Introduction: God wants us to live as His image bearers. This means that our identity and behavior models His through dependency on Him alone. When we fail to trust God, we not only sin but suffer eternal guilt and misery.
In a divine act of mercy, God grants us with His law as explained through the book of Leviticus. In this book of holiness, we see the life we are supposed to life (chapters 1-15) contrasted with the life we do live in sin (chapters 19 & 26). What is a person to do?
Our natural tendency is to save ourselves through works, but is this realistic? Can man use the law of God to achieve salvation and live the life he was meant to live?
Title: What is the Purpose of the Law?
Text: Romans 7:7-25
I. The Law is Good; Period. - v.7-12
A. The Law Teaches Us God's Will - v.7
B. The Law Reveals Sin as Desire, not simply an Action - v.8
C. The Law Exposes Sin through Definition and Provocation - v.9-11
D. The Law is Good, it is Sin which is Evil - v.9-12
II. Humans Are Held Captive to Sin, not the Law - 13-24
A. Sin is Opposed to the Law - v.13-14
B. Humans, who exist in the flesh, are CAPTIVE to Sin - v.14
C. It is not a matter or desire or knowledge; humanity is depraved and CANNOT obey the Law (will) of God - v.15-19
D. Sin controls Humanity - v.20
E. Humanity is POWERLESS to save itself - v.24
III. The Law Reveals a Need for a Savior - v.25
A. The Law is not the Healer; only the Revealer of the plight of man
B. Only Jesus can save! -v. 25
He alone lived the life of the law and paid our price of disobedience. He alone has risen from the death so that as He lives, we might live also. HIS POWER becomes our hope!
Conclusion:
God alone saves. Laws, religion, philosophies and education can only reveal the problem, they cannot cure it. Not only are they inept, but they distract us from worshipping the only One worthy of worship: God. Thank God for showing us His sufficiency and our need for Him!!
