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January 2, 2022
Man finds out that it is really more proper, easier, and more advantageous not to sin in a world like ours and that under existing conditions a person invariably makes life here hard for himself and others by sinning. Fully to suit sinners, the world would have to be made over again.
The nemesis exhibited in the old Greek drama, in Shakespeare, and in every great drama since is nothing else than the cry of despair wrung from guilty souls by the accusing and damning conscience.
In other words, God in His love decreed that the sinner, who had lost the original righteousness in which he had been created and who had spent his life in unrighteousness, should be made righteous by proxy,
The Gospel, then, embraces the entire work of Christ on earth, as the evangelical Teacher of men, as their evangelical High Priest, who makes atonement for their iniquities, and as their evangelical Regent, who sets up a new rule in their rebellious hearts by the power of His love.
until God would advance them after a life of progressive sanctification to be coheirs of Christ in everlasting glory.
Rightly distinguishing the Law and the Gospel is the most difficult and the highest art of Christians in general and of theologians in particular.
without this knowledge Scripture is and remains a sealed book.
In the second place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the Law is not preached in its full sternness and the Gospel not in its full sweetness, when, on the contrary, Gospel elements are mingled with the Law and Law elements with the Gospel.
In the third place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the Gospel is preached first and then the Law; sanctification first and then justification; faith first and then repentance; good works first and then grace.
the Word of God is not rightly divided when sinners who have been struck down and terrified by the Law are directed, not to the Word and the Sacraments, but to their own prayers and wrestlings with God in order that they may win their way into a state of grace; in other words, when they are told to keep on praying and struggling until they feel that God has received them into grace.
Word of God is not rightly divided when the preacher represents contrition alongside of faith as a cause of the forgiveness of sin.
In the tenth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when faith is required as a condition of justification and salvation, as if a person were righteous in the sight of God and saved, not only by faith, but also on account of his faith, for the sake of his faith, and in view of his faith.
as if a person were righteous in the sight of God and saved, not only by faith, but also on account of his faith, for the sake of his faith, and in view of his faith.
In the eleventh place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the Gospel is turned into a preaching of repentance.
when the universal corruption of mankind is described in such a manner as to create the impression that even true believers are still under the spell of ruling sins and are sinning purposely.
and when salvation is denied to every person who errs in any article of faith.
when men are taught that the Sacraments produce salutary effects ex opere operato, that is, by the mere outward performance of a sacramental act.
when a person’s inability to believe is mistaken for his not being permitted to believe.
Now, of all doctrines the foremost and most important is the doctrine of justification.
Comparing Holy Scripture with other writings, we observe that no book is apparently so full of contradictions as the Bible, and that, not only in minor points, but in the principal matter, in the doctrine how we may come to God and be saved. In one place the Bible offers forgiveness to all sinners; in another place forgiveness of sins is withheld from all sinners. In one passage a free offer of life everlasting is made to all men; in another, men are directed to do something themselves towards being saved. This riddle is solved when we reflect that there are in the Scriptures two entirely
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No book is so apparently full of contradictions
Without the Law the Gospel is not understood; without the Gospel the Law benefits us nothing.
when a person ceases to employ either of these two doctrines, he is no longer a true Christian.
The worst slave of vice admits that he ought to do what is written in the Law. Why is this? Because the Law is written in his heart.
God would still have been eternal Love if He had allowed all men to go to perdition.
The Ten Commandments were published only for the purpose of bringing out in bold outline the dulled script of the original Law written in men’s hearts.
The Law tells us what we are to do. No such instruction is contained in the Gospel. On the contrary, the Gospel reveals to us only what God is doing.
The Gospel, on the other hand, makes no demands whatever.
That is what the Gospel is — a kind invitation to partake of heavenly blessings.
The Law issues only commands and demands. The Gospel, on the other hand, only makes offers. It means, not to take anything, but only to give.
John 1, 17: The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
“No works; I have done all the works that had to be done. You need not drink one drop of the cup that I had to drink.”
The Gospel contains no threats at all, but only words of consolation. Wherever in Scripture you come across a threat, you may be assured that that passage belongs in the Law. He would indeed be a blessed person who could fully realize this comforting truth.
Wherever in Scripture you come across a threat, you may be assured that that passage belongs in the Law.
fully realize this comforting truth. The Holy Spirit produces this knowledge wherever it exists. Without the Holy Ghost this knowledge cannot be attained. Every person remains an unbeliever...
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the Gospel removes from believers the desire to sin.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
However, the moment a person becomes a Christian, there arises in him a keen desire for the doctrine of Christ.
Striving to obtain the truth and divine assurance is a necessary criterion already of an ordinary Christian, in a still higher degree, however, in the case of a theologian.
The fifth point of difference between the Law and the Gospel concerns the effects of these two doctrines.
The effect of preaching the Law, then, is to increase the lust for sinning.
In the third place, the Law does indeed produce contrition. It conjures up the terrors of hell, of death, of the wrath of God. But it has not a drop of comfort to offer the sinner.
For apart from the Law, sin lies dead… . But when the commandment came, sin came alive.
The statement of the profligate poet Ovid is well known: Nitimur in vetitum, semper cupimusque negata (“We strive after the forbidden thing and always lust after those things which are denied us”).
We strive after the forbidden thing and always lust after those things which are denied us”).
The second effect of the Gospel is that it does not at all reprove the sinner, but takes all terror, all fear, all anguish, from him and fills him with peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
In the third place, the Gospel does not require anything good that man must furnish: not a good heart, not a good disposition, no improvement of his condition, no godliness, no love either of God or men. It issues no orders, but it changes man. It plants love into his heart and makes him capable of all good works. It demands nothing, but it gives all. Should not this fact make us leap for joy? The effects of the Gospel are
Observe that the Gospel bestows the faith which it demands. In the demand for faith there is nothing of the nature of the Law; it is a demand of love.
Rom. 1, 16 Paul says: I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The Law is to be preached to secure sinners and the Gospel to alarmed sinners. In
As long as a person is at ease in his sins, as long as he is unwilling to quit some particular sin, so long only the Law, which curses and condemns him, is to be preached to him. However, the moment he becomes frightened at his condition, the Gospel is to be promptly administered to him; for from that moment on he no longer can be classified with secure sinners.
