Is the Law a Positive Good?

I checked out a book from my Uncle’s library a few months ago. He has a little study in his laundry room with books stacked to the ceiling, and every time I am over there I will return what I borrowed last and check out something new. 

One thing I have been looking to get a better understanding of is “law and gospel”; primarily what is the role of the law for the Christian today? This is an important question to ask. With antinomianism on the rise, and at least one prominent evanglelical recently calling to entirely ignore the teachings and commandments of the Old Testament (in light of the vibrancy of the New Covenant, in his words), I wanted to better formulate what the law’s proper place is.

The book I looked at was by C.F.W. Walther entitled The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, written in 1885, and it actually led me down a different direction than I was looking.

Is the law a good thing?

Walther is a gifted theologian from the Lutheran school. He classifies the law as everything that God in Scripture tells us to do; while the gospel is everything that God does Himself. With those definitions in mind it is of utmost importance that we keep law from infringing on gospel and thereby making our faith void. Law must not enter the gospel, for Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Salvation is by grace alone, and any distortion of that pure gospel with any kind of human duty will be disastrous.

Walther and Luther viewed the law’s function as primarily that of a “pricker”; It pricks our hearts in order that we may receive gospel relief. The law makes us thirsty for the quenching satisfaction of gospel waters. When we are confronted with the demands of God (the law), we quickly see our inadequacy and inability to walk in them, and therefore grow desperate in our search for heavenly assistance (the gospel). After we have received the gospel and begin to grow lax in our pursuit of holiness, the law is there to prick us anew that we may return to the gospel rest. And so the Christian life is somewhat of a cyclical pattern of: pain of the law, eventually met with gospel, returning to pain of the law…etc. This surely follows the manner of Luther's own testimony and Christian struggle.

And while I agree that this is a true function of the law, Walther seems, from my reading at least, to limit this “pricking function” to its only use. The law is only a brutal hammer that breaks us down that we may crawl to Christ. The law is only the wilderness that makes us long for the promised land. And while Walther continually reminds us that the law is a good thing (for it is from God), I view this exclusive pricking view as severely limited.

If the law is exclusively a hammer why would David call the man blessed who delights in the law and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1)? Why would the Psalmist again call the law of the Lord “more precious than gold” and “sweeter than the honey of the honeycomb” if it is continually bashing him over the head with harsh obligation? Why would he have the audacity write the whole of Psalm 119? The truth of the matter is the law’s function is not limited to that of a “pricker”. It does prick, and it does condemn those who are not in Christ Jesus, but to those who are in Christ, the law begins to become a delight. It is something that the Holy Spirit enables the Christian to walk in with new joy. If we love God, we will obey His commandments for His commandments are not burdensome. We no longer obey the law in order to obtain salvation or gain heavenly favor; no, we obey the law because it is the will of our Father.

A Brief Illustration:

Think for a moment of a healthy father-son relationship. Good fathers require things of their boys (if they didn't they would be bad fathers!); and young boys will often despise the works and rules imposed from above: the cleaning of the room, the taking out of trash, the washing of the dishes. But as the relationship develops, and as the boy begins to mature (it may take time)—he will likely start to see these duties in a different light. Instead of doing them out of a bitter obligation, he will begin to see these tasks as joys, as good things to do, for the completion of them pleases the father. Because the son loves his father he will love to do what His father requires.

For this reason, I find the reformed distinction of law into the “law of works” and the “law of Christ” as a far more dynamic classification. To those born of Adam the law is indeed condemnation for no one can be justified under its load. But to those who are born of Christ Jesus, the law becomes our delight because it is the will of our Savior to walk therein. It is not just a bitter means to the end of Christ, but a positive good that we are enabled to progress in because of Christ! And while, for the Christian, the law no longer threatens eternal condemnation when we disobey, we will face Fatherly discipline when transgress it.

Because of this, I think Walther’s view is too narrow to capture the positive good of the law in the Christian’s life. For a more complete picture I would recommend The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher.

“Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” Romans 3:31