The Law Is Not Soggy Cornflakes
This post is being reposted in response to my friends Alden Thompson and Elgin Hushbeck in the discussion on the law. Their posts to be found here
https://www.energiondirect.com/2021/03/22/the-law-as-gospel/
and here
https://hushbeck.com/blog/2021/03/alden-thompson-and-the-law-as-gospel/
Both have addressed a significant area of contention with me, the issue of Christians neglecting the Law’s distinct purposes. While I believe they addressed the need for the Law in the believer’s life, I think Alden’s title may point to the fact that greater clarity may still be needed regarding the need to separate the gospel from the Law, allowing both to retain their distinctiveness. As the gospel is not Law, and the Law is not the gospel.
I do want to thank them both for pointing out the importance of this issue. Elgin raised the question of how to produce the love the Law commands? I believe this question gives further credence to the importance of this discussion.
For me, the answer is found in retaining the bark of the Law. As it chases us to the gospel where we discover we are loved, and the knowledge of that brings that love out of us (1 John 4:10-19).
This is also why both the gospel and the Law are needed daily like daily vitamins.
I have dealt with these issues more extensively in God’s Law Is Not Soggy Cornflakes.
