βTherefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sightβ¦β (Rom. 3:20).
It is strange that so many sincere people can so misunderstand Godβs written Word as to suppose that He gave the Law βto help us to be goodβ or βas a rule of life.β The Law was not given to help us to be good, but rather to show us that we are sinners and need a Savior. Rom. 3:22,23 says that βthere is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.β How foolish, then, to look to the Law for help. Though the Law provides for just trial it does not help the criminal; it condemns him. Thus the Bible teaches that the Law was given:
βThat every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before Godβ (Rom. 3:19).
βFor by the law is the knowledge of sinβ (Rom. 3:20).
βThat sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinfulβ (Rom. 7:13).
This leads us to St. Paulβs great conclusion:
βTherefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sightβ (Rom. 3:20).
This makes sense, for doing a few βgoodβ things cannot right the wrongs we have done. Good is what we should do, hence we should not expect to be rewarded for it.
But, thank God, βChrist died for our sinsβ (I Cor. 15:3) and βby Him all who believe are justifiedβ (Acts 13:39).
βTherefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the lawβ (Rom. 3:28).