Why is the law needed for people who think they are good enough?
The law is needed because people who think they are good enough focus on outward conduct—keeping commandments, church membership, family life, and giving—while never dealing with the core problem of old Adam. The law is the only way God can confront that kind of person and say, “You’re guilty.”
Les teaches that people often insist they are doing the best they can, think they will make it, and point to keeping the commandments, joining the church, being a good family man, and giving. They do not want to face any problem about eternity. But they have not dealt with the core problem, old Adam. Les explains that old Adam is in the invisible, spiritual realm; he cannot be laid out, examined, or opened. Only the Creator Himself can delve into the depths of the spirit and deal with old Adam through the work and power of our Creator, Savior, and Lord. Therefore, the law is the only way God can come to that kind of self-righteous person and say, “You’re guilty.”