Good: The law of God is indeed good (Rom. 7:12). The Old Testament testifies of this itself. “Oh, how I love your law; it is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). Consider the blessed man whose “delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2). This is the heart of the Messiah in Ps. 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is written in my heart.” This is also what God will do with new covenant believers who are one with Him, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it” (Jeremiah 31:33). Indeed, “we know that the law is good” (v8).

Lawful: But that value, benefit, and usefulness[1] of the law must be confined to the intent of the law.[2] The law was never meant to be a way to justification, to earn a righteous standing with God (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16).[3] Only by the cross of Christ can we approach the holy God and be accepted by Him (Lev. 1:4; Heb. 10:19). Positively, the law was meant to convict sin and lead us to the Savior.[4] The law was also meant to protect the people it governed by deterring evil.[5] Finally, the law sanctifies the redeemed as the Spirit applies it to our hearts.[6] The Lord gave the law for our blessing. It leads us to the Savior to save us (Gal. 3:24), then to train us (2 Tim. 3:16-17) by revealing Christ in all His righteousness (2 Cor. 3:14-18) that we may like Him love God and love man (Mt. 22:40).

[1] This sense of goodness is highlighted by its use (“if one uses it lawfully”) as well as the adjective καλός.

[2] This is the sense of the adverb νομίμως, which is literally, law-fully. It points to what the law itself intended.

[3] This was the misuse of the law by the Pharisees and the Judaizers (Acts 15:1, 5; Gal. 2:4; Phil. 3:2).

[4] Cf. Gal. 3:25; 2 Tim. 3:15. Paul shows in v11 that the law speaks in accordance to the gospel in this sense.

[5] The law threatens with this aim: Deut. 13:11; 17:13; 19:20; 21:21. Paul chooses egregious examples of evil in vv9-10 to highlight this use of the law. This benefit also applies to secular governments: Rom. 13:1-4.

[6] “Sound teaching” speaks in concert with the law for our growth (Ps. 19:7-11). Paul often employs the word “sound” to point to doctrines that further godliness: 1 Tim. 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3; Tit. 1:9, 13; 2:1.