This is in response to an opinion that the bible does not teach Law was impossible for people to keep, alleging that it is a common but mistaken protestant teaching.
I strongly disagree.
The bible does indeed teach no one can successfully keep the law. Here's where:
It was suggested that Paul only preached against using law for justification when he stated people are cursed under the law, and not that simply keep law caused a curse. That is far from the truth.
Look at what Paul actually said:
Galatians 2:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Yes, he did claim we are not justified by law. But keeping the law is seeking justification from it, whether we realize it or not. Law was made to justify people as Paul's quote from Moses proposes.
Verse 12 quotes Moses' words stating the man who does the law shall live. That means, eternal life is gained from doing the works of the Law. And that means law-keeping justifies a person. And truly, if a person could successfully keep that law, one would be justified.
Here is the mistake legalism makes with these kinds of words from Paul. They think Paul preached against using law to be justified.
If that were the case, Paul would have said improper use of the Law is what is error, but he actually said keeping the law is in error. And the reason it's in error is because nobody can successfully keep it. Being under the law means one is keeping it. One feels one has to keep it. I will show all passages that present this as we go along.
Since law-keeping gives one life, then it stands to reason that merely keeping law would justify a person. That's what giving life to a person means. Paul referred to the same promise law provided for those who keep it, as it referenced living, in ROmans 7:
Romans 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
The law was ordained to life. Paul meant the same thing in Ro 7:10 that Moses did in his words quoted by Paul in
Galatians 3:12. Keeping law means LIFE. What does it mean to have life? It means you won't die. Now, since everyone DIES physically, this is not talking about generally existing in the physical. Therefore, it can only mean spiritually. One will LIVE. That's why Paul ANOTHER old covenant verse saying THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. He did that in
Romans 1:17 as well as
Galatians 3:11.
Why would Moses says law-keeping causes one to LIVE, after having said the just shall LIVE by faith, if Moses did not mean a person would be justified if he or she perfectly kept the law? WHat happens is the way Paul wrote these things throws so many people off and they miss the intention due to the archaic language the bible uses. It is telling us that law-keeping was intended to justify people through works. It was not talking about ABUSE of the law, or MISUSE of it. It simply stated law-keeping puts one under a curse! Period.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
If you are UNDER THE WORKS OF THE LAW you are cursed. Period. It did not say if you seek justification by law you would be cursed. And the reason he mentions justification in verse 11 in the way he did, is because simply keeping law is synonymous with seeking justification by it. Otherwise, he would have written, "For as many as seek justification by the law are under the curse." But he didn't. In saying, "For as man as are of the works of the law are under the curse," and to follow that by saying, "No man is justified by law," is to imply that merely keeping law is seeking justification by it. And If one does not seek justification by law, and yet tries to keep it, one is simply missing the purpose of law.
I will share my thoughts on Paul's words saying failure in one aspect of the law is failure in it all in the next post.
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