If awakened sinners are ignorant of the leading points of difference between the law and the gospel, this will discourage them much from attempting to come to Christ for salvation. If they cannot distinguish aright between the law and the gospel, they will mingle the works of the one with the grace of the other, and the consequence will be that they will form confused, false, and discouraging notions of the compassionate Savior. And so instead of being drawn to Him, they will be deterred from trusting in Him for salvation. They will allow themselves to apprehend that they must have something to bring with them to the Savior in order to recommend them to Him, some good qualifications to entitle them to His favor. Although it is declared in the gospel that all things are already given to Christ by the Father, yet when the thoughts of convinced sinners about the law and the gospel are indistinct, they imagine that they must still have something of their own to bring and present to Him. They conceive that they must, in some measure, have that which is commanded in the law before they can have a right to receive that which is offered in the gospel or that they must have those holy dispositions to bring to Christ which He only can bestow and for which they ought as sinners to come to Him. Thus, having the righteousness required of them in the law, and not the infinitely perfect righteousness freely offered to them in the gospel, before their eyes, their consciences are brought into trouble and perplexity; and instead of coming as sinners to Christ for righteousness and strength, they are ready to harden themselves in despair of His mercy and in aversion from Him.

John Colquhoun | A Treatise on the Law and Gospel (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books), 130.

RESOURCES

• Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
• Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
• The Heidelblog Resource Page
• Heidelmedia Resources
• The Ecumenical Creeds
• The Reformed Confessions
• The Heidelberg Catechism
• Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
• Why I Am A Christian
• What Must A Christian Believe?
• Heidelblog Contributors
• Colquhoun On The Twofold Nature Of The Mosaic Covenant
• Colquhoun: Every Passage Of Scripture Is Either Law Or Gospel
• Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to

Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Post authored by:

• Tony Phelps

  

  Tony grew up in Rhode Island. He was educated at BA (University of Rhode Island) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He worked in the insurance industry for ten years. He planted a PCA church in Wakefield, RI where he served for eleven years. In 2015–18 he pastored Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Colorado Springs. He is currently pastor of Living Hope (OPC). Tony is married to Donna and together they have three children.

  More by Tony Phelps ›