Even if a law is holy and perfect, like the law of God, it cannot produce righteous living. In fact, our sinful nature will rebel in the precise direction of that good law.

Christ's death was a condemnation of sin itself. If we place our confidence in Christ, our sin is condemned while we escape justice. While sin continues to war against our good desires in this life, we are no longer held captive by its power.

For the first time in our lives, we find the power to resist sin, NOT by fixating on the law as the basis for our relationship with God. Rather, Christ's Spirit helps us to fulfill the law as we chase after Him on the path He walked as the only Son of God. The law is useful for us, as a description of love which was fulfilled by Christ on our behalf.