Joshua 1:8

One of the marks of a truly maturing Christian is that he or she begins to love the things God loves and hate the things God hates. In this regard, the law (all of the imperatives we find in the Bible) guides us well and wisely. It tells us what God wants and who God is. Yes, the law is good.

But while the law guides, it does not give. To be sure, the Spirit does use the whole Word in our satisfaction - the law as well as the gospel. But the law and the gospel do different things in sanctification. The law has the ability to reveal sin but not the ability to remove sin. It points to righteousness but can't produce it. This is not a matter of whether obedience to God's law is important to us or to God. Of course it's important. The question is: Where does the power to obey God's commands come from? Does it come from the gospel - from what God has done for us? Or does it come from the law - from what we must do?

Paul lays out the intensity of his strength in Romans 7 to make it clear that although the law can no longer condemn us (because Jesus has kept it perfectly on our behalf), it's still unable to produce in us the desire to keep it. It can only tell us what God requires, which it does. But the law is not the gospel.

We must understand the precise role the law plays for us today. The law now serves us by showing us how to love God and others, and when we fail to keep it, the gospel brings comfort by reminding us that God's infinite approval doesn't depend on our keeping of the law but on Christ's keeping of the law on our behalf. And guess what? This makes us want to obey Him more, not less.

Therefore, it's the gospel (what Jesus has done) that alone can give God-honoring animation to our obedience. The power to obey comes from being moved and motivated by the completed work of Jesus for us. The fuel to do good flows from what's already been done.

-- Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,