The perfect Law makes nothing perfect

Psalm 19:7a
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.

Heb 7:18-19
For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

God's Law is perfect. There is not one thing wrong with the Law. It is good and it is holy. It's God's word to sinful man.

However, we have a problem here. The law can make nothing perfect. It just stands there, perfect and holy as can be, but does absolutely nothing to make sinful man holy. It's like that weight chart at the doctor's office that tells you how much you're supposed to weigh for your height, but when you step on the scale it does absolutely nothing to make you weigh the proper weight! The Law is perfect but it makes nothing perfect. It most certainly shows you where you've messed up, but it can do nothing to clean you up.

The weight chart is "good and holy." We desire to be all that the weight chart says we should be. But the weight chart only tells us we're off by 20 lbs.

Ok, 30 lbs.

The point is, the weight chart can and will do nothing to help with your weight problem.

The good and perfect and holy Law only condemns. That's ALL it does. Well, yeah, it kills too. After giving a sinner the list of qualifications that are needed in order to live up to it's holiness, it says, "Get out of here and DIE, you wretched sinner! You'll NEVER live up to my standard!" The Law has the right to say that, because the Law is holy and sinners are not. Sinners, by definition, cannot live up to the holiness of the Law.

Therefore, the Apostle Paul rightfully called the Law "the ministry of death" and "the ministry of condemnation" (2 Cor 3:7-9). But this very harsh reality is what ends up leading to the "conversion" of a sinner into a saint. The Law itself doesn't transform a sinner into a saint. Again, that's the one weakness of the Law... it can do nothing to make a person holy. And that's exactly what God is saying to man through the Law... "You can't do it."

But thank God... as Hebrews 7:19 says, "there is the bringing of a better hope, through which we draw near to God."

That "better hope" is the grace found in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Law will never, ever bring a person near to God. The Law is precious, but it lacks power. Any time and every time, the good, holy, perfect Law will stand there with its accusing finger saying, "You're not good enough!" But the good news is that when a person finally realizes that all they'll find in the good, holy, perfect Law is death and condemnation, then the person will finally turn to the better hope that is found in Jesus Christ.

If we think the Law is there to help us to live right in our lives as Christians, we've missed the point! Number one... the Law could never make us perfect in the first place. It could never help a person draw near to God. It only condemns. Secondly, in order to be "married" to Christ, we had to die to the Law! The Law wasn't about to die. The only way for us to get away from the condemnation and death that came from the Law was for US to die to it!

Rom 7:4-5
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another — to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

Gal 2:19
For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.

The Law doesn't give anyone life and the Law doesn't make anyone into a New Creation! And the Law can do absolutely nothing to help a New Creation to live right! The Law condemns and the Law kills.

The Spirit gives life. We walk not according to Law, but according to the Spirit. We've died to the Law and we've been made alive - and we've been brought near to God by the life of Jesus.