The Significance of the Use of the Law

       A fundamental Lutheran doctrine is what the Bible teaches us about salvation; we are saved by grace alone (John 3:16-17; Romans 9:16, 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). This means that there is nothing we can do to be saved because salvation belongs to God’s realm through Christ (John 6:44, 15:16; Romans 9:15-16; 1 John 4:19).

     Now, many Christians have confused seeking God with fulfilling the third use of the Law, that according to Lutheran doctrine, we are not exempt from the Law. Still, we are called to follow the Law, not by our own human will -because it is impossible due to our sinful nature- but by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ words, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

     Even though we may think that we are all children of grace alone, this reference is mainly for the process of salvation. Yet, this process does extend to the whole life of the Christian, does not mean that it automatically rebukes our responsibility with the order and guidance of the Law. By this, I mean that many so-called “modern Christians,” as they reject an order (liturgy), the God of history (as they reject the history of Christianity), and theology (as they reject formal education), have significantly diminished the completeness of God revelation in the Old and New Testament. Through this mentality of dropping the whole Bible as God’s truth,  they artificially created and preached a “human tailor-made diminished false gospel” full of new social theories and proudly rejected the Bible as a normative text for today’s society.

    This new on-vogue so-called Christians walk the extra mile to blend Christianity with non-Christian beliefs (from Hinduism to New Age) and express their “love to God” as a Broadway show. They believe praising God through modern songs and rhythms is the exclusive way to serve Christ. From this wrong way of understanding discipleship, they promptly move to teach and convince the weak in the faith of their twisted morals and ethics (meaning not aligned with the text or the spirit of the sacred word of God) through mere motivational speeches, manipulated emotions, and dramatic performances.

      This kind of modern Christianity preaches a gospel without repentance, using their “worship services” as psychological therapy for mental well-being, a Christian life without commitment, portraying the church as a mere country club. They have gotten rid of the respect toward the sacred as they have transformed our altar for stages, our temples for theaters, and our crucified Christ (as we are supposed to preach Christ according to 1 Corinthians 1:22-23), for empty flashy, and trendy crosses (because for them it is hard to conceive that Christianity is all about sacrifice (Matthew 16:24-26) and self-giving to the Others -Matthew 25:31-46).

     Teaching grace without personal responsibility is to portray an empty gospel where living an entire life through salvation is taken for granted, and Christ’s sacrifice and ministry are just another antique tales for our amusement. All of the above with the sinister purpose of deceiving us from the spiritual implications of all these challenges (Ephesians 6:12) and the consequences of not teaching respect and order according to God’s word (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40; 1 Peter 5:5).

     Different from what many religious people may think, there is not a radical conflict between God’s grace and his Law. We are called to fulfill the spirit of the Law through the Holy Spirit, yet we are still natural sinners. (Matthew 3:8; Acts 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:14). The same grace that saved us (Ephesians 2:8-9) is the same grace that takes us by the hand to understand and follow in Christ as we do what is right (the Law) in our minds and our deeds (Romans 8:26-27).

     The conflict between “grace” and “Law” may strongly arise, disrupting our spiritual connection with God if we misunderstand the purpose of the Law, try to use God’s grace as a justification to keep sinning, or pretend to have no personal responsibility over our self-giving lives to the Other as children of God. Let us keep reaching deep into studying the Bible -together as a church- so this misunderstanding never derails our path in Christ.

May the God of the whole Bible help us follow His calling and will in our life as his holy people to fulfill the entirety spirit of the Law through grace.

God Bless You All!

Pastor Eric M. Miletti