• How do Arminians view the three uses of the law differently from Reformed theology? Arminians generally accept the civil and pedagogical uses but differ on the third use, particularly regarding assurance and perseverance. They worry emphasising law as a guide for believers may undermine the security of salvation or create perfectionist expectations. Reformed theology responds that the third use actually strengthens assurance by showing God’s ongoing sanctifying work, while Arminian concerns stem from their different understanding of eternal security.
• Did the Westminster Confession address the three uses explicitly? The Westminster Confession (19.6) doesn’t use Calvin’s exact terminology but clearly teaches all three functions: the moral law as “a perfect rule of righteousness” that serves to inform unregenerate persons of their sinful nature, restrain sin, and guide believers in grateful obedience. The Confession emphasises believers are freed from the law as a covenant of works while remaining bound to it as a rule of life.

How does the “New Perspective on Paul” affect understanding of the law’s uses? New Perspective scholars such as NT Wright argue Paul’s critique of “works of the law” targeted Jewish boundary markers (circumcision, food laws) rather than moral effort generally. This potentially affects how we understand the second use—law as conviction of sin. Reformed scholars respond that while the New Perspective offers helpful insights about first-century Judaism, Paul’s broader theology still supports the law’s convicting work regarding moral failure, not just ethnic exclusivism.

• What about antinomian groups who reject all three uses for Christians? Some hyper-grace movements and certain dispensationalists argue Christians relate only to “grace principles” rather than law in any form. They view any appeal to the law—even for guidance—as “mixture” that compromises pure grace. The Reformed response emphasises this creates a false dichotomy: grace doesn’t eliminate moral guidance but transforms our relationship to it from condemnation to grateful direction.
• How do the three uses apply to Old Testament ceremonial and civil laws? Reformed theology typically distinguishes between moral, ceremonial, and civil aspects of Old Testament law. The moral law (summarised in the Ten Commandments) continues in all three uses, while ceremonial laws found fulfillment in Christ and civil laws were specific to Israel’s theocracy. However, the principles underlying ceremonial and civil laws still inform Christian worship and social ethics, though not with binding authority.

Can one be saved while completely ignoring the law’s third use? This touches on the relationship between justification and sanctification. While salvation depends entirely on faith in Christ (not law-keeping), genuine faith inevitably produces growth in holiness—which includes increasing delight in God’s moral will. Folks who persistently and wilfully reject all moral guidance while claiming salvation raise questions about the reality of their conversion. The Holy Spirit works to conform believers to Christ’s image.

 

THREE USES OF THE LAW: OUR RELATED POSTS

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