The law is good. It's not bad. The problem is that we are sinners and so the use of the law for salvation is unattainable. Perfection is what the law demands. The declaration of law should cause fear in them who seek to be justified. Notice that the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:13 - 21.
The result of the law preached to the rich young ruler was that it caused him to sorrow because he knew the law as the mirror of what righteousness God demanded he did not meet.
So one use of the law is that it is a school master to lead us to Christ who alone saves from sin and death and hell.
The second use is that it is used to deter further sin in society. In this use it is for the elect alone, to protect them from the actions of the reprobate. Consider for example Abraham in Genesis 12. The Pharoah, who saw Abraham's wife, wanted to take her for his own. But God caused a plague.
The third use of the law is that of a rule of Christ for those who believe in Christ alone for justification. This rule can be seen as in the Bible from Romans 13 where we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus also gave his disciples a new command to love one another. The rule of life however to be clear does not save us.
As Paul says, the Law is good if one uses it Lawfully. 1 Timothy 1:8
Of course, to be certain that in all three usage of the law in no sense is it said that the law is meant to save anyone. For that the gospel alone is what saves.
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