Law

  • False Teachers Accursed

    Galatians 1:8–9

    Martin Luther’s comments on Galatians 1:8–9 illustrate Scripture’s relationship to tradition: “Here then is a plain text like a thunderbolt, wherein Paul subjects both himself and an angel from heaven, and all others, doctors, teachers, and ...Read More

  • Fulfiling the Law

    Romans 13:8–10

    Matthew Henry comments on love, saying “more is implied than is expressed; it not only does no harm, but it does all the good that may be.” The kind of love that fulfills the Law is active and not just ...Read More

  • Fulfilling the Law

    Galatians 5:14–15

    Martin Luther says the love that fulfills the Law is “to instruct him who goes astray, to comfort him that is afflicted, to raise up him that is weak, to help your neighbor by all means possible, to bear with ...Read More

  • Grace Fulfills the Law

    Galatians 4:21–5:26

    Some nominal “believers” are professors of faith only. All who claim to be in Christ must also be possessors of faith. Read slowly and carefully the two lists of Galatians 5:19–23. Where do you need help? Pray through ...Read More

  • Greater than the Temple

    Matthew 12:1–8

    John Chrysostom wrote: “Did Christ then attempt to repeal a law so beneficial as the sabbath law? Far from it. Rather, he greatly magnified the sabbath. For with Christ came the time for everyone to be trained by a higher ...Read More

  • Guided by the law

    Matthew 15:1–9

    Under the old covenant, the covenant community was enslaved to sin and, therefore, burdened by God’s law. In contrast, we live under the new covenant, the era in which God has poured out His Holy Spirit abundantly. If we ...Read More

  • Ignorant and Vain Discussion

    1 Timothy 1:6-7

    Matthew Henry says, “Mere talk, especially in religion, is meaningless, and yet many people’s religion consists of little else but meaningless talk.” Is your practice of the Christian religion tied up in endless talk on peripheral matters, or is ...Read More

  • Israel at Mount Sinai

    Exodus 19:1–13

    In Ephesians 2, Paul tell us that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith and that a gift of God. He also tells us that we are God’s workmanship, created in Him to do good ...Read More

  • Israel’s Response to the Law

    Jeremiah 19

    We are free to set standards for ourselves as long as we do not impose them on others. If I choose not to drink for fear of becoming an alcoholic, I am not a legalist until I project upon others ...Read More

  • Jesus Our Cornerstone

    Luke 20:9-18

    Even believers are not immune to the temptation that calls us to treat the commands of God as ends in themselves. But God’s law is not in itself the end; rather, it always points us to Christ and is ...Read More

  • Justification by Faith Alone

    Galatians 2:14–16

    Martin Luther’s commentary on today’s passage includes this nugget of wisdom: “God is honored in His Son. Whoever then believes that the Son is our mediator and Savior, he honors the Father, and him again does God honor ...Read More

  • Law and Gospel

    Romans 3:21-31

    Our relativistic age does not like to hear that there is an eternal, unchangeable law that convicts all people. But the central message of the gospel is that we have broken this law and need to be reconciled to God ...Read More

  • Law and Gospel

    Matthew 5:17–20

    Answer 86 of the Heidelberg Catechism emphasizes that we do good works because the God who justifies us also gives us His Spirit to conform us more and more to the image of Jesus Christ. Our Lord saves us from ...Read More

  • More Sin, More Grace

    Romans 5:20

    What sins do you most regret? Did you ever doubt that it would be possible for God to forgive you for those sins? How did you come to understand that His grace was sufficient even to cover your most heinous ...Read More

  • Obedience and Delight

    Psalm 1:1-2

    True love for God’s law is not legalism (adding to God’s rules or demanding that we obey the civil and ceremonial laws fulfilled in Christ). Love for the law makes us try to follow it truly without imposing ...Read More