Romans 3:9-20

Paul’s argument is coming to a head here, where he is showing that neither Jew nor Gentile can keep all the requirements of the Law, for we all fall short of its glorious standard. Yet he lets us in on a secret—the purpose of the Law is not to save us, but rather to remove our excuses and help us see our guilt and absolute need for a Savior.

The capstone of his argument is in this statement:

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

Just let that sink in—the Law’s purpose is to reveal our guilt because of our inability to keep all its requirements. We need to recognize our guilt before God—that is its purpose.

Consider what Jesus states in Matthew 5:17:

““Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” 
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Consider some select portions of Paul’s words to the Galatians in Galatians 3:

“But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” ….Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people….Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭12‬, ‭19‬, ‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The purpose of the Law is to lead us to Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Law. Everything points to Him.

What a difficult concept this must have been for those who had spent their lives trying to be “good enough.” They didn’t fully understand the nature or magnitude of God’s holiness—or their absolute insufficiency to stand before Him on their own merit.

Isaiah experienced this firsthand when he saw the Lord and exclaimed:

“It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” 
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Mind you, Isaiah was a good man, yet obviously not good enough—and in the presence of a holy God, he immediately recognized his own sinfulness and guilt. That had to be a frightening moment for him.

The message in all of this is simple—we need Christ!

The Law, though perfect, was never intended to save us, but rather to show us our need and point us to the One who could. The Law reveals the problem; Christ is God’s answer.

God provided the way back to Himself through the sacrifice of His Son, who paid the price we could never pay. Jesus was and is perfect in every way. He alone fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law and was able to offer Himself as the perfect, sinless sacrifice for us.

We could never be good enough, work hard enough, or obey perfectly enough to make ourselves right with God. That is precisely why Jesus came.

The Law says, “Here is God’s perfect standard.”

Our lives say, “We have fallen short.”

And the cross says, “The price has been paid.”

Everything points to Jesus. The Law showed us our need for a Savior—and then God gave us one.