The World's Ruined: Gospel and third use of the law...

Monday, March 19, 2012

Gospel and third use of the law...

What about preaching and the 3rd use of the law? Whatever your thoughts, can we not let the final word of the sermon be the comfort of the gospel for the sheep as they head out into their week? Too often the sermon's 3rd-use-of-the-law exhortation given by preachers as the final word, subtly or not, clouds the good news that (hopefully) was just given. I think this is due, in part, to the fact that we sheep most naturally hear with ears of law and merit-works and not faith with gratitude. Also, it's partially due to the preacher's desire to get practical and make application of the sermon through appeals to responsibility and faithfulness. The law is just so practical.

But the admonition of law, as it's sometimes presented, unfortunately can turn the believer back onto himself as he looks to find the resolve and faithfulness necessary to respond. What lurks just underneath the earnest desire of that believer to obey is the uncomfortable knowledge that his obedience just doesn't measures up. Simply read of Paul's experience as a Christian in Romans 7. Yet, isn't the good news that... we no longer need to measure up? Indeed, our daily falling short, instead of being the mark of our disqualification, is declared to be our continuing qualification for forgiveness and acceptance by God - without any accompanying deserving works. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).

Jesus' shed blood cleanses the failed works of his people - and his perfect life lived, credited to their persons, measures up in every way. It is that free and unmerited grace of God in Christ that remains - daily, yearly, and eternally - irrevocably effective. And the means of knowing and re-knowing that amazing grace is found and held, as always, through simple trust in Him.
So, I would propose that the last word from the pulpit, after the final admonition, be that the preacher bathe the saints once again in the free mercy of God found only in the news that Jesus died to save sinners. That is the sermon application that is always necessary, effectual, and practical for the saints as they go out into the world to live and obey in Christ.

4 comments:

mozartMarch 23, 2012 at 6:38 AM
Very good, Mr. Miller, I appreciate your comments on this. I enjoy reading your blog.
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Jack MillerMarch 23, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Thank you very much, mozart. And I enjoy your music!
cheers...
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GingerMarch 23, 2012 at 12:29 PM
I am struggling myself to come to a more clear knowledge of "how" and "when" the 3rd use should be
"applied." I appreciate your taking a more thoughtful approach in covering the uses of the law, and the order in which they should be considered. In the Westminster Larger Catechism, 99 has been very helpful, in helping me to understand how we much rightly view the Moral Law.

Calvin has been helpful, to say the least. Institutes Book 2, Chapter 7, all sections, however sections 12-14 specifically address the 3rd Use.

I appreciate John Calvin's writings, especially the institutes, because he fleshes out the doctrines to their end and takes careful and painstaking care, with an abundance of caution in all his writings.

I think it is important to note, that John Calvin does not get around the 3rd use of the Law until Book two. And our own Westminster Catechisms (Larger) do not get around to to expounding on the law until the 90's.

Blessings,
Ginger
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Jack MillerMarch 23, 2012 at 3:42 PM
Ginger,

Thanks for your comments!

I started to respond to you when I switched gears. You sparked a couple additional thoughts which I just posted:

HERE
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The Mere Mercy of God

This calling of Abram is a signal instance of the gratuitous mercy of God. Had Abram been beforehand with God by any merit of works? Had Abram come to him, or conciliated his favour? Nay, we must ever recall to mind that he was plunged in the filth of idolatry; and God freely stretches forth his hand to bring back the wanderer. He deigns to open his sacred mouth, that he may show to one, deceived by Satan's wiles, the way of salvation.

But this is done designedly, in order that the manifestation of the grace of God might become the more conspicuous in his person. For he is an example of the vocation of us all; for in him we perceive, that, by the mere mercy of God, those things that are not are raised from nothing, in order that they may begin to be something.

-John Calvin, Genesis, (Banner of Truth), p. 343

"Nor the faith also does not shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards GOD (for we are most bounden to serve GOD, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy Scripture, all the days of our life): But it excludes them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made good by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do, be imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God..." (Thomas Cranmer - Homily of Justification)

Justification-Sanctification/Law-Gospel

In short, I affirm, that not by our own merit but by faith alone, are both our persons and works justified; and that the justification of works depends on the justification of the person, as the effect on the cause. (John Calvin, Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote)

The law guides, directs, commands, all things that are against the interest and rule of sin. It judgeth and condemneth both the things that promote it and the persons that do them; it frightens and terrifies the consciences of those who are under its dominion. But if you shall say unto it, “What then shall we do? this tyrant, this enemy, is too hard for us. What aid and assistance against it will you afford unto us? what power will you communicate unto its destruction?” Here the law is utterly silent, or says that nothing of this nature is committed unto it of God: nay, the strength it hath it gives unto sin for the condemnation of the sinner: “The strength of sin is the law.” But the gospel, or the grace of it, is the means and instrument of God for the communication of internal spiritual strength unto believers. By it do they receive supplies of the Spirit or aids of grace for the subduing of sin and the destruction of its dominion… (John Owen, A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace)