Why the Law Can’t Save You — and What That Really Means

“For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break.” Romans 4:15

This verse may seem confusing at first. After all, isn’t God’s law a good thing? Didn’t He give it to Moses, write it on tablets of stone, and command His people to follow it? So how can Paul say the law brings punishment?

Let’s take a deeper look.

The Problem with the Law Isn’t the Law

Let’s be clear. God’s law is perfect. Psalm 19:7 tells us, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” God did not make a mistake when He gave the law to Moses. He wasn’t setting up His people for failure. But He was setting up a system that pointed beyond itself.

The law is holy, but it is not healing. It reveals, but it does not restore. The law tells you what to do, but it gives you no power to do it. The law demands righteousness, but it cannot make anyone righteous. It is like a flashlight in a dark room. It can show you the mess, but it cannot clean it up.

So when Paul says the law brings punishment, he is not saying it’s a bad thing. He’s saying that when you stand under the law and try to be justified by it, the only possible outcome is judgment. Why? Because you cannot keep it. Not perfectly. Not even close.

Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All. That includes every one of us. The law doesn’t bend. It doesn’t make exceptions. It doesn’t congratulate you for trying hard. It demands perfection. And perfection is something none of us can offer.

Trying to Obey the Law Only Makes Us More Guilty

The shocking reality is this: the more you try to obey the law in your own strength, the more you prove your inability to live up to it. Romans 7:10 says, “I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.”

That’s not because the law is flawed. It’s because sin lives in us. The law provokes sin. Not because it’s sinful, but because it puts a spotlight on the rebellious nature of the human heart. You don’t know how stubborn you are until you’re told what to do. The moment there is a “don’t,” something inside us wants to do it even more.

Have you ever seen a sign that says “wet paint” and immediately felt tempted to touch it? That’s what sin does. The law says, “Do not covet.” And suddenly, coveting awakens in your heart. You weren’t even thinking about it before. But now it’s alive and active. The law stirs it up, not because it’s wrong, but because we are wrong.

What Paul Means by “No Law to Break”

Paul writes, “The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break.” That sounds strange. Is he suggesting we live without any moral boundaries? Of course not. He’s making a legal point. Without law, there is no legal charge. If there’s no commandment, there’s no violation. Sin is still real, but it is not counted the same way.

That’s why, before the Mosaic Law was given, people still sinned, but their guilt wasn’t measured in the same legal terms. Once the law was revealed, sin was defined and judged clearly.

But here’s the good news. The gospel tells us that we are no longer under that law. Not because the law was thrown out, but because Jesus fulfilled it for us. Matthew 5:17 says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

He obeyed it perfectly. He met every requirement. Then He died the death we deserved as lawbreakers. And now, through faith in Him, we are no longer judged by the law. We are covered by grace.

The Freedom That Comes From Grace

This changes everything. You are not trying to climb up to God anymore. God came down to you. You are not trying to earn forgiveness. It has already been bought. You are not trying to become righteous. You have been declared righteous because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That means the law can no longer curse you. It can no longer accuse you. Its power to punish you has been removed—not by ignoring your sin, but by placing it all on Jesus.

This is why salvation by grace is so radical. It humbles the proud and lifts up the broken. It silences those who boast in their goodness and gives hope to those who know they have none.

If you think you are good enough to earn heaven, the law will crush you. But if you know you are not, then grace will lift you. This is the scandal of the gospel. God does not save the good. He saves the guilty who trust in the goodness of His Son.

So What Now?

If we are no longer under the law, does that mean we can live however we want? Paul answers that question directly in Romans 6:1: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!”

Grace doesn’t make you careless. It makes you grateful. When you understand what Christ has done for you, obedience becomes a joy, not a burden. You no longer serve out of fear of punishment. You serve out of love for your Redeemer.

Grace doesn’t give you a license to sin. It gives you power to overcome sin. The Holy Spirit lives in you now. He guides you, convicts you, and transforms you from the inside out. What the law could never do, God did by sending His Son and His Spirit.

A Final Word of Encouragement

If you’re exhausted from trying to be perfect, stop. You never could be. That’s why Jesus came. If you’re ashamed of your failures, don’t hide. Bring them to the cross. That’s where they were paid for. If you’ve been living like it all depends on you, remember this: Jesus already did everything that needed to be done.

Rest in that truth. Rejoice in that freedom. And live with a heart that overflows with gratitude.

Because now, you don’t just follow a set of rules. You follow a risen Savior.