God’s Law: A Diagnostic Tool

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.
Romans 3:20

A patient with hypertension who dutifully checks his blood pressure morning and evening might still die of a stroke. For simply taking his blood pressure would not solve the problem; it would only reveal a situation in need of treatment.

The Jews made a similar mistake in thinking that the law was the means of their salvation, when in fact it was designed by God to show their need for salvation.

Martin Luther clarifies the issue.

WALK WITH MARTIN LUTHER
“The first understanding of the law should be that we see the inability of human nature to keep it.

“You may do good works outwardly; but God is not satisfied unless they are performed from the heart and out of love, which is not possible unless a man is born anew through the Holy Spirit.

“God, then, wants to achieve no more with the law than getting us to recognize our inability, our frailty, our sickness—to recognize that, so far as we are concerned, we cannot keep one letter of the law. When you feel that, the law has done its work.

“This is what Paul means when he says to the Romans: ‘Through the law we become conscious of our sin.’ “

WALK CLOSER TO GOD
A wall may appear straight—until you hold a plumb line against it. A garment may look white—until you lay it next to a whiter one. In each case, you need a standard against which all other objects can be compared.

In the realm of righteousness, the standard is God’s law. It is there you discover how far you have drifted from God’s holiness, how soiled you are with sin. It is there you see an accurate diagnosis of your problem.

It is there you come to realize that you are powerless to save yourself.

Are you ready to acknowledge your predicament? Then you are also ready to receive God’s provision.