"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." Thesis 6, C. F. W. Walter.
There are times, when we read God's Word, that we are sort of uncomfortable with just how stern God can be. Whether it be a careless word spoken, a lustful thought, an intention to hurt or harm our neighbor, or even harboring anger against another, God says that the price to pay for each of them is condemnation. That sternness is something that we have a tough time with. After all, a little white lie calling for the same result as murder just doesn't seem right. And yet, that is the price to pay when it comes to breaking God's Law.
By that same token, the word of forgiveness in the Gospel is also one that we sometimes have a tough time with. God relentlessly pursues the worst of sinners and those whose lives aren't all that sinful. God wants to pour out His grace on all, and so He says that even the most hardened murderer, the most perverse adulterer, and the biggest thief can all be redeemed simply be believing that Jesus died to restore them to God. We want to add things to that, to require something of them to "prove" that they are sorry for what they have done. But God's gracious attitude toward them is something that, at times, also makes us uncomfortable.
God is more extreme than we tend to think, I would say. He is unbending in what His Law calls for. Even a single thought contrary to what He desires and designs is worthy of condemnation. Yet, God is also far more gracious than we could ever imagine. Simply calling upon His name and asking for forgiveness is enough for God to open the doors to eternity and welcome them home. God is stern in the extreme when it comes to keeping His Law, and He is inviting in the extreme when it comes to His eternal kingdom.
That's the point here in this thesis. We can never be as strict as God in His Law, and we can never be as gracious as God in His Gospel. So, as we seek to communicate both the Law and the Gospel in our proclamation of God and of Jesus, we want to strive to make sure that the Law is heard in its utter strictness, and that the Gospel is heard in its utter sweetness.
There are times, when we read God's Word, that we are sort of uncomfortable with just how stern God can be. Whether it be a careless word spoken, a lustful thought, an intention to hurt or harm our neighbor, or even harboring anger against another, God says that the price to pay for each of them is condemnation. That sternness is something that we have a tough time with. After all, a little white lie calling for the same result as murder just doesn't seem right. And yet, that is the price to pay when it comes to breaking God's Law.
By that same token, the word of forgiveness in the Gospel is also one that we sometimes have a tough time with. God relentlessly pursues the worst of sinners and those whose lives aren't all that sinful. God wants to pour out His grace on all, and so He says that even the most hardened murderer, the most perverse adulterer, and the biggest thief can all be redeemed simply be believing that Jesus died to restore them to God. We want to add things to that, to require something of them to "prove" that they are sorry for what they have done. But God's gracious attitude toward them is something that, at times, also makes us uncomfortable.
God is more extreme than we tend to think, I would say. He is unbending in what His Law calls for. Even a single thought contrary to what He desires and designs is worthy of condemnation. Yet, God is also far more gracious than we could ever imagine. Simply calling upon His name and asking for forgiveness is enough for God to open the doors to eternity and welcome them home. God is stern in the extreme when it comes to keeping His Law, and He is inviting in the extreme when it comes to His eternal kingdom.
That's the point here in this thesis. We can never be as strict as God in His Law, and we can never be as gracious as God in His Gospel. So, as we seek to communicate both the Law and the Gospel in our proclamation of God and of Jesus, we want to strive to make sure that the Law is heard in its utter strictness, and that the Gospel is heard in its utter sweetness.
No comments:
Post a Comment