“So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:24-26)
Paul indicates that is foolish for believers to continue to live under the Law. The Law was like a tutor that we needed to teach us right from wrong, to obey God. Yet it also kept us in bondage because we were slaves to it and we were slaves to sin. He extends this metaphor to include all the pagan religious beliefs that many of the Galatians had subscribed to before they came to Christ. They too were in bondage to them. Thus Paul points out that those Jews who still follow the law are slaves, they are not sons of God at all. That is why those who are in Christ need no longer come under the Law for they are sons, they have their inheritance already, the fullness of life and the guarantee of salvation.
The whole idea of law is to enforce obedience, promote order and protect others from harm. It does this by threatening punishment which engenders fear that is supposed to produce the desired effects of love, cooperation and tolerance. Many Christians love such laws because they think that by keeping them they are doing the will of God, that following laws makes them righteous.
We are all slaves to laws of our own making, superstitions, religious taboos and false gods as well as laws enforced upon us by others. But fear of punishment is not a proper motive for obedience. The fear of God ought to lead people to Him, but it is the Love of God that draws people to Him. He desires we obey out of love and thanksgiving for what He has done because those in Christ are sons of God, not slaves. We need not fear God’s wrath anymore because we live by the Spirit. He enables us to walk in loving obedience in accordance to God’s will.