The Law of God, as revealed in the Scriptures, serves as a divine standard of righteousness and holiness. It is a reflection of God's perfect character and His expectations for human conduct. However, the Bible consistently teaches that man, in his fallen state, is incapable of rendering perfect obedience to this Law.

The Nature of the Law

The Law of God is comprehensive, encompassing moral, ceremonial, and civil precepts. It is epitomized in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and further expounded throughout the Pentateuch. The Law demands complete and unwavering obedience, as stated in Deuteronomy 27:26 : "Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice by doing them." The Law is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12), reflecting God's unchanging standards.

Human Inability to Fulfill the Law

Scripture affirms that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The inherent sinfulness of humanity, a consequence of the Fall, renders perfect obedience to the Law impossible. Ecclesiastes 7:20 declares, "Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." This universal condition of sin is further emphasized in Romans 3:10-12 : "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

The Purpose of the Law

The Law serves several purposes. It reveals the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, acting as a mirror to show humanity its need for a Savior. Romans 3:20 states, "Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin." The Law also acts as a tutor to lead us to Christ, as Galatians 3:24 explains: "So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

The Role of Grace and Faith

While the Law highlights human inability, it also points to the necessity of divine grace. Salvation and righteousness are not achieved through the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 affirms, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." Christ's perfect obedience and sacrificial death fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law on behalf of believers (Romans 8:3-4).

The Believer's Relationship to the Law

For those in Christ, the Law is not abolished but fulfilled. Believers are called to uphold the moral law, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in a manner pleasing to God. Romans 6:14 assures, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." The new covenant in Christ enables believers to pursue holiness, not as a means of earning salvation, but as a response to the grace received.

In summary, while the Law of God is perfect and just, human beings, due to their sinful nature, cannot achieve perfect obedience. This reality underscores the necessity of grace and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who alone fulfills the Law's demands and offers righteousness to all who believe.1 Kings 8:46
If they sin against you, (for there is no man that sins not,) and you be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives to the land of the enemy, far or near;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man on earth, that does good, and sins not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Obedience to the Moral Law.
... It is plain that the law of God cannot require any ... It is maintained by some that
the grace of the gospel pledges to every man perfect knowledge, or at least ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xi obedience to the.htm

The Sinfulness of Original Sin.
... like manner, the fact, that man cannot reinstate himself ... the unfallen angels possess
and render, God will leave ... operations of stark unmitigated law and justice ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/the sinfulness of original sin.htm

Whether it is Requisite for Religious Perfection that Poverty ...
... On the contrary, In the Old Law the Nazareans were ... requires that a man give "his
whole life" to God. But a man cannot actually give God his whole life, because ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is requisite for 2.htm

New Covenant Obedience
... while its chief blessing, the power of a holy life, a heart delighting in God's
law, and a life ... The secret thought, "No man can obey God," throws thousands ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/chapter xiii new covenant obedience.htm

Its Basis
... as to the righteousness which the God-man Mediator had ... holy, our Sponsor did, by
entering our law-place, render ... officially liable to the wrath of God; and so ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the doctrine of justification/4 its basis.htm

Book 2
... the reality was absent; but the New Testament exhibits the present truth.3. The
former, in respect of the Law, was the ... Christ is God and man: God, that he ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/book 2.htm

Prayer and Obedience
... explicit: "Whosoever shall keep the whole law," he declares ... so inconsiderate as to
require of man that which ... Are they better and more just than a perfect God? ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/ix prayer and obedience.htm

Joshua and the Angel
... His perfect obedience to God's law has given Him all ... from His Father mercy and
reconciliation for guilty man. ... powers of earth to destroy the people of God. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 47 joshua and the.htm

The Test of Discipleship
... "Little children, let no man deceive you: he ... Jesus said of Himself before He came
to earth, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 7 the test of.htm

Sanctions of Moral Law, Natural and Governmental.
... the penal sanction of the law of God is endless ... precept always incurs the penalty
of the law, whatever that ... would involve the most guilt, for a man to smite ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xix sanctions of moral.htm

What is the spirit of the law? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law, but did not abolish it? | GotQuestions.org

What is natural law? | GotQuestions.org

Law: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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