登陆注册
34889900000041

第41章

It is not for nothing that Paul bears down on this argument. He foresaw this confusion of the promise and the Law creeping into the Church.

Accustom yourself to separate Law and Gospel even in regard to time.

When the Law comes to pay your conscience a visit, say: "Mister Law, you come too soon. The four hundred and thirty years aren't up yet. When they are up, you come again. Won't you ?"

VERSE 18. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise.

In Romans 4:14, the Apostle writes: "For if they which are made of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect." It cannot be otherwise. That the Law is something entirely different from the promise is plain. The Law thunders: "Thou shalt, thou shalt not." The promise of the "seed" pleads: "Take this gift of God." If the inheritance of the gifts of God were obtained by the Law, God would be a liar. We would have the right to ask Him: "Why did you make this promise in the first place: 'In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed'? Why did you not say: 'In thy works thou shalt be blessed'?"

VERSE 18. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.

So much is certain, before the Law ever existed, God gave Abraham the inheritance or blessing by the promise. In other words, God granted unto Abraham remission of sins, righteousness, salvation, and everlasting life.

And not only to Abraham but to all believers, because God said: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." The blessing was given unconditionally. The Law had no chance to butt in because Moses was not yet born. "How then can you say that righteousness is obtained by the Law?"

The Apostle now goes to work to explain the province and purpose of the Law.

VERSE 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?

The question naturally arises: If the Law was not given for righteousness or salvation, why was it given? Why did God give the Law in the first place if it cannot justify a person?

The Jews believed if they kept the Law they would be saved. When they heard that the Gospel proclaimed a Christ who had come into the world to save sinners and not the righteous; when they heard that sinners were to enter the kingdom of heaven before the righteous, the Jews were very much put out. They murmured: "These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day." (Matthew 20:12.) They complained that the heathen who at one time had been worshipers of idols obtained grace without the drudgery of the Law that was theirs.

Today we hear the same complaints. "What was the use of our having lived in a cloister, twenty, thirty, forty years; what was the sense of having vowed chastity, poverty, obedience; what good are all the masses and canonical hours that we read; what profit is there in fasting, praying, etc., if any man or woman, any beggar or scour woman is to be made equal to us, or even be considered more acceptable unto God than we?"

Reason takes offense at the statement of Paul: "The law was added because of transgressions." People say that Paul abrogated the Law, that he is a radical, that he blasphemed God when he said that. People say: "We might as well live like wild people if the Law does not count. Let us abound in sin that grace may abound. Let us do evil that good may come of it."

What are we to do? Such scoffing distresses us, but we cannot stop it.

Christ Himself was accused of being a blasphemer and rebel. Paul and all the other apostles were told the same things. Let the scoffers slander us, let them spare us not. But we must not on their account keep silent. We must speak frankly in order that afflicted consciences may find surcease. Neither are we to pay any attention to the foolish and ungodly people for abusing our doctrine. They are the kind that would scoff, Law or no Law. Our first consideration must be the comfort of troubled consciences, that they may not perish with the multitudes.

When he saw that some were offended at his doctrine, while others found in it encouragement to live after the flesh, Paul comforted himself with the thought that it was his duty to preach the Gospel to the elect of God, and that for their sake he must endure all things. Like Paul we also do all these things for the sake of God's elect. As for the scoffers and skeptics, I am so disgusted with them that in all my life I would not open my mouth for them once. I wish that they were back there where they belong under the iron heel of the Pope.

People foolish but wise in their conceits jump to the conclusion: If the Law does not justify, it is good for nothing. How about that? Because money does not justify, would you say that money is good for nothing? Because the eyes do not justify, would you have them taken out? Because the Law does not justify it does not follow that the Law is without value. We must find and define the proper purpose of the Law. We do not offhand condemn the Law because we say it does not justify.

We say with Paul that the Law is good if it is used properly. Within its proper sphere the Law is an excellent thing. But if we ascribe to the Law functions for which it was never intended, we pervert not only the Law but also the Gospel.

It is the universal impression that righteousness is obtained through the deeds of the Law. This impression is instinctive and therefore doubly dangerous. Gross sins and vices may be recognized or else repressed by the threat of punishment. But this sin, this opinion of man's own righteousness refuses to be classified as sin. It wants to be esteemed as high-class religion. Hence, it constitutes the mighty influence of the devil over the entire world. In order to point out the true office of the Law, and thus to stamp out that false impression of the righteousness of the Law, Paul answers the question: "Wherefore then serveth the Law?" with the words:

VERSE 19. It was added because of transgressions.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 家有狐妻一小只,萌宠泥奏凯

    家有狐妻一小只,萌宠泥奏凯

    从小一起长大的狐狸青梅竹马,穿来穿去遇见许多妖艳女子却还是独宠她一狐。“我要次饭~次完给你么么哒~”“是吃,笨狐狸。”“好啦好啦,你还爱不爱我……”“肯定爱啊!”“那有你来一直纠正我,我也一直陪着你就行了嘛,去次饭后就要上课啦!”
  • 四海称雄

    四海称雄

    现代青年,追寻先贤足迹,踏上寻龙之旅,却未想身穿万古前,万古之巅谁与伴,四海之央我为雄,龙之传人,宁死不屈
  • 拥抱温暖的他

    拥抱温暖的他

    (超甜!腹黑怪×小菜鸟)明明就是一见钟情却以“消遣”日子的名义把她绑在身边。高中时,她一看到他就腿打颤,盛德中学的学霸,经常欺负她这只小白兔。大学时,她努力学习考的远远的,以为摆脱了他,谁知道,学生会主席是他,继续欺负她。毕业后,这下见不到他了吧!可没想到公司的总裁还是他!!!
  • 重生太监道

    重生太监道

    死在女人床上的风流少爷,穿越成刚被阉割的小太监,三千大世界,还有更悲剧的事了么?无尽的美丽宫娥,妖娆的后宫妃嫔,却只有空空的裤裆。问君能有几多愁,恰似一群太监上青楼!秦风:咱家修炼出阴神可以转世成男人,哈哈哈…风流:转世?小爷让你转世成畜生!秦风:太监还不够?还有畜生!你这样写虐主爽文真的好么…风流:独一无二的构思,绝不一样的精彩。好不好,谁看谁知道…(群号:59068398)
  • 苍云舞兮

    苍云舞兮

    自古以降,神灵高高在上,凡人托神仙的庇护而安乐度日,然而没有人想过,有朝一日,神灵不再,这世界会变成什么样?九天之下,九幽之上,神灵已绝迹人间千年,域外魔族挟滔天恶意袭来,西方佛国作壁上观,海外之国神祗虎视东方,弱小的人类何去何从?魔族、妖族、神族,人类、异类、非我族类,斩妖师、炼妖师、降魔师,太平道、天师道、特勤局、人妖友谊互助发展联合会,各方势力各类角色粉墨登场,主角何去何从?屌丝、透明、脱线的李云初,如何面对如此纷乱危险的局面?大厦将倾,他的小身板如何抵挡?求神、求仙还是求道?到头来到底求的是什么?卑微者,是沉沦到底还是怒破苍穹?结局如何,还要各位看官自己瞧了。
  • 大叔,抱一抱

    大叔,抱一抱

    一次无意的交集,她成了他捧在手心中的小公主。他宠她、让她,任她如何胡作非为都无所谓。可她夏晴要的不是这个。她说:“古默我不要当你妹妹,既然你给不了我爱情,就放我离开。天高海阔,我总能忘了你!”他说:“女人,事到如今还想天高海阔忘了我?门都没有。”
  • 你好,漂亮

    你好,漂亮

    一个父命难为的富家子弟,一个因故毁容的普通白领,一个为国残疾的退役军人,一本与外在相关的婚姻小说
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 莫少宠妻至上

    莫少宠妻至上

    人的一生有多长,有多少天?有多少夜?没计算过,总觉得余生很长,漫长的时光让人有时候无奈的想逃离。逃离过后,更多的却是无尽的想念,想回忆的甜,想回忆的酸,想回忆的涩,想回忆的痛。一天他再次站在面前,告诉自己余生很贵,不想浪费。而我对他的意义到底是什么?