The news which the gospel hath in its mouth to tell us poor sinners is good. It speaks promises, and they are significations of some good intended by God for poor sinners. The law, that brings ill news to town. Threatenings are the ‘lingua vernacula legis’—the native language of the law. It can speak no other language to sinners but denunciations of evil to come upon them, but the gospel smiles on poor sinners, and plains [smooths] the wrinkles that sit on the law’s brow, by proclaiming promises. Read more»
William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor, 1.1. (HT: Reformed Reader).
Related: How Should We View The Warning Passages?
We can only love the law when we know that our Savior has obeyed it for us in its strictest sense. Then we love Him who demonstrated His love for us by His perfect obedience and death in our place. Knowing that the threatenings of the law, demanding perfect obedience, have been satisfied by our Savior God, we are moved to strive to obey His law out of love and a desire to please Him because He has already accepted us unconditionally based on His own perfect obedience in our place. We are the righteousness of God! We become what we are through the work of the Spirit, until we are fully conformed to the image of Christ at the resurrection. If we really believe this, it is the most powerful incentive of all, to obey the law of God.
Amen Angela!
His salvation left no loose ends. The active and passive work of Christ for us is the sweetest grace and mercy ever given.
We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10
“O God, I bless thee for the happy moment when I first saw thy law fulfilled in Christ…”
The Valley of Vision