THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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an executed criminal. Ju stice has been completely vindicated, and it is no longer possible even to bring an accusation against him (Rom. 8:33,34). I t is not possible to know Gospel liberty, or Gospel holiness, un til this g reat funda m ental tru th is elearly, bravely grasped. One may be a Christian and a worthy and useful man, and be still under bondage to the law , b u t one can never have deliver ance from the dominion of sin, nor know the true blessedness and rest of the Gospel and rem ain under th e law. Therefore, once more, note th a t it is death which has broken th e connection between th e be liever and the law. “ The law h ath do minion over a man as long as he liv e th ” (Rom. 7:1). “ B ut now we are delivered from the law, th a t being dead wherein we were h eld ” (Rom. 7:6). Nothing can be clearer. B ut I h asten to add th a t there is- a mere carnal and fleshly way of looking a t our deliverance from the law, which is most unscriptural, and I am persuaded, most dishonoring to God. I t consists in rejoic ing in a supposed deliverance from the principle of Divine authority over the life —a deliverance into mere self-will and lawlessness. The true ground of rejoicing is quite other th an this. The tru th is, a Christian may get on afte r a sort under law as a rule of life. Not apprehending th a t the law is anything more th an an ideal, he feels a kind of pious complacency in “ con senting unto th e law th a t it is good,” and more or less languidly hoping th a t in the fu tu re he may succeed b etter in keeping it th an in the past. So treated, the law is wholly robbed of its terror. Like a sword carefully fastened in its scabbard, the law no longer cuts into the conscience. I t is forgotten th a t the law offers absolutely b u t two alternatives — exact obedience, always, in all things, or a curse. There is no th ird choice. “ Cursed is every one th a t continueth not in all things which are w ritten in the book of the law to do th em ” (Gal. 3:10; Jam es 2:10). The law has but one voice: “ W hat things soever the law
error. From L uther down, Protestantism has consistently held to justification by fa ith through grace. Most inconsistently P ro testan t theology has held to th e second form of Galatianism. An entire section of the Epistle to the Romans and two chapters of G alatians are devoted to the refu tation s of th is error, and to th e setting fo rth of the true rule of th e believer’s life. Romans 6, 7, 8, And G alatians 4 and 5 set fo rth the new Gos pel of the believ er’s standing in grace. Rom. 6:14 states the new principle: “ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law , bu t under g race.” The Apostle is not here speak ing of the justification of a sinner, bu t of th e deliverance of a saint from th e do m inion of indwelling sin. In Galatians, a fte r showing th a t the law had been to the Jew like the pedagogue in a Greek or Roman household, a ruler of children in th eir nonage (Gal. 3:23, 24) the Apostle says explicitly (ver. 25), “ But a fte r th a t fa ith has come, we are no longer under a s.choolmaster” (peda gogue). No evasion is possible here. The peda gogue is th e law (3:24); fa ith justifies; bu t th e fa ith which justifies also ends the rule of th e pedagogue. Modern theology says th a t after, justification we are under the pedagogue. H ere is a clear issue, an absolute contradiction between the Word of God and theology. Which do you side w ith t Equally fu tile is the' timorous gloss th a t this whole profound discussion in Romans and Galatians relates to the ceremonial law. No Gentile could observe the cere monial law . Even the Jews, since the de struction of th e temple, A. D. 70, have not found it possible to keep the ceremonial law except in a few particulars of diet. I t is not the ceremonial law which says, “ Thou shalt not cov et” (comp. Rom. 7:7-9). _ The believer is separated by death and resurrection from Mosaism (Rom. 6:3-15; 7:1-6; Gal. 4:19-31). The fa c t remains immutable th a t to God he is; as to the law,
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