Back To The Basics: The Mistake Of Trying To Make People Godly By Means Of The Law
In the name of Jesus. Amen. There’s a terrible temptation in the Church. It’s the idea that we can scare sinners into holiness. That we can hammer people into godliness. That the problem with our world—or our churches—is simply that people don’t hear the Law enough, and if we just thunder a little louder, then maybe, people will become good pious little Christians. But dear friends, it doesn’t work. It never has. And tonight, C.F.W. Walther reminds us why. In his 23rd thesis on Law and Gospel, Walther boldly declares: “The Word of God is not rightly divided when an attempt is made by means of the demands or the threats or the promises of the Law to induce the unregenerate to put away their sins and engage in good works and thus become godly; on the other hand, when an endeavor is made, by means of the commands of the Law rather than by the admonitions of the Gospel, to urge the regenerate to do good." Now, what did we just hear? What is Walther saying? ...
