My righteousness has failed. There is nothing coming out of John Piper that's righteous.

There is no hope for me getting by at the judgment or being accepted

on the basis of my righteousness. Therefore my only hope is that now God will step forward

and do something in regard to righteousness and what he does is reveal his own in the world.

How does knowing what the law cannot do help us better understand the gospel? That's the question John Piper explores

from Romans 3 19 and 20 in this episode of Light and Truth. This sermon was

originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on March 28, 1999.

The law can only do negative work.

It comes and it condemns its letter, it kills.

The spirit gives life. The letter kills. Why does it kill? Why is this law so powerless? Why is it only

the letter in my life? Answer, my flesh. My rebellion, that's what flesh means for Paul.

That rebellious, unregenerate me or after conversion,

that side of me that tries to get the upper hand in war against the spirit.

And where that takes over, the law kills.

2 Corinthians 3 6 and so on. So the works of the law cannot justify anybody because the law bumping up against the flesh kills by

revealing how sinful I am. It doesn't

it doesn't awaken faith, it doesn't awaken humility, it doesn't bring about anything I need to get saved.

Which is faith in God's grace.

That comes another way.

Now, last question,

how do these two points in verse 20 support the argument in verse 19

says, whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be closed

...