“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. “ Galatians 3:21-22
God’s law and His gospel are not contradictory, as some would have us believe. The law is good and right, but it cannot give us life because we are sinners who do not and cannot keep the law as God requires. The law curses and condemns us as sinners and dooms us to death and damnation that we might look in faith to Christ Jesus and His perfect obedience and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead for our sins.
Your holy commandments reveal my guilt and condemn me, O God. Grant that I believe the gospel promise of forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus Christ, who kept the law for me and then suffered my punishment when He died on the cross for the sins of all. Amen.
[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]