The Difference Between
The Law And The Gospel
Romans 4:16
The universal depravity
of our race is nowhere more evident than it is in the fact that we are all
proud, self-righteous, legalists by nature. All men naturally cherish the
foolish notion that we can, in some measure, atone for our sin and win God's
favor by our obedience to his law, or by some other works of righteousness we
perform. But it is all a vain delusion. It is this natural tendency toward
self-righteousness and legalism that Paul constantly exposed and denounced. It
was as common to the Gentiles as it was to the Jews. He declared as plainly to
the Romans as he did to the Galatians, "that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law" (3:28). He keeps insisting, in all his writings, that salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone,
that it might be by grace alone, without the works of human flesh. Paul opposed
nothing so fully and constantly as he did legalism. And he opposed that in any
form. He gave no place for the law in the house of faith (Read Gal. 4:21-31).
Why is the law/grace
issue so important? The answer is obvious: Any mixture of law and grace is a
total denial of grace (Rom. 11:6). Almost all doctrinal error and
religious heresy arise from man's inability to distinguish between the law and
the gospel. Blessed is the man who knows the difference between grace and
works, gospel and law. Very few do. The law says, "Do." The gospel
says, "Done!" That is the difference. Legalism always attempts to
wear the mask of grace. But it always smells like works. The smell of the
carcass is easily detected. Legalism will always enforce its claims, somewhere,
with the promise of reward or the threat of punishment. It may talk about
"love" and "faith". But legalism must have its "stick
and carrot." At some point the legalist will either promise or threaten
something, conditioned upon man's obedience or disobedience. The gospel
conditions everything on the Person and work of Christ alone!
Don Fortner