The Law and the Gospel and Nomoclasts
I really love this statement in that it states my spiritual feelings, "They then reduce the gospel to the least common denominator, 'God is love,' in this way they banish from the moral discussion not only the natural law, but the divine (revealed) law as well."
This one sentence has a ton of stuff packed into it. However, let me start with 'God is love.' by no means am I trying to say this is not so, nor is the author of the sentence, Rev. Langlais Ph.D. This quote comes from a article written by Rev. Langlais in response to an article written by Robert Benne who was writing in regard to the Evangelic Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) moral ethical position on certain aspects of sexuality.
This article and response are apropos for a segue into a discussion on the subject of the law and gospel. Benne was writing in regard to the loosening of the ELCA's moral position on human sexuality. Rev Langlais is postulating that the modern church has abandoned a modernist agenda for a postmodern agenda. In Rev Langlais' opinion is, that this move by the ELCA, and I would add other denominations, "represents an ideological decay and doctrinal confusion in the church wide body" Langlais continues, "The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint" (Isaiah 1:5-6).
A misunderstanding of unconditional love is at the core of the problem. A foundational principle is being thrown away, Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone), the belief that the bible contains all the knowledge one needs for salvation and holiness. This concept demands that only those doctrinal principles found in the bible are used, but demands reason and deduction when creating manmade doctrine based upon scripture. Current postmodernism equates to what Langlais calls, "ideologies of epistemological pluralism and moral relativism." Because of this, postmodernist are not properly using the concept of the separation of the law and gospel. In fact, Langlais believes that they are reducing the gospel to the lowest common denominator, "God is love." By doing so, any discussion about natural law and divine law can be discarded. For example, certain sexual sins are no longer sins but acceptable practices by some denominations and by many believers. This Langlais states is "the reduced gospel of universal love, that is without responsibility toward the law." He adds, "This is classic antinomianism" (Anti-law which was held as heretical by many churches, and was a belief held by Gnostics and some early churches. In the postmodern church, antinomianism has raised its head once again. Such believers want all of the privileges and rights of the gospel while not having any obligation to the law (Langlais n.d.) Luther called such believers, nomoclasts. That is, destroyers of the law.
What postmodernist, antinomians, nomoclasts, fail to distinguish is that there is a vast difference between ceremonial law and moral law. A very large portion of denominations hold to the idea that the moral law is still in effect. Something the early reformers postulated. While the ceremonial laws are not required to be observed. It is these ceremonial laws that were at the center of the works the Jews had to do for atonement of sin. Postmodernist are making a mistake in not distinguishing between the moral law, and the ethnic laws meant only for the Jews. Langlais puts it this way, "As a result, they throw the moral baby out with the ceremonial bathwater."
Early reformers such as Luther, saw the law as absolutely being needed to be separated into two distinct messages. One is a message (The law) that almost consists solely of commands, threats and therefore, fear. The other message is a message, (the gospel) of promise and comforts. However, these two messages are not mutually exclusive. Commands are almost always followed by promises. Think of this, with God's promise of salvation comes a command to repent of one's sin. Let me further ask you this, is God's love unconditional? Romans 10:8-9 states, "If you declare with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Is this not a condition that precedes the promise? Mega author, biblical teacher, and Calvinist theologian John Frame, states that the gospel contains law in the form of the commands, "believe and have faith." Consider this, Law includes gospel, God first states to the Israelites, " I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." After affording the Israelites salvation from slavery, he lays down the law (Frame, n.d.). Frame states that the law drives us to Christ, this is what Luther states as well. Frame further states, "The children of God live in the law and walk according to the law of God." This is the moral law, not the ceremonial law that he is referring to.
The book of Concord boiled Luther's ideas on the law down to this,
1)To restrain external evil
2) To show us our sin
3) To show us God's character and will as a rule and guide to holy living empowered by the gospel.
Calvin distinguished the law this way
1) By "exhibiting the righteousness of God, — in other words, the righteousness which alone is acceptable to God, — it admonishes every one of his own unrighteousness, certiorates, convicts, and finally condemns him."
2) It acts "by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dread of punishment, to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice."
3) "The third use of the Law. . .has respect to believers in whose hearts the Spirit of God already flourishes and reigns. . . . For it is the best instrument for enabling them daily to learn with greater truth and certainty what that will of the Lord is which they aspire to follow, and to confirm them in this knowledge. . ."
In the end, it isn't so much the point that we are not saved by the law, but rather it is our postmodernist beliefs that are caving in, as Langlais stated, " ideologies of epistemological pluralism and moral relativism." and that we are "reducing the gospel to the lowest common denominator," that is destructive. It leads to a do as you please, you are saved mentality. We don't have to live our lives by any set of rules and no one can judge us but Christ.
This one sentence has a ton of stuff packed into it. However, let me start with 'God is love.' by no means am I trying to say this is not so, nor is the author of the sentence, Rev. Langlais Ph.D. This quote comes from a article written by Rev. Langlais in response to an article written by Robert Benne who was writing in regard to the Evangelic Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) moral ethical position on certain aspects of sexuality.
This article and response are apropos for a segue into a discussion on the subject of the law and gospel. Benne was writing in regard to the loosening of the ELCA's moral position on human sexuality. Rev Langlais is postulating that the modern church has abandoned a modernist agenda for a postmodern agenda. In Rev Langlais' opinion is, that this move by the ELCA, and I would add other denominations, "represents an ideological decay and doctrinal confusion in the church wide body" Langlais continues, "The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint" (Isaiah 1:5-6).
A misunderstanding of unconditional love is at the core of the problem. A foundational principle is being thrown away, Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone), the belief that the bible contains all the knowledge one needs for salvation and holiness. This concept demands that only those doctrinal principles found in the bible are used, but demands reason and deduction when creating manmade doctrine based upon scripture. Current postmodernism equates to what Langlais calls, "ideologies of epistemological pluralism and moral relativism." Because of this, postmodernist are not properly using the concept of the separation of the law and gospel. In fact, Langlais believes that they are reducing the gospel to the lowest common denominator, "God is love." By doing so, any discussion about natural law and divine law can be discarded. For example, certain sexual sins are no longer sins but acceptable practices by some denominations and by many believers. This Langlais states is "the reduced gospel of universal love, that is without responsibility toward the law." He adds, "This is classic antinomianism" (Anti-law which was held as heretical by many churches, and was a belief held by Gnostics and some early churches. In the postmodern church, antinomianism has raised its head once again. Such believers want all of the privileges and rights of the gospel while not having any obligation to the law (Langlais n.d.) Luther called such believers, nomoclasts. That is, destroyers of the law.
What postmodernist, antinomians, nomoclasts, fail to distinguish is that there is a vast difference between ceremonial law and moral law. A very large portion of denominations hold to the idea that the moral law is still in effect. Something the early reformers postulated. While the ceremonial laws are not required to be observed. It is these ceremonial laws that were at the center of the works the Jews had to do for atonement of sin. Postmodernist are making a mistake in not distinguishing between the moral law, and the ethnic laws meant only for the Jews. Langlais puts it this way, "As a result, they throw the moral baby out with the ceremonial bathwater."
Early reformers such as Luther, saw the law as absolutely being needed to be separated into two distinct messages. One is a message (The law) that almost consists solely of commands, threats and therefore, fear. The other message is a message, (the gospel) of promise and comforts. However, these two messages are not mutually exclusive. Commands are almost always followed by promises. Think of this, with God's promise of salvation comes a command to repent of one's sin. Let me further ask you this, is God's love unconditional? Romans 10:8-9 states, "If you declare with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Is this not a condition that precedes the promise? Mega author, biblical teacher, and Calvinist theologian John Frame, states that the gospel contains law in the form of the commands, "believe and have faith." Consider this, Law includes gospel, God first states to the Israelites, " I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." After affording the Israelites salvation from slavery, he lays down the law (Frame, n.d.). Frame states that the law drives us to Christ, this is what Luther states as well. Frame further states, "The children of God live in the law and walk according to the law of God." This is the moral law, not the ceremonial law that he is referring to.
The book of Concord boiled Luther's ideas on the law down to this,
1)To restrain external evil
2) To show us our sin
3) To show us God's character and will as a rule and guide to holy living empowered by the gospel.
Calvin distinguished the law this way
1) By "exhibiting the righteousness of God, — in other words, the righteousness which alone is acceptable to God, — it admonishes every one of his own unrighteousness, certiorates, convicts, and finally condemns him."
2) It acts "by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dread of punishment, to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice."
3) "The third use of the Law. . .has respect to believers in whose hearts the Spirit of God already flourishes and reigns. . . . For it is the best instrument for enabling them daily to learn with greater truth and certainty what that will of the Lord is which they aspire to follow, and to confirm them in this knowledge. . ."
In the end, it isn't so much the point that we are not saved by the law, but rather it is our postmodernist beliefs that are caving in, as Langlais stated, " ideologies of epistemological pluralism and moral relativism." and that we are "reducing the gospel to the lowest common denominator," that is destructive. It leads to a do as you please, you are saved mentality. We don't have to live our lives by any set of rules and no one can judge us but Christ.
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