Confounding the gospel of the grace of God that brings salvation, with the law, hinders the proper effect of both in the soul. If I take a gallon of milk and a gallon of vinegar, and mix them together, I destroy or nullify the peculiar properties of both. Just so it is when the law and the gospel are confounded together. The sharp, searching convicting power of the law is blunted while the saving, peace-giving character of the gospel is not known. It will help much to a better understanding of the difference to see from the Word of God the different ways in which He
has dealt with man from the beginning.
There was first the trial of innocence in the garden of Eden—and how soon failure came in there we all know. Driven out from that garden of delights, man, left to his conscience, soon became so bad that "the earth... was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence" (Gen. 6:11), and the deluge came. Then after the confusion of speech at Babel, and the dispersion of the different branches of Noah's descendants, all lapsed into idolatry (Josh. 24:14). God now called out Abraham, and out of his loins raised up a nation, the nation of Israel, with whom He was pleased to identify Himself, and to whom He made Himself known while allowing the rest of the nations to take their own way, though not leaving them without a witness (Acts 14:15-17). But it was in Israel—that favored portion of the human family—that the trial of man was carried on. Now in order that man might have the opportunity of showing whether he could stand before God in his own righteousness or not, the law—a perfect rule or standard of conduct toward God and toward his neighbor—was given him.
A farmer, wishing to test a certain kind of seed, does not sow his whole farm with it, but chooses a portion, the very best part; and after having cultivated it, he sows the seed and waits patiently for the harvest. If in result he finds nothing but weeds, he pronounces the seed worthless. Just so with God. He selected a portion of the human family, and to them He gave the law. It is most important to remember that the law was never given by God to mankind in general. The opening words of the Decalogue itself show that it was not: "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt." Exod. 20:2. Did He bring the Egyptians out of Egypt, or the Philistines, or the Moabites? Let us bear this in mind.
Now what was the outcome of man's being placed under this perfect rule of conduct? No sooner was it given than it was broken. While Moses was on the fiery mount receiving that law which said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me," the people on the plain were dancing round the calf which their own hands had made (Exod. 32). But more; God sent His well-beloved Son into the world, and to that very people to whom the law said, Love your neighbor as yourself (was there ever a neighbor like Jesus?), and what was the result? They spat in His face and cried, "Away with Him, crucify Him."
Such are the results of the different ways in which God has dealt with man while on his probation. Each test only brought out more fully the state of the heart toward God, until it was written, "Now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father" (John 15:24).
But I desire to turn to the New Testament to learn there the effect of the law in the conscience of the sinner. In Rom. 3:20 we read, "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." Now here we have two very plain, positive statements, both of which are in direct opposition to much current teaching of the present day. In the first we are told what the law cannot do—it cannot justify. In the second we learn what it does do—it gives the knowledge of sin. That is very plain and simple. So also in chapter 7:7: "Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law." Again we read, in Gal. 3:24, "So that the law has been our tutor [schoolmaster] up to Christ" (J.N.D. Trans.). What is the function of a schoolmaster or tutor? It is to impart knowledge. What then is the knowledge which the law imparts? Is it the knowledge of God and His salvation? No, verily; but on the contrary it gives the knowledge of sin in the very springs of our moral being, as those two passages in Romans tell us.
But further we read in 1 Cor. 15:56. "And the strength of sin is the law." Now what are we to understand by that? Simply this—no sooner is a prohibition made than the desire to do what was forbidden is awakened in each person. Such is poor, fallen human nature. The application of even the holy, just, and good law of God only calls sins into activity. (See Rom. 7:5, 8, 9.) So in 2 Cor. 3:7, 9 the law is called "the ministration of death" and "the ministration of condemnation." The experiences of a soul learning this experimentally are given us in Rom. 7:7-24, which I would earnestly recommend to the prayerful study of my readers. Such scriptures as have already been referred to, show the effect of the law in the conscience; it writes the sentence of death there. But I would also refer to one portion where the law is put in contrast with the gospel.
One has but to turn to the epistle to the Galatians to see how energetically the Holy Spirit, by the Apostle, refuses to allow the law to be mixed up with the gospel. "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (chap. 1-4.) The two systems—law and grace—are perfectly distinct, and indeed so far opposed to each other that to mingle them is to destroy the distinctive features of each. In chapter 3:10 we read, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse." Note, it does not say, "as many as break the law," but "as many as are of the works of the law." No child of Adam can be on that ground with God without being under the curse.
"But," says the Apostle, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" (v. 13). "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Chap. 4:4, 5. Now if the law was perfectly suited to meet the needs of the sinner, why the necessity that Christ should redeem them that were under it—the Jews?
But it may be asked, Of what use then was the law? To answer that question one has but to call attention to Gal. 3:19-26, where the Apostle in the wisdom of God takes it up and answers it in the most beautiful detail. He then shows that it had its place before Christ or faith, as a principle of relationship with God, came; but now that Christ is come, we who believe are no longer under law. "Ye are not under the law, but under grace." Rom. 6:14. We can no more have Christ as our Savior, and be at the same time under law, than a woman can have two husbands without being an adulteress. Those that were under the law, having believed the gospel, are set free from the law in order to be to Christ. His death on the cross is the severance of the tie that bound them to the law. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Rom. 7:4. (See Rom. 7:16; Gal. 2:19, 20.)
Thus we see that as a principle of relationship with God the law is superseded by the gospel. Christ takes the place of Moses. "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17. And instead of the law being the Christian's rule, we read, "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:6.