Connect Hebrews 7:19 with Romans 8:3-4 regarding the law's limitations. Setting the Stage • God’s law is holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), yet Scripture speaks candidly about its limits. • Hebrews 7:19 pinpoints the issue: “for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” • Romans 8:3-4 explains how that “better hope” works in real life. What Hebrews 7:19 Tells Us • The Mosaic law—bound to the Levitical priesthood—could expose sin but never erase it. • “Made nothing perfect” means it could not bring complete reconciliation or mature holiness. • God’s answer is “a better hope,” anchored in a superior, indestructible priesthood (Hebrews 7:16-17, 22). • That hope opens the way to “draw near to God,” something no sacrifice of bulls or goats could fully achieve (Hebrews 10:1-4). Romans 8:3-4—God Does What the Law Could Not “ ‘For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.’ ” Key observations: • Powerless—not because the law was flawed, but because human flesh is. • God sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful man” to be the sin-offering the law demanded but humanity could never supply. • The result: condemnation of sin itself, not merely the sinner, and an internal fulfillment of the law’s “righteous standard” by the Spirit. Threading the Needle—How These Texts Fit Together 1. Same diagnosis – Hebrews: “made nothing perfect.” – Romans: “powerless… weakened by the flesh.” – Galatians 3:21-22 echoes, “If a law had been given that could impart life…” but Scripture “imprisoned everything under sin.” 2. Same solution – Hebrews points to a “better hope” through an eternal priest (Jesus). – Romans shows that priest actually dealing with sin in His flesh. 3. Same goal – Hebrews: “draw near to God.” – Romans: walk “according to the Spirit,” fulfilling the law from within (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26-27). Why the Law Still Matters • It reveals God’s character (Romans 3:20). • It points to Christ (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24). • Its righteous standard is now written on believers’ hearts (Hebrews 8:10). Living in the Fulfillment • Approach God confidently—access is secured (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-22). • Depend on the Spirit to express the law’s righteousness through love (Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:22-23). • Celebrate freedom from condemnation while pursuing holiness (Romans 8:1, 13). |
    |