Did the Law apply only to Israel, or did its convicting power reach everyone?
The Law was given only to Israel, yet its convicting power did not stop there. It reached the whole human race, stopping every mouth and making all the world guilty before God. The Law cannot justify anyone; its sole purpose is to bring the knowledge of sin and show mankind's shortfall.
Les explains that only Israel was put under the Law, but the convicting part of it did not stop with Israel—it went out to the whole human race. Galatians chapter 3 says every mouth may be stopped, and all the world, not just Israel, is now made guilty before God. Les notes this is the exact opposite of what most people think the Law was for. Most think the Law was given to help people do right, do good, and do the best they could, hoping God would overlook their failures. But that is not its purpose. The Law was given for one purpose: to show mankind how far they fell short of God's standard, because no man has ever lived who could keep the Ten Commandments. Therefore, by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved or justified, for by the Law is only the knowledge of sin.