Romans 5:20-21
Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Law, by its nature, can only act as a lash, an x-ray and a halfway measure. Not only St. Paul knew this, so did the founders of the United States. They created a government based on the realistic assessment of human beings as both made in the image of God, yet fallen. “If men were virtuous,” said James Madison, “there would be no need of government.” Since we are not virtuous, or at any rate, not very virtuous, we need the cattle prod of law to herd us toward things like the common good and sharing our cookies. But the law of Moses was interested, not only in making sure that everybody shared their cookies, but in making sure that everyone was pleasing to God. The paradox of that law is that it could not do this. It could only function as an x-ray, telling us what was broken in our souls and dealing out punishment to us but not help to our souls. Like all diagnostics, it existed to be transcended, not by more diagnosis, but by healing. Therefore, it pointed beyond itself to the Healer, Jesus Christ. Today, if you discover a fault in your soul, remember that you are still in God’s image and that the one who made you has given you not only the law to highlight the problem, but Jesus Christ to forgive you and change you into his image with your cooperation. Turn from the x-ray machine to the physician and thank God for his enormous gift!
