Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
-Romans 3:19-20
A citizen of any given country is held under
subjection to the laws and regulations of the land. If the citizen breaks those
laws, that citizen must be punished based on the severity and extent of the
offense. Since all of humanity is under subjection to the law of God (Romans 2:15),
and all of humanity is guilty of breaking that law (Romans 3:9-18), therefore
humanity must serve the punishment for breaking God’s law. The penalty for
disobedience is death (Romans 3:23). Sometimes, an excellent defense lawyer can
get his client a favorable verdict. However, a defense against cosmic treason
is non-existent. It is indefensible. The verdict is always the same and it is
always eternal death.
A convict can oftentimes perform community service
to decrease his sentence. A convict who has good behavior and performs
community service can sometimes get years, and even decades, erased from his
sentence. However, no good work can satisfy the demands of God’s law. The law
requires perfection, and since that is impossible for depraved humanity,
everyone is cursed. Everyone is destined to live a life of spiritual death and eternal
separation from God.
It would be a dark, depressing, and destructive
reality if that were the end of the story. The next passage, however, discusses
the hope for humanity through the justifying grace of God and the redemption
that comes through His Son. Thank the Lord for the gift of Christ!
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