What good is the law if it cannot help a person? The law referenced here, are the 10 Commandments and in keeping them, one might enter heaven. It might help if we insert a text of Scripture here to clarify any possible confusion.
Paul the apostle wrote in Galatians 2:16, “…a person is not justified by work of the law…” He writes about the same thing to the church at Rome “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20, ESV).
The law is unable to help us, the Ten Commandments are there to let us know when we sin. Sin is defined as missing the mark, as an archer would have their arrow fall short of their target. It can also be defined as rebellion toward God, which began in Genesis chapter three when Adam and Eve went against God and chose their demise.
Jesus, in talking with the rich young man who asked Him, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16, ESV) The rest of the conversation goes like this: “And He said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.’ He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to Him, ‘All these I have kept. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:17-22).
As you read this exchange between the rich young man and the Lord Jesus, it is apparent that the young man is “doing” things to keep the law that each Jewish man would keep. On the outside, by keeping the Jewish Law he was doing what he was taught and how he thought best to get to heaven.
Jesus’ response of selling all his goods and giving it to those in real need, did him in. The young man showed his true colors by showing that what he was counting on for eternal life was “doing” things to please God. It was as if he was attempting to do more good things than bad things to be accepted by God.
The bottom line is that you cannot earn eternal life by what you “do” but it is what you believe. John 3:16 shows us very clearly that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that, whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” But Jesus gets more specific in John 6:29 about what the work of God is, “Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (Emphasis mine)
Jesus says nothing about the law getting you in good with His Father and heaven but it is an issue of the heart. It is all about “belief” or “faith.”
Paul the apostle has one of the strongest statements to this issue of “doing” verses “being” and how one receives eternal life. In Romans 1:16-17 the apostle writes some of the most famous and important of the New Testament; “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Emphasis mine)
To enter the kingdom of heaven or eternal life is not a result of works but of faith in what Jesus Christ did on the cross. And how that is done is clearly outlined in Romans 10:9-10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
So those who “keep” the law or try to be good by good works apart from Christ cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. The law can’t help you in this case but only by trusting Christ or by faith in Him.
It comes down to one way to get to God and that is through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. The shortest way from point A to point B is a straight line; Jesus is the straight line. Are you tired of trying to keep the law or “doing things” to earn God’s favor?
Let us make it easy, you cannot do enough to earn God’s favor but you can receive His favor through believing in His Son. Take the straight path through Jesus to enter heaven. Don’t delay do it today!