Tim Keller observes what do to the Law when we try to obey it to be saved.

If you are obeying the law in order to be saved, you must do one of two things:

Change the Law, making it easier to meet its requirements. You want your commands to be limited and achievable. You don’t want: “Love your neighbor as yourself;” you want: “Don’t drink alcohol or: Go to church.

Be crushed by the Law, because you know you cannot meet its requirements. You will either hate yourself for failing; or (as Luther did) you will come to hate God, because you cannot meet his requirements.

Whichever you do, you will nullify the Law! Only the gospel allows us to recognize and uphold the perfect standards of the Law, because we know that the Law matters enough to God for it to bring death; but we also know that it no longer means our death. (Taken from Romans 1-7 For You, p. 92)

If you think you are saved by your Law keeping, by your goodness before God, then you will inevitably ignore the true standards of the Law or give up all hope because it’s standard is impossible for you and I to meet. But, take heart because,

Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… Romans 3:21-24

God promises to make us righteous through faith in Jesus. Amen.