 | Romans 3:19 "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
The Purpose of the Law
Have you ever had the rare opportunity to leave someone speechless? It is wonderfully satisfying to leave someone without words who usually has plenty to say! God's law renders every man speechless; and until a person comes to the point of recognizing his guilt before God, he will not be saved.
The law can only condemn you; it cannot save you. Most people are confused about this truth, and they try to use the law in a way that is completely opposite of God's purpose for the law. God is very clear when He says in verse 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."
I was preaching in a church out West last year, and I was emphasizing the fact that you cannot save yourself. After the service, as I stood in the lobby shaking hands, a visiting man came by and said quietly, "I'm doin' the best I can." He completely missed the whole point of my sermon and, more importantly, the whole point of God's law! That man's thinking is prevalent among so many church-goers today. "Doing the best you can" will never save you! "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight."
It is important to remember that when you are giving the Gospel to the lost, the law is on your side. The law will help to bring the lost person to a point of utter helplessness. The Ten Commandments do nothing but condemn every one of us! When the law condemns, it leads to asking for help. And when a person comes to God seeking help, he can always find it!
The law is your ally when you are trying to establish guilt. The law establishes guilt; Christ gives salvation. When you appeal to the Ten Commandments for salvation, you have it all wrong! When you are sharing the Gospel, keep in mind the wonderful partner you have in God's law. His law is the absolute standard to which we all fall short; and when a person realizes he cannot save himself, he can then be pointed to Christ who can and wants to save.
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