Hammered by the Law

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.Galatians 3:19
Although the law doesn't justify us, it's still useful and necessary. First, in society, it holds the lawless people in check. Second, it shows people that they are sinners guilty of death and worthy of eternal wrath.

Why does the hammer of the law smash us to pieces and crush us? Of what use is this humiliation? It shows us that the way of grace stands open to us. So the law is a servant and prepares us for grace. For God is a God of the humble, the miserable, the troubled, the oppressed, the despairing, and those who have become totally nothing. He lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, heals the blind, comforts the miserable and troubled, justifies the sinner, raises the dead, and saves the despairing and the condemned. For he is the almighty Creator who makes everything from nothing. Most of all, he protects us from the most harmful corruption—presuming we're righteous. No one wants to be a sinner who is impure, miserable, and condemned. But everyone wants to be righteous and holy. So God uses this hammer of the law to break, crush, and annihilate this beast with its empty confidence, wisdom, righteousness, and power. As a result, it will learn through its misfortune that it is lost and condemned. When the conscience has been terrified in this way by the law, there's a place for the teaching of the gospel and of grace, which restores and comforts the conscience. This teaching says that Christ came into the world, not to break a bruised reed, not even to snuff out a smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3), but "to preach good news to the poor. . . . bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61:1).

This is the reply I got when I posted this: "Cool perspective on it man. Might be a bit heavy handed for some non-Christians if you lead with that, but that doesn't make it any less true. ;)"

My response was: Thanks. Yeah, it's like wow isn't that a little ruff. But like Paul said i had not known sin, but by the law. The law is a schoolmaster to lead sinners to Christ. I been told, 'dude you can't go around condemning people', but the Bible says... they are condemned already and I don't condemn I want to show people their state before a Holy God. We need to be light and salt. Why candy coat it. People need to know that there are ten great cannons pointing at them, that God's wrath abides on them. We try not to offend others by saying, "don't worry all have sinned," but if we add water to the medicine, we could rob it of it's curing properties. Too much of the church tries to reflect the world to draw people, but we as the body of Christ need to stand up and say there is a right and wrong. We should be less worried about offending sinners and reach to them knowing they face eternity in Hell. I want to take this message to the church and tell the bride of Christ not to ask the world if it looks appealing, but ask Jesus. There is some kind of manly stuff missing. So much is about beauty and allure, but what about the straight up grit of truth. The truth is not without love. If a farmer has to put down his prize winning, but ill horse, does he do it cause he is a man and suppose to just be cold and unfeeling? No, he loves his horse and wants what is best for it and doesn't want to see it in pain. Most of the world says "that is unfeeling. You have no heart." But wasn't his motivation love? Even though it seems ruff. It seems to me that it is unfeeling to be selfish in spite of the horses pain. The law makes grace make sense. Read Jude 1:22-23.