Read Romans 3:19, 20. What is Paul saying here about the law, about what it does and what it does not or cannot do? Why is this point so important for all Christians to understand?

The first point that Paul makes is that the law makes us accountable to God. When we recognize that via the law we are guilty of sin then we have to answer to God. This makes the entire world accountable to God. There is no person who has lived who is living and who will live which can escape this reality. Secondly the law gives us a knowledge of sin. This law does not justify us, it does not put us in right position with God it actually points out where we are wrong. The law does not save it only points out that we need a savior.

How successful have your efforts in law-keeping been? What should that answer tell you about the futility of trying to be saved by keeping the law?

To me this is a non question. While we should keep God's law's we can never do so by simply trying hard to keep them. We must give our lives over to Jesus and He will work in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. To keep the law on our own is attempting and impossibility. The only way to keep the law is by allowing ourselves to be changed from the inside out. God promises to write His law upon our hearts. When the Law of God is written on our hearts we don't have to try to keep it because it is apart of who we are.

Prayer: Father please help us to surrender our lives over to you. Please write your laws upon our hears, and make us more like Jesus. Thank you in Jesus name amen.