The Law and the Gospel

Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all —James 2:10

The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!

We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.

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律法與福音

因為凡遵守金法律的，只在一條上跌倒，他就是犯了眾條。 （雅二10)

律法並不因我們是軟弱的人而稍徇情面，它不理會我們有什麼遺傳因素和缺陷，只要求我們絕對道德。律法從不更改，不管你是最高尚還是最軟弱的，它永遠都不改變。神所定的律法，並不遷就人的軟弱，也不因人的缺點而修改，它是永遠絕對的。我們若不領會這一點，是因為我們並未真正活著；一旦活著，生命就成了一個悲劇。 [我以前沒有律法是活著的，但是誡命來到，罪又活了，我就死了。 ]若明白這點，神的靈就叫我們自知有罪。除非人到了自知絕望的地步，否則耶穌基督的十字架不過是一場鬧劇。自覺有罪，叫人對捆綁人的律法產生恐懼，又叫人絕望，因為[被賣給罪]。我，一個污穢的罪人，永無法與神和好，是絕無可能的。只有一個方法可以與神和好，就是藉耶穌基督的死。我必須除掉那潛伏的思想，以為可以因順服得與神和好－－有誰能絕對完全順服神哩！

當律法帶著[假若]而來，我們才體會它勢力之大。神從不勉強我們。我們有時想神逼我們去做，但心情變了時，又想神不要管我們。當神的旨意得勢，就不會有被逼的感覺了。我們若是定志順服他，他就會以無窮的大能，召喚最遠的星，乃最後的一粒沙來幫助我們。

祈禱◆主啊，我完全投向你。願這樣的氣氛充滿我們環繞我們，好叫我們成為湧流活水江河的人。