The law makes nothing perfect

Hebrews 7:18-19 "For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God."

The phrase that struck me was "for the law made nothing perfect."  Why, so often, do we live as if the law at least gets us close to perfect?  We "preach" grace but live as if it really is the law that gets the job done.  I am ever so guilty of this.  I find myself judging people by their hair, piercings, tattoos, music, and dress, just to name a few.  

Intellectually we know that our salvation and perfection are by grace not by the law, but so often we personally set a standard of righteousness, of right and wrong, or of what is acceptable and appropriate.  It is not God's law but our own or some tradition we have adopted.  We make this standard our own and subtly or not-so-subtly require it of others.  We set an expectation on others as to how they should dress, behave, speak, look, etc., to be acceptable.  We set a law that is more rooted in human tradition than anything remotely related to Christ.  

Why do we live as if meeting these human expectations somehow reflects the righteousness of one's heart or perfect them? If the law of God does not make perfect a single soul, how foolish we are to live as if man-made laws, expectations or standards can.

Beloved, stop looking around!  Stop looking at others who do exactly what I'm talking about and start looking at your own heart.  Ask God to reveal to you the ways you have erected a man-made standard or adopted a tradition for people to live up to in order to measure up or to be considered righteous and godly ("for the law made nothing perfect").

"yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."  Galatians 2:16 

"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." Galatians 2:21

Diane