Robert, without the law sin was dead, because without the law, people don't know sin, death reigned from Adam to Moses, then came the law, you can't be guilty of something without there being a law, so when God gave the laws, and they were broken, then came guilt. The law shows us our sins and convicts us. And the law can only correct us if we abide by it. The law was brought in to show us sin, and if we live by it, we put our flesh to death. Which is good to do before God. But the law doesn't bring life, that comes by the Spirit through Christ Jesus.
He lived out the laws perfectly, he fulfilled it and showed us how to live before God and now we have no excuse. We've now been shown the way. And now we don't live by the letter of the law, but through the Spirit we obey the laws written on our hearts and in our minds by the Holy Spirit, and love fulfils the law, if we love others then we won't hurt or harm them, and we will be obeying God through love as the spirit guides and teaches us in the truth and so we will be obeying the law.
We don't abolish the law, we establish the law as Paul said, I thought you believe Paul, why would Paul say we establish the law of we are to abolish it?
The commandments of God will never be abolished, Jesus just showed us the truth and separated God's true way from man's add on's and by living it out and teaching it to us, we now have a new and living way to follow. If we follow him, and have true faith, then we will live in the way he taught us to live, and that starts by living by the will of God if we truly love him.
