I have been reading in the Old Testament recently. I have very slowly been going through the Law that God gave to Moses to give to the rest of Israel. There were laws covering every single area of life. Laws pertaining to worship, pertaining to family and relationships, pertaining to different feasts, pertaining to buying and selling land and property. There were so many laws, and if any of the laws were broken, they were defying the orders of God. God gave the Law to Israel so that they would be a holy people, for God is Holy, and that they would be set apart from the rest of the world, to be a testimony to the glory of God.
The Law was impossible to follow. Therefore, God made a way of atonement. Every year a sacrifice was made, to cover the sins of the people. They would be free from their guilt until they sinned again, which was not long after the sacrifice was made, so they would live with guilt until the next year. They had to do their best to uphold the Law. There were punishments for breaking some of the laws that included being put to death, so they tried harder than their best.
The Law, which is good in and of itself, for it reveals to us more clearly the character and nature of God, is impossible to uphold. It always has been, because we, as human beings are very sinful. Our very nature desires to sin. The Law was intended to point people to God, to worship Him more truthfully, and rely on Him to create a way. God has created a way for us.
We all sin. We all break the Law of God. We defy His orders and do what our hearts please, and that is to sin. I think it is comical and sad that in schools all over the country, students are told to follow their hearts and do what they feel is right. Well, apart from Christ, your heart is sinful and is at enmity with God. Unless regeneration takes place, and you are given a new heart, you will keep on sinning. We are all, apart from Christ, guilty of breaking the Law and deserve death. However, Jesus Christ came and lived a perfectly sinless, righteous life and died in the place of sinners. He took on our sin and shame and was crucified on our behalf. He was buried and rose again on the third day. He was the sacrificial Lamb, who died to make atonement for the wrongs we have done. We all have sinned, and yet we have this tendency to think we are still good. I encourage you to read the Law in the Old Testament, and see if you are good according to those standards. In fact, just look at the 10 commandments. We are all in need of atonement. Christ made the way for us. If you are not saved, I plead with you to repent and believe the Gospel. If you are saved, realize as you should daily, how amazing it is to have what we have in Christ. We are no longer guilty sinners. God the Father sees the Son when He looks at us.