The Law Worketh Wrath

“Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is,

there is no transgression.” (Romans 4:15)

Any who look to the law of God either to give them salvation or to maintain salvation must read carefully this declaration of God in His Holy Word. The law can only work wrath. Here it simply states ‘law’ works wrath. That is any rule, obligation or duty that someone may seek to follow for peace, pardon, justification, sanctification or redemption must necessarily be condemned. Why? Because God is a Holy and Just God and cannot accept any in His presence who are not just as holy as He is. For this reason, the Scriptures are clear:

1. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4)

2. “The law was added because of transgressions.” (Galatians 3:19)

3. “By the law is the knowledge of sin, therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight.” (Romans 3:20)

4. “It is a ministration of condemnation.” (2 Corinthians 3:9)

5. “Cursed is every one who continueth not in ALL things, which

are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Galatians 3:10)

How blind and foolish then it is for any to look to the law for any help. All the law can do is work in us a sense of our condemnation, a fearful looking for judgment and a fiery indignation, Hebrews 10:27. When the Spirit of God shines the Light of Glory: Christ in the soul, it is then that that sinner will see himself as he is, a child deserving of God’s wrath, unable to save himself. Then the mouth is stopped and the sinner is found guilty, Romans 3:19.

What then is the remedy? The second part of Romans 4:15 tells us that where there is no law, there is no transgression. How can it be that the law be satisfied and its condemnation removed to such a degree that there is NO TRANSGRESSION? The only answer is that there is an Advocate, an Arbiter Who has so fulfilled the law that there remains nothing but righteousness to impute to those sinners for whom He is their Representative before a Holy God. Here is where the Spirit of God leads the sinner upon beginning His work in the heart. It is to Him Who fulfilled the law for that sinner and is shown how the death of the LORD Jesus took away all the wrath of God and the curse of sin for him, thereby obtaining everlasting peace with God, Christ Jesus having paid their horrible sin debt! This is Good News indeed for those sinners that the Father chose and the Son has come and redeemed. When so enLightened by the Spirit of God, that sinner will cease any further attempts at personal obedience or works of their own for relief: “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made us free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)