The Law is a great measuring line which God has let down to humanity. In
the pride of the natural heart, many lay hold of it and think they measure
pretty nearly what God wants, but since sin entered the world, all men are
under its penalty, "There is none righteous, no, not one." Then, since all
are imperfect, surely none can keep the perfect law, and so Jesus declared:
"None of you keepeth the Law;" and Paul says that if the law could have
been kept, Christ would not have died. Gal. 2:21. Again: "That no
man is justified by the law is evident." Gal. 3:11. None can keep it,
because sin has blemished all whom it has touched; all are
imperfect.
Does someone say that he can keep the Law? Come with me to Palestine and
see perhaps a copy of yourself. A certain young man came to Jesus saying:
"Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus takes
advantage of the words "Good Master," to show him that he has
acknowledged His authority, so that when He should afterward tell him what
to do; he could not make the excuse that he doubted His authority to so
instruct. Jesus then said to him: "Thou knowest the commandments" -- That
is to say, you know that God has arranged and promised that those who keep
the commandments may life forever. "They that do those things shall
live by them." This young man evidently had expected this answer,
for with joy he replied: "All these have I kept from my youth up." He was
indeed an exemplary man. "And Jesus beholding him loved him." And He
answered him, "One thing thou lackest." He was almost perfect, says
some one. He almost kept the whole law. No, we think not; the one
thing he lacked, was, in Jesus' estimation, the chief commandment of all;
-- viz: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, soul, mind,
and strength." This chief commandment he had not kept. Instead of loving
the Lord with all his powers, he was loving his wealth with a part
of his heart; and with a larger part too, it would seem, since he was
willing rather to cling to it than to obtain eternal life. His heart
divided its attention between God and earthly riches, and Jesus gave him
such a command as would most quickly show him where his heart's affection
centered. Another might have no riches to divide his heart, but he might
have instead, a good name, or worldly fame, and either of
these might be sharer of much of the love of the hearth so as to prevent
his loving the Lord with all his strength. This young man concluded that
the Law, as Jesus interpreted it, was more than he could keep. Let any one
who thinks he is keeping the whole law, begin with this first commandment,
repeat it slowly and apply it to himself. -- "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and
with all thy strength." A perfect man can do no more; an imperfect or
sinful man cannot live up to this perfect standard of love and obedience.
A man even on the upper rounds of the ladder, and nearest perfect, could
not keep this perfect law, to say nothing of the poor degraded beings
pushed by sin down to the lowest round.
No. there is but one who ever kept it or could keep it. Think you,
was he a perfect man, or a degraded one on the lowest round of the
ladder as some have claimed? O, he was the perfect one of whom the
all wise Father could, and did say: "This is my beloved Son in whom I
am well pleased." And as we scan his words, his acts, his character,
we exclaim,