I have heard from a few people lately, that feel that God’s law somehow is equal in importance to God’s grace and mercy.
To that I say… balderdash! Ridiculous! Nonsense! Wrong! 
Am I saying that God’s Law is not important? No I am not. God’s Law is important. But it is not as important as His mercy and grace.
Look, when God gave the tablets with the Ten Commandments on them to Moses, did He give it to Moses personally? No he didn’t. He said, “hey you, messenger boy…come here! Grab these tablets and take them down to Moses, I’ve got things to do.”
When He gave the promise of grace and mercy to Abraham did God use a messenger boy? No He didn’t. God gave the promise to Abraham Himself, personally.
St. Paul called the law “our custodian”, or ‘tutor’, before Christ came. But when Christ came, the law was fullfilled.
Now, the law is still in effect. Christ told us that Himself. But the law has been fullfilled and it no longer has dominion over us. Romans 10:4, “Christ is the end of the law for all those who have faith.”
Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” Do we really want this freedom that Christ has won for us? Or are we so afraid of it, that we hang on to a few links of the chain (that is the law), so that we can retain just a wee little bit of our righteousness? So we can say, “I’m doing my part. I’m not like…him.”
If you cast off all but one link of the chain, you are not really free. Either Christ has done everything for you…and I mean EVERYTHING…or He has done nothing.
Thanks for listening.
– Steve Martin
Filed under: Law and Gospel, The Sovereignty of God |
The Old Adam Lives! 
The Gospel (Christ’s sacrifice, atonement, resurrection, justification, etc.) will always trump the Law and will always get the LAST word. It’s simple, did Christ rise from the grave? Yes. Then He has trumped the Law. As the hymn “By Grace I’m Saved, Grace Free and Boundless” says, “Though I know my hearts condition, better yet, I know my Savior’s voice!”
Cat95,
That is a perfect line from that hymn!
But that old, rotting corpse, that Old Adam just refuses to believe it. He will not let go of the law if it kills him, and indeed it will.
But, as you say, Hisbeing raised from that grave will put an end to him.
– Steve
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In my opinion the Law exists to point us to our need for a savior. The people that are attempting to point to Gods law and hang on to it so profusely are normally trying to control others and completely kill the old adam by asserting their will. A lot of it has to do with control.
God is in control and his plan for us was a savior. Our works in Romans in 12:1 are always in view of Gods Mercy for us on the Cross not as a way earn our way into heaven or to get something from God.
It is,however, important to use the Law to point to the DEPTH of our sin. I believe IF we understand the DEPTH of our sin then we can most clearly see the HEIGHTS of Gods love for us on the Cross.
By understanding the DEPTH of our sin — only then do we begin to see the beauty of the Gospel and Christs’ purpose on the Cross
Jon
I should say one more thing. This may be more personal than anything else.
I ABSOLUTELY believe the Law also has almost no purpose in our sanctification. It may be a guide for right and wrong but it serves no purpose in sanctification. Sanctification only takes place inside a relationship and in view of the Gospel message and what Christ did for us. Sancification only takes place with the Holy Spirit and a deep understanding of the Gospel — God doing the work.
One of the often forgotten truths about Lutheresque doctrine that many other denominations dont get into as much is the proper distinction between Law and Gospel.
This is an important thing, I believe, for every Christian to ponder over. Its the differencen between being the “taxpayer with rights” type of Christian (ie The Church or God owes me something, Pharisee Christian) and the spiritual beggar (focussed on Gods Mercy and Grace) type of Christian.