Here is the solution of the question with the Diatribe repeats so often all though the book: ‘if we can do nothing, what is the purpose of all the laws, precepts, threats, and promises?’ Paul here gives the answer; ‘by the law is the knowledge of sin.’ His answer to the question is far different from the ideas of man, or of ‘free-will.’ He does not say that ‘free-will’ is proved by the law, nor that it co-operates unto righteousness; for by the law comes, not righteousness, but knowledge of sin. This is the fruit, the work, the office of the law; it is a light to the ignorant and blind, but one that displays disease, sin, evil, death, hell and the wrath of God. It does not help nor set them free from these things; it is content merely to point them out. When a man discovers the sickness of sin, he is cast down and afflicted; nay, he despairs. The law does not help him; much less can he heal himself. Another light is needed to reveal a remedy. This is the voice of the gospel, which displays Christ as the deliverer from all these evil things. But neither reason nor ‘free-will’ points to Him; how could reason point to Him, when it is itself darkness and needs the light of the law to show it its own sickness, which by its own light it fails to see, and thinks is sound health? (Luther, Bondage of the Will).
The reason that God gives the law is to give the knowledge of sin. It is not to show people how to obtain salvation in any way, and it is not to show people their ability to keep the Law or to make a choice. Those who depend on ‘free-will’ made a deduction, but it is not a deduction that is taught in Scripture. The Scriptures teach us with a great deal of clarity why the Law was given. Galatians 3:19-24 is very clear and specific on this issue:
Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
The question flows from the context of how salvation is based on the promise of God. Scripture gives us the question of why the Law and then tells us why it was given: “It was added because of transgressions” or “for the reason” of transgressions. What is the reason for transgressions? The Law was added to show what sin is and to shut people up under sin. The Law is the handmaiden of the promises of the Gospel of grace. We see that the Law is not contrary to the promises that God has given (v. 21). We see that the Law cannot give life (v. 22). The Law shuts up everyone under sin (v. 22). The Law shuts up everyone under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus might be given to those who believe (v. 22). The Law shuts souls up to faith (v. 23). The Law is a tutor to lead people to Christ so that they may be justified by faith.
There is nothing in these verses that would indicate that the Law was given because people have ‘free-will’ or because they have any power at all to do what it takes to be saved. The promises of God come by grace alone, and yet the Law that was given by God is not contrary to grace in the final analysis. The Law is contrary to grace alone if the soul has the ability to keep it, but it is not contrary to grace alone if the Law shows people that they cannot keep the Law and drives them to see that they must be saved apart from their ability and strength. Since the Law cannot give life, it points to Christ who is Life and can give life. But the Law does not point to the ‘free-will’ as having any power to obtain Christ so that it may have life. The Law shuts people up under sin, but it does not just partially shut them up leaving room for a ‘free-will.” The Law does not shut people up to mostly Christ and a little bit of ‘free-will’ that can do one thing to help in salvation, but it leaves people totally helpless and teaches them that Christ must do it all. The Law teaches people that they can do nothing so that they can be led to Christ alone to be justified by grace alone through faith alone.
These passages of Scripture are very clear. There is no room for ‘free-will’ in these passages. The Law was given to show people the utter necessity of Christ alone and not for the necessity of the ‘free-will’ to do something that Christ did not and does not do. In fact, rather than the Law demanding that we must have ‘free-will,’ it demands that we don’t have it. It leaves us totally in the hands of Christ and His grace, not in the hands of ‘free-will.’
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