“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19-20

The role of the Law is to bring knowledge of what sin is, but it has no power to remove sin and bring about justification.

 To be justified means to be examined and found without a record of sin. When we trade our stained life for the pure life of Jesus there is no longer a record of sin in our history - not even one. In Christ, we are holy, pure and absolutely blameless.

Therefore, as those who have been redeemed and justified by His blood, let us not live as though we are pardoned criminals who do not deserve the favor of God. Our Father paid the ultimate price to remove our shame that we may gratefully and freely come into His presence without fear.(Heb.10)

Though the Law cannot save us, we could not know what sin was without the Law, -“Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” ( Ro.7) In 1 John 3:4 the Apostle defines sin as lawlessness - the transgression of the Law. 

Sadly, it is too often the case in the Church today, that those who obey the Laws of the Christian Covenant are accused of practicing legalism. Real legalism is the belief that you can be your own savior and have no need of Christ.

 Interestingly, the term legalism is not found in the Scriptures, but lawlessness is.

Jesus prophesied of the Judgment saying that many would do various ministries in His name but would not obey His Commandments. To those lawless ones, He will say, -“I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matt.7) 

What is lawlessness but the failure to keep God’s Law? The End-Time Beast is called “the man of lawlessness” and the spirit of Anti Christ is already at work promoting the lie that obedience is not necessary for fellowship. But Amos asked the obvious, -“Can two walk together unless they be agreed?”

Today’s text teaches us that keeping the Law cannot save us. Christians are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.

Now, let us ask - can we be saved apart from keeping God’s Law?

Paul addresses this in the previous Chapter of Romans saying, -“For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.” At first these two passages may seem like a contradiction, but notice that the Apostle is teaching that though the Law cannot justify, no one can be justified while they are in rebellion against God’s Law.

Obeying God’s Commandments is submitting to His will. While we are saved by grace from the penalty of our sins, we are saved to “good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”(Eph.2) 

Jesus said, -“If you wish to enter into life, keep the Commandments.”(Matt.19) Of course salvation and eternal life is impossible without receiving Jesus as your Savior - just as impossible without obeying Him as your Lord.