Talking Points with President Woodford: Law and Gospel in a Chaotic World
Does the Law or the Gospel predominate in your life? Do you spend more time telling people what they should do, how their attitudes should be, and how they should be living their lives? Or do you spend more time simply loving people? Of course, that all depends on what they need at any point in their life.
Children need protection, correction, and direction. But so do husbands and wives, neighbors and friends…and so do you. Then again, children need comfort, assurance, and forgiveness. But so do husbands and wives, neighbors and friends…and so do you.
Those who are disobedient need correction while those in despair need hope. Those who are secure in their sins need to be brought to repentance while those afflicted by the guilt of sin need assurance of forgiveness. Law and Gospel must be held in balance throughout all of life.
Let’s be clear - the Law is good and wise. The Law says, “You shall do this” and “You shall not do that.” In fact, the Law has three uses upon your life: it protects, it corrects, and it directs. First, the Law protects you from constant violent outbursts as it’s written on the heart of every human being. (God’s natural law is written into the fabric of the world.) Second, it corrects bad behavior and shows your sin. Like a magnifying mirror, it shows the blemishes of your guilt and shame. And third, it directs you in what is pleasing to God in your thoughts, words, and actions. It is a guide to what is good and right. At the core of the Law is always the word, “do!” The law always makes demands - think of the 10 commandments (Ex. 20:1-17).
The Gospel, on the other hand, makes no demands. At its core is the word, “done!” Jesus came to fulfill the Law in your place. Every dot; every iota. All are fulfilled perfectly by Jesus. The Law says “do,” but the Gospel says, “done.”
The Gospel therefore goes to work on your life in three specific ways: it disinfects, it reconnects, and it resurrects. First, the gospel disinfects you from the contaminants of sin, bringing cleansing for your shame and forgiveness for the guilt of your sin. Second, the gospel reconnects you to God the Father, restoring you not only into a right relationship with Him, but also reconciling you to those whom you have hurt or offended. Third, the gospel resurrects you spiritually and, one day after you die, it resurrects you physically through the power of the baptismal union you have with Christ in His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:4-5).
The Gospel is always good news. It’s all a complete gift! The Gospel simply frees you. But when you are a sinner, living in that freedom can be hard. Sinners like to be in control of things. We want to call all the shots. We want to say who should do what, when they should do it, and the standard they must achieve.
A person like this risks becoming a Pharisee. You think your behavior isn’t as bad as other members of God’s church, so you put yourself in another class of people. Like the Pharisees, you want to point out what’s wrong with your fellow Christians and how they don’t measure up. The tendency here is to dwell on the Law, but not as it applies to yourself, only as it applies to others. You see the speck in another’s eye, but not the log in your own. Living in a fallen, sin-filled world is tough enough, but trying to bear up under the constant criticisms and legalistic demands others put upon you makes it all the tougher.
Nonetheless, speaking the Law has its place and is needed in a lawless, ungodly society full of unbelievers. Without question, we need order. We need protection from chaos and anarchy. God’s law offers that to those who follow it, which is why we need upright Christian citizens and exemplary neighbors who can uphold God’s Law and speak it into a disordered world. But as we do, we must remember the power to transform hearts and lives for eternity comes only from the power of the Gospel. And that’s why it must always predominate.
Years ago, a life-long member of the congregation I was serving shared an experience she had as a young mother. She told of the time when her young son, (who is now long since grown and has great children of his own), was misbehaving. She couldn’t remember exactly what he had done, but it was bad enough it deserved “a good swat on the bottom.” However, when her son realized he was in big trouble, he took off like a shot and ran across the yard. This made her mad as a hornet. She was determined not to let the little bugger get away with it. He needed to be punished. So, this mother ran after the boy as fast as she could. And in what must have looked like an Olympic, come from behind race, she finally caught her son. As she grabbed a hold of him, she saw the terror and fear in his eyes. But as she tells it, “By the time I finally caught him I was so all-in and out of breath that all I could think to do was to hug him.”
That’s the power of the Gospel! That’s the Good News. You see, you and I are constantly on the run. We’re running from this sin or that sin, running from this failure or that failure. We are running from one fear after the other. We are running with all our might.
So the Lord Jesus Christ goes “all in.” He sees the fear in your eyes. He goes to the cross of Calvary, dies in your place, lies in the tomb, rises from the dead, leaves the grave, chases you down, baptizes you, and wraps His arms of love around you, and says, “You are mine!” That’s the Gospel! You don’t receive what you deserve. You receive Christ’s love instead.
By the way; that little boy who was hugged by his mother – he grew up to be a Lutheran pastor and shared the good news of the Gospel for over 50 years.
The Law and Gospel are both good gifts of the Lord. We need them both. But the Good News of the Gospel is what transforms your heart, enlivens your soul, and puts the divine color of Christ into your life. He has fulfilled the Law in your stead. He is the Good News of the Gospel. The Gospel must always predominate.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Woodford
President
MN South District, LCMS
