The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21)
You can’t know you are doing wrong if you do not know what wrong is. Kind of like going through a small town and the local police stop you for disobeying a law. You say, but that law isn’t posted anywhere. Their answer, too bad. Ignorance is no excuse.
And that is true. Ignorance is no excuse. A lot of people play on that, too. They figure that if they can keep you in the dark as to what you need to do, then they can use you in some way.
But law also has its good points. It does point out what is best for you. You may not like it, but there are some things that are bad for you. And if the law didn’t say you couldn’t do them, you would and would be hurt.
That is human nature. When everything is open to us and we can do everything, we will. If nothing is wrong, then we will do all kinds of things to hurt ourselves and those around us.
Theoretically, the laws of our country keep us from harming each other. They limit us in ways that help others. In an anarchy, nothing is wrong, so I can do whatever I want regardless of its impact on you. That may be freedom for me, but it isn’t for you.
Under anarchy, if I feel like discharging a gun in the street, I can. It will not matter to me that you might be nearby and the bullet may strike you. I just feel like shooting a gun off.
Under anarchy, I may set fires simply because I like to watch them burn, or drink a lot of alcohol and then drive home in my car, or any number of things that can hurt not only myself, but others.
Under anarchy, I am free on one level, but all those around me are bound by my actions and can be badly hurt by my “freedom.” And my freedom hurts me, too.
What is freedom to me makes others be in bondage to what I want. They are not free. The same goes for them doing things they might like that hurt me.
The law was to point out what it was that God did not like. If we love him and want to do what he likes, we have to know what it is he likes and what he doesn’t like.
The law pointed that out. But the problem was, the law also did something else. It bred frustration that we could not do all God wanted. Kind of a double whammy. We try hard to do what God wants, but there is an awful lot of stuff left over that we haven’t done.
So we get frustrated. We can either try harder, knowing we will never measure up, or we can give up. Either way, we lose.
Grace came in. Grace says that no matter how hard you try, you cannot be good enough, so God makes you good enough in the beginning. You start off good enough, so anything you do is bonus.
Trying to do everything yourself leads to death. Giving God power over your life leads to glory. And that leads to life.
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