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VIII. The Law Of God
Chapter 90
:
The Law and the Gospel
1. WHAT is one of the
uses of the law?
"Therefore by the deeds of the law
there shall no flesh be justified in His sight:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Rom. 3:20.
2. In thus making known
sin, and the consequent need of a Saviour, what
part does the law act?
"Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith." Gal. 3:24.
3. What is the gospel
declared to be?
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek." Rom. 1:16.
4. What is the
significance of the name bestowed by the angel
upon the Saviour before His birth?
"And she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall
save His people from their sins." Matt.
1:21.
5. In whom is this
power to save from sin revealed?
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto
the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God,
and the wisdom of God." 1 Cor. 1:23,24.
6. What was foretold
concerning Christ's attitude toward the law of
God?
"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the
volume of the book it is written of Me, I
delight to do Thy will, O M y God: yea, Thy law
is within My heart." Ps. 40:7,8.
7. What is the first
promise of the new covenant?
"For this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after those days,
saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their
mind, and write them in their hearts." Heb.
8:10.
8. What is Christ's
relation to this new covenant?
"But now hath He obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also He is the
mediator of a better covenant; which was
established upon better promises." Verse 6.
9. How is this same
work for man otherwise described?
"For every high priest is ordained to
offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is
of necessity that this Man have somewhat also to
offer. For if He were on earth, He should
not be a priest, seeing that there are priests
that offer gifts according to the law." Verses
3,4.
10. What is necessary
on the part of the individual in order to
receive the benefit of Christ's work?
"With the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation." Rom.
10:10.
11. For what did the
apostle Paul trust Christ?
"Yea doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and
be found in Him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith."
Phil. 3:8,9.
12. What relation does
the law sustain to this righteousness?
"But now the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets." Rom.
3:21.
13. Does the faith
which brings righteousness abolish the law?
"Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the
law." Verse 31.
NOTE.-The law reveals the perfection of
character required, and so gives a knowledge
of sin; but it is powerless to confer the
character demanded. In the gospel, the law,
first written in the heart of Christ,
becomes "the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus," and is thus transferred to
the heart of the believer, in whose heart
Christ dwells by faith. Thus the new
covenant promise is fulfilled that the law
shall be written in the heart. This is the
genuine experience of righteousness by
faith,- a righteousness which is witnessed
by the law, and revealed in the life in
harmony with the law. The gospel is thus
seen to be the provision for restoring the
law to its place in the heart and life of
the one who believes on Christ, and accepts
His mediatorial work. Such faith, instead of
making void the law, establishes it in the
heart of the believer. The gospel is not
against the law, therefore, but upholds,
maintains, and presents the law to us in
Christ.
14. What did Christ
take away?
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming
unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world."
John 1:29.
15. What has Christ
abolished?
"But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel." 2
Tim. 1:10.
16. What change is
brought about through the gospel?
"But we all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2
Cor. 3:18. See note on question 17 of Chapter
20. of this book.
NOTE.-It is sometimes claimed that Christ
changed, abolished, or took away the law,
and put the gospel in its place; but this
shows a misapprehension of the real work of
Christ. The individual believer is changed
by beholding the glory revealed in the
gospel (2 Cor. 4:4; John 1:14); death has
been abolished through the death of Christ;
and sin has been taken away by the great
Sin-bearer; but the law of God still remains
unchanged as the very foundation of His
throne.
17. What spiritual
interpretation did Christ give to the sixth
commandment?
"Ye have heard that it was said by
them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and
whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever
is angry with his brother without a cause
shall be in danger of the judgment: and
whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,
shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger
of hell-fire." Matt. 5:21,22.
18. How did He
interpret the seventh commandment?
"Ye have heard that it was said by
them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his
heart." Verses 27,28.
19. Of what prophecy
was this teaching a fulfillment?
"The Lord is well pleased for His
righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law,
and make it honorable." Isa. 42:21.
NOTE.-Christ not only gave a spiritual
interpretation to the law and Himself
observed it according to that
interpretation, but He showed the holiness
and the immutable nature of the law by dying
on the cross to pay the penalty of its
transgression. In this way, above all He
magnified the law, and showed its
far-reaching, immutable, and imperishable
nature.
20. In what promise was
the gospel preached to Abraham?
"And the scripture, foreseeing that
God would justify the
heathen through faith, preached before the
gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee
shall all nations be blessed." Gal. 3:8.
21. On what basis was
Abraham accounted righteous?
"For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto
him for righteousness." Rom. 4:3.
22. What scripture cuts
off all hope of justification by works?
"Therefore by the deeds of the law
there shall no flesh be justified in His sight:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom.
3:20.
23. In what way are all
believers in Jesus justified?
"Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus." Verse 24.
24. After this work of
grace has been accomplished, is the believer
expected to go on in sin?
"What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live
any longer therein?" Rom. 6:1,2.
NOTE.-Even in the days of Abraham the same
gospel of righteousness by faith was
preached as now, while the law made known
sin, and witnessed to the righteousness
obtained through faith, just as it has done
since the cross. From this it is evident
that the relation between the law and the
gospel has always been the same.
25. What was Christ's
personal attitude toward the law?
"Think not that I am come to destroy
the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil." Matt. 5:17. "If ye
keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love;
even as I have kept My Father's commandments,
and abide in His love." John 15:10.
26. What scripture
shows that God's remnant people will have a
right conception of the proper relation between
the law and the gospel?
"Here is the patience of the saints: here are
they that keep the commandments of God, and the
faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. |
