06. What The Law Could Not Do
CHAPTER VI What the Law Could Not Do
We have seen that the Law is holy, just, good, and spiritual; also we are absolutely sure that it has accomplished its God-given purpose. But note some things it could not do:
1. It Prescribed Duty, But Provided No Motive The Ten Commandments disclose man’s duty toward God, and also his duty to his fellow men. In the Judgments, the portion of the Law that governed the civil life of Israel and in the Ordinances which governed the religious life of the nation, one finds duty prescribed in the minutest detail.
However, the Law provided no motive to do what was commanded, but rather excited the passions of the natural man. Paul says, "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death" (Romans 7:5); "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead" (Romans 7:8).
2. It Demanded Obedience, But Could Not Make Man Obedient
"For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified" (Romans 2:13). Since no one ever did do the Law, no one was ever justified by it. This obedience had to be no less than one hundred per cent perfect. God could not accept anything less. Some one has said, "The law is a stern taskmaster," and so it is. But although the Law demanded obedience of man, it could not make him obedient. Forbid a child to do something which he has never thought of doing, and at once he will long to do it. A story is told about a man in a city of Italy, who had never been beyond the confines of the city in which he was born and had lived all his life. This man declared that he had no desire whatsoever to leave the city. The ruling governor heard about the man and what he had said, and sent him a strict order forbidding him ever to leave his beloved city. From that time on to his dying day he wanted to go. "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence."
3. The Law Required Righteousness, But Could Not Make Man Righteous
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4). "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Romans 10:4). The Mosaic Law as the rule of life for God’s earthly people demanded righteousness and that no less than one hundred per cent perfect. The Law was absolutely inflexible in its demands, and not a sort of an accordion affair that could be adjusted to suit the individual. It could not justify nor make man righteous, for we read, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16); "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21); "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:20).
4. The Law Revealed Sin, But Could Not Remove It
Just as a ray of sunlight will reveal dust on a piece of furniture, so the Law reveals sin. The brighter the sunlight, the clearer the dust is revealed. This is also true concerning the Law, for we are told, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet" (Romans 7:7). The Law no more creates the sin than the sunlight creates the dust, Neither can the Law remove the sin any more than the sunlight the dust. But thank God, there is a mighty power that can remove sin--"Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5).
5. The Law Enslaved Men, But Could Not Set Them Free
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). The Epistle to the Galatians is God’s answer to every form of legalism. Judaizing teachers had come into the churches in Galatia teaching them that it was necessary to add the works of the Law to the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Again and again we find it stated in the Scriptures that legalism is an enslaving yoke. The message of Galatians is very much needed in our time. Everywhere one finds the Lord’s people struggling under the "yoke of bondage." In Galatians 4:9 we read, "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" In the Book of Acts we read what Peter declared when the apostles and the elders met in council at Jerusalem. "And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter (circumcision). And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:6-11).
These verses plainly teach that the Law enslaves men, but there is no word that tells us that the Law could liberate those in bondage. Not one had fulfilled the high and holy demands of the Law for the Law is an impossible merit system.
Legalism denies the finished work of Christ on the Cross. It robs the believer of his liberty and hinders him in his spiritual progress. It produces stunted Christians.
6. The Law Condemned to Death the Best of Men, But Could Not Give Life When the Apostle Paul asks the question, "Who is he that condemneth?" (Romans 8:34), he evidently has the Law in mind. We have seen in a previous chapter that God’s judgment upon Adam’s original sin resulted in the condemnation of all men. Then the Law came in and confirmed this judgment and its results. James says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). When a certain lawyer stood up and tempted our Lord, asking, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25), he was by the Lord brought face to face with the Law and its demands. He answered correctly when he was questioned concerning the Law, and to his answer the Lord replied, "This do, and thou shalt live."
He had not met the requirements of the Law; he could not meet them and so could not receive life through the Law. We are told, "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law" (Galatians 3:21).
7. The Law Made Nothing Perfect The Law prescribed duty, but provided no motive; it demanded obedience, but could not make man obedient; it required righteousness, but could not justify; it revealed sin, but could not remove it; it enslaved men, but could not set them free; it condemned and killed the best of men, but could not give life. No wonder the apostle says, "The law made nothing perfect."
There was nothing wrong with the Law. It was as perfect as the author of it. Paul reveals the reason for the inability of the Law when he says, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh." The trouble was with the flesh and not with the Law. The flesh is powerless for that which is good. The natural man is a total failure with reference to righteousness.
I may have a lever strong enough to raise an object weighing many tons, but if my fulcrum is of cardboard I cannot accomplish my task though the lever be perfect.