Law preaching is powerful. It feels powerful. Even when it’s done poorly and just amounts to nagging, it makes the preacher feel like he/she is doing something. That’s one reason it’s so popular- you’re telling them what to do. You’re like Moses hitting the rock. Look what I did, you bunch of stubborn yokels. And joined with invitationalism and revivalism, it works. It fills the altar with crying students. I brings people down to get baptized for the 5th time and really mean it this time.
The Gospel, on the other hand, takes the power out of your hands. It’s the announcement of what God has done. You aren’t powerful at all. You’re one loser telling a bunch of other losers that they are going to be treated like winners. Bread for the thieves. Pardon for the unquestionably guilty. Love for rebels. You’re announcing that everyone gets paid the same. You’re issuing banquet seats to people who have no right to a ticket because they are dirty and sinful. You’re telling sinners that the lamb of God has paid the bill and it’s not going to appear on their charge anywhere.
You are telling people it is too good to be true, but it is too good and completely true, and it changes everything.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Law/Gospel Rant
iMonk has a good post on law/gospel. Yes, he overstates things as times, but we need to listen to the drum he is banging today. Here is a portion, but read the whole thing:
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1 comment:
As one who heard much Law preaching as a child, and almost no Gospel preaching (at least, that I can remember), I do think that we need Gospel preaching for believers, but we also need Law/Gospel preaching for the non-Christians who may be present in the congregation on any given Sunday.
For the believers, I also think it is helpful for the preacher to at least talk about living holy lives *in light of* the Gospel. Not so that we can be saved or “keep” our salvation but *because* of the fact that we *are* saved, if we acknowledge our bankruptcy before God, and repent and trust in Christ alone (as He tells us).
Hebrews does tell us to “strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” We are perfectly holy in Christ, positionally, and this should be emphasized in the pulpit. Scripture also exhorts those who are positionally holy in Christ to strive for holiness of life.
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