Our Goodness Is Not Enough

KEY VERSE: “There shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.” —Romans 3:20

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Romans 2:1, 17-31

GOD had declared through Moses (Lev. 18:5), that under his covenant with them, keeping the Law would insure eternal life to any Jew; but from the days of Moses to Christ, not one had merited life by keeping the Law. Death still reigned even as it had reigned from Adam to Moses, though many prophets and faithful men of the past had tried, in all sincerity, to keep the commandments.

One would think every Jew should, by this time, have been convinced that none were able to keep the Law, because of their imperfect, sinful condition. God’s perfect Law is the full measure of a perfect man’s ability. Had Israel realized this, the Law would have answered its purpose to them because God knew beforehand that they could not keep it, and never expected them to. It was simply given to them to prove their shortcomings and their inability to measure up to its requirements, and could have prepared them to accept deliverance through Christ.

When the young ruler came to inquire of Jesus about this matter, our Lord knew he had not arrived at this logical conclusion when he said he had kept all the commandments from his youth, and could not understand why he had evidences that he was dying. “What lack I yet?” (Matt. 19:16-22), was his question. This young man had not learned the lesson, and therefore Jesus advised him to go on trying to keep the Law. When it was evident to Jesus that the young man was sure he had done all he could about keeping the Law, he said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.”

Jesus’ answer was designed to convince him he had not kept the Law perfectly—that he did not love God with all his heart, nor his neighbor as himself. He proved to him that he loved himself and his possessions more than either. And the young man must have understood, for he went away sorrowful, evidently convinced he still fell short of the Law’s requirements.

Had the young man sold all and followed Jesus, he would have obtained more than the Law promised. The Law promised life everlasting, human existence—restitution, a treasure on earth; but the treasure in heaven to which Jesus referred is a change of nature from human to spiritual, and not only so, but to the highest order of spiritual being, the divine nature, as explained by Peter.—II Pet. 1:4

The treasure in heaven is reserved for all those who, like Jesus, keep the law in this age, when its requirements amount to and imply a sacrifice even unto death. And only those keep the law who, being justified by faith in the precious blood of Christ, walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Such are reckoned of God as perfect, as having kept the commandments; and are thus joint-sacrifices and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord.

This is in harmony with our text. By the actual deeds or doing of the Law shall no flesh be justified, but by faith in Christ we are reckoned as perfect and our sacrifice therefore acceptable. ‘The righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”—Rom. 8:4

“If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (Gal. 3:21), and not by a sacrifice. But commanding could never make an imperfect man capable of meeting the requirements of justice; and even if able to do so fully, there were penalties against each one because of Adam’s sins which must be paid by someone. For each person to meet them for himself would mean extinction.

This points up the need of, first, a ransom; and, secondly, a life-giver; both of which are supplied to us by God in Christ Jesus our Lord. A thousand or a million years in death would not pay man’s penalty, as there is no limitation of time either mentioned or implied, in the terms of the prescribed penalty, nor in any scriptural reference to it; there is no escape except through the ransom provided.

The human existence of Jesus, our ransom, our substitute, was surrendered to everlasting death; but thank God he lives as a divine being to claim and restore to its perfection that purchased by his human life—mankind.

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