AP

I have been stimulated to write after reading Ray Comfort’s book The Way of the Master. Comfort was frustrated by those who made professions of faith in Christ, and then fell away, often at a rate of about 90%. One reason for this tragic result is the lack of use of the law of God in presenting the gospel.

Scripture distinguishes between a true repentance and feelings of remorse: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Cor.7:10) It may not be pleasant to lead people through the sorrow of repentance, but it is without regret and leads to abundant blessings. Other verses also point to a positive use of the Law of God (e.g. Ps.19:7; Gal.3:24; Rom 3:20; as well as Jesus’ example of using the Law in dealing with the rich young ruler in Mark 10).

Comfort quotes several well-known preachers from the past to confirm his point. Spurgeon, for example, declared: “I do not believe any man can preach the Gospel who does not preach the Law.” Then he warned: ”They will never accept grace till they tremble before a holy and just Law. Therefore, the Law serves a most necessary purpose and must not be removed from its place.”

Martin Luther is sometimes understood as having rejected the law entirely. He did not; he wrote: “The first duty of the Gospel preacher is to declare God’s Law.” John Wesley too taught concerning the uses of the Law: “And the first use of it, without question, is to convince the world of sin. By this is the sinner discovered to himself. All his fig leaves are torn away, and he sees that he is wretched  and poor and miserable, blind and naked.’

Other preachers are quoted, including George Whitefield, J. C. Ryle, John Bunyan, D. L. Moody, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, A. W. Pink and A. W. Tozer. Comfort himself writes: “In our ignorance we can be too quick to console sinners, when we shouldn’t be afraid to make them tremble. Which is worse a little trembling because of guilt, or eternity in the lake of fire. Men like Whitefield and others preached until the Law stopped the mouth of sinners and they hung their heads in shame.”

What surprised me was how adamant all these preachers were in insisting that the Law is essential when presenting the Gospel. Law points to grace. Without the law, it is not obvious why we need grace. The modern Church needs to consider this carefully and prayerfully.

– Philip Irvine