The Knowledge of Sin.

     The law can never save anyone! It shows us What God's righteous standard is, but it cannot make us follow that standard. You see a traffic sign telling you what the speed limit is, but the traffic law cannot make you drive the speed limit! It tells you what to do, but has no power in itself to make you obey the traffic laws.
     If you drive faster than what the law allows, you are now a lawbreaker, and should you be caught, you will be convicted, because the law told you to drive within the speed limit, and you failed to do so.
     The law of God works in a similar way. It gives us the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).
     It works like this. You might think you are a good person. You surely are not a sinner, only bad people fall into that category! Now answer this question. "Have you ever told a lie?" If so, that makes you a liar. "Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you?" That makes you a thief. "Have you ever used God's name to express anger or surprise, or used it in an irreverent manner?" That would make you a blasphemer. The idolizing of celebrities, athletes, possessions, money, etc. makes you an idolater. A covetous man is an idolater (Eph 5:5). To be caught up in the pursuit of things is to be covetous.
      You may not have physically killed someone, but to be angry toward someone, to hold prejudice, to hate someone, is considered murder in God's eyes (Matthew 5:21-22, James 2:9,11, 1John 3:15). 
      Look how Jesus further defines adultery to include lust in the heart (Matthew 5:28). Just thinking about it makes you an adulterer! What does Jesus say about divorce and remarriage? It seems like this is never thought about anymore. This is also adultery in God's eyes (Matthew 5:32).
     The Apostle Paul came to know sin in this way (Romans 7:7). He discovered that he was a covetous man. The harder he tried to be good, the worse it got.
     How about you? How do you measure up when you look at yourself through the law of God? What is it showing you?