Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel
This according to the great book of the same title produced in the 19th century by CFW Walther, the founder of the Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod. Walther rightly asserts that the cheif task of every theologian is the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Yet this distinction as it was during Walther's time cannot be done. False application of these truths has led to every false doctrine imaginable.
What is the proper defintion of these two doctrines.
Law- Would be defined as humanity's total depravity. By Total Depravity I mean that human nature is so corrupt on its own, that it can do anything good. It can do nothing good before God. Every good thing, we receive is only from the grace of God. Biblical Support for this belief is Romans 8:5-8, Romans 3:23, Psalm 51:5, I John 1:8). Our sin is so serious before God it leads to our death ( Romans 6:23). Sin has corrupted all of creation this is why natural disasters occur (Romans 8:18-22). To put this bluntly, if someone thinks they deserve anything before God apart from Christ's merits they do not understand the Christian concept of Law. Ephesians 2:1-3, Makes clear that we are dead before God because of our sins. All people deserve God's wrath. The idea that we aren't condemned tommorrow is only by God's grace. Some might say is this taught in all of scripture? One need not look beyond Israel's continued wickedness against God's faithfulness throughout the Old Testament to see this doctrine enforced. The problem with the Pharisees? Is that they didn't understand Total Depravity, and how they would stand before God sinful in their own nature.
Gospel- This is quite simply because of what Christ has done in defeating sin and death the very things which seperate us from God in his resurrection. Those who believe are made totally justified with God by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 4:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Romans 1:17, John 3:16-18, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:24-26, Romans 9:1-23)
I will now start to look at how this doctrine is corruptued.
1. The most serious corruption of the doctrine of the Law is denial of the doctrine of Total Depravity. People like to speak of Sin as just as bad thing done now and again. Some Churches down play this doctrine to the point where they believe people can be completely holy, and live without sin in this life time. Liberals often reject this doctrine in their support of such items as Homosexuality. If one really believes in the doctrine of Total Depravity as taught in the scriptures, one would never speak as something being OK because of one's oreintation. Since they realize how corrupt our nature is.
2. Another major error in the law which goes to what I call an entitlement mentality before God. For instance if someone says people in Hurricane Katrina didn't deserve what they got, or it couldn't have been God's Will. The truth is every victim in Hurricane Katrina has fallen short of the glory of God. Every not only victim of Katrina/but every person alive deserves death and punishment in Hell. Everything moment of joy, we get is by God's grace though we don't deserve it. If we receive Good weather it is not because we are good, it is because God decided to bestow his grace upon a people.
3. A major Gospel corruption occurs when one speaks of the Gospel as anything other than Jesus Christ defeating sin and death on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins to make the faithful in just accord with God. If one speaks of the Gospel as terms of this earth. I.E. Someone is a good person, by whatever deeds they do, so they might be saved. This corrupts not only the Law, but the Gospel. If someone speaks of the Gpspel in humanistic terms of just doing good for other people, than they have perverted the Gospel.
4. The Gospel is corrupted as stated in Hebrews 10: 26-27, and Romans 6:15- When people go and aften they claim to be saved openly go about sinning, . This is Grace abuse, and they will be judged accordingly.
This is part 1 of a Topic, I will post on later.
What is the proper defintion of these two doctrines.
Law- Would be defined as humanity's total depravity. By Total Depravity I mean that human nature is so corrupt on its own, that it can do anything good. It can do nothing good before God. Every good thing, we receive is only from the grace of God. Biblical Support for this belief is Romans 8:5-8, Romans 3:23, Psalm 51:5, I John 1:8). Our sin is so serious before God it leads to our death ( Romans 6:23). Sin has corrupted all of creation this is why natural disasters occur (Romans 8:18-22). To put this bluntly, if someone thinks they deserve anything before God apart from Christ's merits they do not understand the Christian concept of Law. Ephesians 2:1-3, Makes clear that we are dead before God because of our sins. All people deserve God's wrath. The idea that we aren't condemned tommorrow is only by God's grace. Some might say is this taught in all of scripture? One need not look beyond Israel's continued wickedness against God's faithfulness throughout the Old Testament to see this doctrine enforced. The problem with the Pharisees? Is that they didn't understand Total Depravity, and how they would stand before God sinful in their own nature.
Gospel- This is quite simply because of what Christ has done in defeating sin and death the very things which seperate us from God in his resurrection. Those who believe are made totally justified with God by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 4:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Romans 1:17, John 3:16-18, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:24-26, Romans 9:1-23)
I will now start to look at how this doctrine is corruptued.
1. The most serious corruption of the doctrine of the Law is denial of the doctrine of Total Depravity. People like to speak of Sin as just as bad thing done now and again. Some Churches down play this doctrine to the point where they believe people can be completely holy, and live without sin in this life time. Liberals often reject this doctrine in their support of such items as Homosexuality. If one really believes in the doctrine of Total Depravity as taught in the scriptures, one would never speak as something being OK because of one's oreintation. Since they realize how corrupt our nature is.
2. Another major error in the law which goes to what I call an entitlement mentality before God. For instance if someone says people in Hurricane Katrina didn't deserve what they got, or it couldn't have been God's Will. The truth is every victim in Hurricane Katrina has fallen short of the glory of God. Every not only victim of Katrina/but every person alive deserves death and punishment in Hell. Everything moment of joy, we get is by God's grace though we don't deserve it. If we receive Good weather it is not because we are good, it is because God decided to bestow his grace upon a people.
3. A major Gospel corruption occurs when one speaks of the Gospel as anything other than Jesus Christ defeating sin and death on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins to make the faithful in just accord with God. If one speaks of the Gospel as terms of this earth. I.E. Someone is a good person, by whatever deeds they do, so they might be saved. This corrupts not only the Law, but the Gospel. If someone speaks of the Gpspel in humanistic terms of just doing good for other people, than they have perverted the Gospel.
4. The Gospel is corrupted as stated in Hebrews 10: 26-27, and Romans 6:15- When people go and aften they claim to be saved openly go about sinning, . This is Grace abuse, and they will be judged accordingly.
This is part 1 of a Topic, I will post on later.
posted by Stew at 2:55 PM
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