God Says, Part 1

What does God say? Is it possible that maybe we can do enough good things to be right with Him? No, because God says in Romans 3:20, ‘Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be  justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.‘

Suppose this man who has committed murder stands before the judge and says, ‘Your Honour, you don’t understand. Since I committed the murder five years ago, I’ve obeyed every law in this land. I’ve researched all the ATO tax laws. I have meticulously made sure that I have kept every single tax law and I’ve never violated anything. I don’t jaywalk. I go to the crosswalks. I never walk even if it is yellow. I don’t go through yellow lights when I’m driving. I’m so very careful. If the speed limit is 60, I go 59, just in case my speedometer is one kilometre off. Your Honour, you don’t understand. I’ve obeyed the law. You have to understand, I’ve obeyed the law.’ But what does all that matter if he has committed murder? He is still guilty.

We try to impress God with all the good things that we do. But doing good things was never meant to make up for sin. Keeping the law or doing right does not save a man. God’s law was not given so we could keep it and earn our way into heaven. God’s law was not given so we could keep it and be acceptable to God. The Bible says the purpose of the law is to show us our sin. God gave us the law to give us the knowledge of sin. God gave the law so we could see what God expects of us, which is total perfection. If we break one point of the law, we are guilty of breaking it all.

It is impossible for a person to get to Heaven by keeping the law. God gave us the law so we could understand that we are in violation of God’s law. The law can’t save you. The law was given to condemn you. There is no hope in the law for you and me.