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).
Galatians 3:19-24 tells us what the purpose and intent of the Law is and it is not to show us our ability:
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 …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.
This teaching must be pounded on and driven into the hearts of people. It is so easy to slip from this teaching to something else as has been demonstrated by history. It is so hard for the fallen mind to get away from the idea that since God gives commands and laws that it must be able to keep them. As Erasmus said, “‘if we can do nothing, what is the purpose of all the laws, precepts, threats, and promises?’” That is the heart of all mankind apart from the teaching of the Scriptures and the grace of God. But Galatians 3:19-24 tells us a different story. It tells us that the Law was given in order to drive us to Christ. The Law does not tell us what we can (have the ability) do, it tells us what we should do. It also teaches us what we need to be saved from and Who must live in us if the Law is to be kept by us. Human beings are not told that they have the ability to contribute anything toward keeping the Law, but instead are told that they cannot do it at all and that this drives them to Christ.
Paul taught what it was that that made him die to his ability to keep the Law in Galatians 2: “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God” (v. 19). When Paul really understand the demands of the Law and the spirituality of the Law, it was the Law that killed him and drove him away from any hope or ability to keep the Law. He speaks of this again in Romans 7:6-16. It was the Law that seemed to produce sin in him, though in fact it was the Law showing him his heart of rebellion and his sinful heart against the Law. So rather than the Law showing Paul and us that we have an ability to keep the Law at any point in our own strength, the Law aroused his and our sinful hearts and shows us the kind of hearts we have. Just to repeat, the Law was not given in order to show us that we have ‘free-will’ and so that we have even a small amount of ability, but to the contrary the Law shows us that our hearts are at enmity with God and that we have no ability to keep the Law at all. It drove Paul and drives human beings today to an utter end of any hope in self or the will of self (‘free-will’) so that the soul may look to Christ and His grace alone. We don’t look to self to look to Christ or to self to trust in Christ, but we look to Christ to enable us to believe and to Christ to hold on to us.
Galatians 3:10 tells us what to think of ourselves or others in terms of any ability to keep the Law. “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” The Law does not teach us that we have a little ability to keep it, but instead it tells us that even if we did have a little ability that would avail nothing. If we don’t keep all things of the Law we are cursed. The Gospel of grace alone does not reach those who have some ability, but to those who cannot keep any of the Law and need grace alone.
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