The righteousness God demands from man is spelled out in the law. If man could keep the entire law without one slip, he would be righteous, or in right standing with God. The problem is that man is unable to keep the law. When we say that man is totally depraved, we are saying that by his own unaided efforts he cannot fulfill all of God’s commands. The law is a totality. If the entire law is not kept, none of it is kept. God considers righteousness by keeping the law as a whole—it is either all or nothing. 

If we break any of the law, we have broken the whole law. 

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).  

 The law was given to cause us to see our own inability and need of a Savior. 

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said. Thou shalt not covet (Romans 7:7).  

 Man possesses nothing good within himself. 

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not (Romans 7:18).  

God has found no one righteous, but all equally in need of the gift of righteousness. 

…for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:9-12).  

 The law makes us aware of our sin and declares our guilt as legal fact. 

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19, 20).