Quiet Moments: Law and Gospel
The doctrines of Law and Gospel weren’t just important to Luther, but also to Paul
Welcome to the very first devotion in my all-new recurring devotional series, “Quiet Moments” featured in Bethany Lutheran College’s student newspaper, The Scroll. This installment, we take a look at a passage from Paul’s letter to the Galatians where he is talking about the distinction between the doctrines of Law and Gospel.
“It [the Law] was added for the purpose of revealing transgressions, until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.” – Galatians 3:19, EHV
The verse above is one of many that emphasize the importance of Law and Gospel. However, throughout this entire passage of Galatians 3, Paul really nails down what both are and what their significance is to us.
We are sinners, it is true. The Law as recorded in Exodus 20 is terrifying to us because it pierces right through our hearts. God, who well knows the motives of our hearts, sees every hurtful action that shows contempt for our neighbors or for Him and His Word.
Not only does He see such actions, but He also knows our every careless thought and the times that we have said things that have hurt others. The Law condemns us, equally. It does not matter how little that we have sinned, we are still deserving of God’s just wrath. The Law shows us our sin, as Paul says in the verse above, “The Law was added for the purpose of revealing transgressions.”
Paul does not leave us hanging here in our sinful state without an answer. He gives us the remedy by pointing back to the very first promise of a Savior. He talks about, “the Seed to whom the promise referred.” This is the exact same language that God used to talk about the coming Savior when speaking to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 after the fall into sin. Paul is speaking about Jesus, the very Son of God who came to save sinners like you and me. It is by faith, through the gracious, perfect life and death of our Savior, Jesus that we are saved. Thanks be to God for having mercy on us sinners. Amen.