“Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.”
— Deuteronomy 27:26
Here lies the curse of the Law the Apostle speaks of in Galatians 3:10. To work your way to heaven you must take no days off. There are no sick days and no excuses. If you break one commandment, you are as cursed as if you had broken all of them. The Lord says, “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”[1]
Even the most prideful rich young ruler who says in his heart, “All these have I kept form my youth” cannot boast of what Law he will keep tomorrow. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”[2] All of yesterday’s good deeds cannot compensate for tomorrow’s sin. “…When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness , and committeth iniquity….all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them he shall die.” [3]
This is what makes the path of works righteousness impossible. That, and the fact that unregenerate human nature will not seek to obey or glorify God at all whatsoever[4]. The carnal mind itself is enmity against God says Romans 8:7. Not at enmity, is enmity, and therefore cannot by itself be in continuous subjection to the perfect, holy, righteous law of God. That is why Jesus offers rest to those who are heavy laden,[5] and comfort to those who mourn.[6] “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”[7]
But make no mistake about it, that same precious psalm also says “Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that that the righteous shall be desolate.”[8] And who is “the righteous” spoken of in psalm 34? “There is none good, but one, that is, God,” [9] and those who harden their hearts against His offer of grace will find the face of the Lord against them[10] on the day of judgment.
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.” — Psalm 2:12
And all the people shall say, Amen.
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