The law reveals sin and our inability to achieve righteousness, directing believers to trust in Christ for their justification and sanctification.
Within the framework of Reformed theology, the law serves a critical role—it reveals our sinfulness and incapacity to attain righteousness through our own efforts. Romans 3:20 states that by the law comes the knowledge of sin, indicating that rather than providing a pathway to righteousness, the law exposes our failures. For believers, the law is not the means by which we strive to justify ourselves, as reiterated in Galatians 2:16, which asserts that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, while the law highlights God's standards of holiness, it ultimately points us to Christ who fulfills the law on our behalf, leading to dependence on His grace for both justification and ongoing sanctification.
Commentary