¹⁵ because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁵ because the law brings about wrath;

The very idea that keeping the law brings salvation is the reason God judges people. The law, by principle, carries God’s wrath upon us.

Ga 3:10, For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Since the law does not have a role in salvation, what is its purpose? The purpose was to make sin sinful and to show how God must penalize sin in Christ. Imperfect obedience to the law brings God’s wrath on us. All the law does is demonstrate our sinfulness before God.

The reason that faith is “made void” and the promise made of “no effect” is that the standards of the law bring the wrath of God upon us. Since no one can live up to the law, it is inevitable that people will experience the wrath of God if they attempt to operate on their own morality.

for where there is no law there is no transgression.

The principle here is that, if there is no law, then there is no transgression. Transgression is the crossing of a line or standard set up by God. A person can sin but, if there is no law prohibiting that sin, there is no crossing of a standard, even God’s norms. No one can have responsibility for a violation if there is no extant law that forbids it. Until God gave the law 500 years after Abraham, there was no transgression.

Ro 5:13, (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

“No transgression” does not mean there is no sin. The idea here is simply that a transgression is the basis for annulling God’s promise. God cannot fulfill His promise if those to whom He made the promise come short of the promise by keeping the law.

Sin occurred before the law, but it was not a transgression because there was no extant standard to prohibit it. Again, the law made sin sinful.

Ga 3:19, What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

PRINCIPLE:

Where there is no law, there is no breach of the law; where there is law, there is a penalty for breaking the law.

APPLICATION:

The law puts the poison label on the bottle to warn us about our transgressions. God gives extant warning that when we do not keep the law, He must impose a penalty.

When we do not keep the law, and the law is our standard for salvation, then God must impose a penalty on us. That is why God calls the law the “ministration of death” or “the ministration of condemnation.” Because it is impossible for man to keep its absolute and lofty standards, it condemns him. Transgressions are the result of breaking the line that the law draws. Sin becomes more sinful by the law. There is no breaking of the law if there is no law that says it is wrong to go 55 miles an hour down a particular road.

It is serious business to impose our own way of salvation upon God and His way of salvation. It is natural for man to think that he has something to contribute to God. This is a misunderstanding of how bankrupt he is before God. He stands in need of God’s unconditional, free, grace to receive salvation.

Do you have the misunderstanding that somehow you will impress God by your good works? If so, it is imperative that you repent of that conception and turn to God’s grace for salvation.

Eph 2:8-9, ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Either we accept God’s payment for our penalty by giving Jesus to pay our sins on the cross or we take the responsibility for that penalty. Go to this site to make your decision to accept God’s promise of grace to you: http://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/how-to-become-a-christian-2/