The sacred Scriptures reveal the truth and the principles by which God judges in a consistent and comprehensive body of sound doctrine. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in Scripture and consequently deduced therefrom, known as the analogies of Scripture and of faith (Romans 12:6); unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word.

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Of Mankind, Gender, Marriage, Family & Sexuality...

 

Of the Harmony & Distinction Between the Law & the Gospel

Rightly defining, identifying, harmonizing, distinguishing, and applying “the Two Words”—the Law and the Gospel—is of supreme importance, for they comprehend the sum and substance of the sacred Scriptures. 

The Law of God, summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments and in the Two Great Commandments to love God and neighbor, on which the entire Law and the Prophets hang, is the eternal and unchangeable rule of his moral government. The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul, and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man: promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it. It is holy, just, and good, and the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts arises from their inherited guilt and depraved nature; to deliver them from which, and to restore them through a Mediator to unfeigned obedience to the holy Law, is one great end of the Gospel, and of the means of grace connected with the establishment of the visible church.

Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers (various) instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.

To Israel also he gave sundry (several) judicial or civil laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their general equity (justice) only being for moral use (application).

Although true believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned, yet it is of great use to them as well as to others, in that as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, so as examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against, sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience; it is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin; and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse and unallayed rigor thereof. The promises of it likewise show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof, though not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works; so as man's doing good and refraining from evil, because the law encourages to the one and deters from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law and not under grace.

Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it, the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. The Five Solas of the Reformation further sum up the gospel—salvation is entirely by God’s grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide), in Christ alone (solus Christus), to the glory of God alone (soli Deo gloria), based on the ultimate authority of Scripture alone (sola Scriptura).

Both the Law and the Gospel are revelations from God, “for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Both sanctify God’s people: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth…the sum of your word is truth.” Both share the same source—God as just Judge and as gracious Redeemer—and the same standard—God’s perfect righteousness revealed in the moral law as an impossible demand and as fulfilled in the perfect active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ the righteous. 

The law and gospel distinction is the systematic study of properly identifying, interpreting, categorizing, harmonizing, distinguishing, and applying the Two Words throughout Scripture. It is the key to understanding many biblical contrasts, including:

  • command vs promise
  • imperative vs indicative
  • obligation vs free gift
  • guilt vs grace
  • salvation vs damnation
  • faith vs works
  • legalism vs liberty
  • judgment vs justification
  • justification vs sanctification
  • the ministry of death and condemnation vs the ministry of righteousness and reconciliation
  • the Letter that kills vs the Spirit that gives life
  • self-righteousness vs imputed righteousness
  • death vs life (including eternal death and life)
  • Covenant of Works vs Covenant of Grace
  • Old Covenant vs New Covenant
  • “Do this and live” vs “It is done”

Conversely, then, the ignorance, neglect, confusion, and perversion of law and gospel has led to manifold errors and corruptions of sound doctrine. The church must therefore uphold both by distinguishing them and rightly applying them in all her believing, teaching, confessing, praying, and living.

Rom. 3:31; Matt. 5:17, 22:37-40; Luke 16:17; Rom. 3:20; Rom. 4:15; Rom. 7:12; Rom.7:7, 14-22; Gal.3:21; Ps. 119; Rom.8:7-8; Josh. 24:19; Jer. 13:23; John 6:44; John 5:44; Rom. 8:2-4; Rom. 10:4; I Tim. 1:5; Heb. 8:10; Jude 20-21