Romans 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Paul is again speaking to the Jews. They felt since God had given them the law they had some special provision before God. Many such as the pharisees saw their adherence to the law as their justification before God. Paul had described them as hypocrites in the beginning of this chapter. They looked down upon others for their perception of others standing before God and at the same time could not see their own need for salvation. They had taken the law and used it as a measure to approach unto God. They had failed to see that this very law showed them their inadequacy before God. This law was to drive them to Christ.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
The law was given to show us that we cannot stand before God. We have no merit. God’s laws are holy and just and good, and we are not. The Jews could not see this. They were ignorant of the righteousness of God. They went about seeing their keeping of the law as their righteousness before God. God giving this people His law did not equate with justification before God. They had confidence in the blood of Abraham. They had confidence in circumcision. They could not see that God does not look to man for satisfaction, but would look outside of man to His lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
The boast of the Jews was in their works. God would not look to these but to the works of His dear Son. Today is no different. There are those that see Christ’s work as a part of salvation but not the whole. Man has devised multiple ways to make His work count for them. This is no different than the Jews in the day of Paul. Man is a sinner. Unbelief is a sin. Man in himself cannot believe that Christ has fully saved. Christ needs no help from man in His affairs. When He cried it is finished He was proclaiming to God and man that what He had come to do had been completed.